Hook

2022 - 4 - 22

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Sandy Hook families' lawyer says Alex Jones' InfoWars bankruptcy ... (Reuters)

Families of the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre called for InfoWars' bankruptcy to be thrown out of court on Friday, accusing the far-right wing ...

The families have previously rebuffed Jones' efforts to settle the cases. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com

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Alex Jones rep tells judge he didn't file bankruptcy himself for fear it ... (Danbury News Times)

Randy Williams, an attorney representing eight Sandy Hook families in Connecticut who are awaiting trial in August to see how much in defamation damages Jones ...

Both requests were disputed by attorneys for the Sandy Hook families in Texas and Connecticut. An attorney representing the four parents of two slain Sandy Hook boys in the Texas cases called for the judge to dismiss the bankruptcy case. “InfoWars is a prominent trademark in the conspiracy theory community and Alex Jones is equally as prominent,” said Jones’ representative Marc Schwartz in federal bankruptcy court in Texas on Friday. “It would ruin his name and harm his ability to sell merchandise.”

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Sandy Hook families skeptical of Infowars' bankruptcy filing (Courthouse News Service)

With his companies' filings Monday, conspiracy theorist Alex Jones slammed the brakes on much of the litigation directed against him.

In the case in Connecticut, for instance, the judge said Jones failed to repeatedly comply with discovery orders. A trial in Texas was scheduled to begin Monday to determine what damages Jones owes the families, while the case in Connecticut was scheduled to move forward later this year. On April 1, 2022 our revised Privacy Policy and Terms of Use took effect.

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Alex Jones hit with $1 million for violating court orders in Sandy ... (Austin American-Statesman)

Austin-based conspiracy theorist Alex Jones has been hit with penalties topping $1 million for violating court orders to provide essential pretrial ...

The judge also cited the pattern of obstruction when she awarded victory to the Sandy Hook parents in a default judgment last year, saying they no longer had to prove that Jones and InfoWars defamed them. "The Court finds that defendants have intentionally thwarted the legitimate discovery process in these cases," the judge wrote. "I am so humbled by your support," Jones said. In addition, the Austin-based 3rd Court of Appeals ordered Jones to pay $22,500 in attorney fees in 2020 after it determined that his bid to dismiss the Sandy Hook lawsuits was frivolous. Jones filed for bankruptcy protection for three of his companies Monday. As part of that filing, he created a litigation settlement trust to pay damage awards in the Sandy Hook and Fontaine lawsuits and sought to transfer the Texas and Connecticut lawsuits into federal bankruptcy court. In addition to the penalties, the judge ordered Jones and his companies to pay $25,000 in punitive sanctions, saying evidence was "willfully concealed and fabricated" in a separate defamation lawsuit by Marcel Fontaine, whom InfoWars mistakenly identified as a suspect in the 2018 shooting at a high school in Parkland, Fla.

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Infowars Bankruptcy Lawyers Promise Cash, Fairness to Sandy ... (Bloomberg)

Advisers for bankrupt companies tied to far-right radio host Alex Jones shed light on the conspiracy theorist's business operations in bankruptcy court ...

Infowars Bankruptcy May Be Abuse of Court System, Justice ... (Insurance Journal)

The U.S. Trustee urged a federal judge in Texas to reject a request to appoint former judges to oversee a proposed victim compensation fund. Three small ...

Additional funds, including $2 million cash, could flow into the trust as a result of the bankruptcy, according to court papers. On Tuesday, the judge overseeing a lawsuit against Jones in Connecticut state court said the case would be put on hold temporarily. The units in bankruptcy “have no purpose other than to hold assets which may be used by other entities” and their only liabilities are the litigation claims, according to court papers. Three small entities affiliated with Jones’s Infowars website are seeking to use bankruptcy to set up a trust to pay damages that may be won in court by relatives of children killed in the 2012 Sandy Hook massacre. By establishing a trust to settle legal claims in bankruptcy, Jones’s companies are following a controversial playbook used by other corporations facing significant lawsuits. The bankruptcy filing could hurt efforts by the Sandy Hook families to collect from Jones, said Patrick Jackson, a restructuring lawyer based in Delaware who has handled cases with similar legal disputes.

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Alex Jones's Reps Worried Personal Bankruptcy May Hurt Merch ... (The Wall Street Journal)

A restructuring officer for conspiracy site Infowars said Friday that representatives for its founder Alex Jones worried the radio-host would damage his ...

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Sandy Hook parents will press to dismiss bankruptcy filing by Alex ... (Austin American-Statesman)

Parents of children killed in the 2012 shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary said their defamation claims do not belong in bankruptcy court.

The judge asked Lee to provide information in the future about why such companies would qualify for bankruptcy protection. He sells these products because he has an audience of millions and millions of people, and he has a very, very loud bullhorn with which to do it," he said. IWHealth owns the cash flow from royalties under an agreement with Youngevity, whose dietary supplements and other products are sold on the InfoWars website, Schwartz said. "These individual families do not have that kind of platform." Kyung Lee, Jones' bankruptcy lawyer, rejected accusations that there was a nefarious purpose behind turning to federal bankruptcy court. lawyer Jon Beatty said during a Friday morning hearing in Houston. "Let me tell you, I think we have a sinister and unworthy purpose here."

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Alex Jones's Reps Worried Personal Bankruptcy May Hurt Merch ... (The Wall Street Journal)

A restructuring officer for conspiracy site Infowars said Friday that representatives for its founder Alex Jones worried the radio-host would damage his ...

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Objections Sidetrack Alex Jones' InfoWars Ch. 11 In Texas (Law360)

Attorneys for Jones' interests said the settlement entities proposed for the bankruptcy have no debt other than the litigation claims owed to the Sandy Hook families after a Connecticut state court judge issued a default judgment against Jones in their ...

You have to know what’s happening with clients, competitors, practice areas, and industries. Law360 provides the intelligence you need to remain an expert and beat the competition. In the legal profession, information is the key to success.

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Alex Jones's Bankruptcy Lawyer Indignant That Sandy Hook ... (Above the Law)

“We're turning to the bankruptcy courts to compel the plaintiffs to estimate the value of their claims in open court by discernible evidentiary standards,” ...

Also that Infowars, whose “business” is holding the trademark for Jones’s company, never actually collected a royalty until about five minutes ago, when Schwartz told them he wasn’t going to lend his name to this project until they stopped sending the royalty checks to Jones directly. There are “limited funds and we’re trying to maximize it so it goes to the plaintiffs” he huffed, seeming hurt and offended that someone might suggest he had anything but the purest motives. Nevertheless, Lee insisted that “bankruptcy code and courts are the appropriate vehicle” for resolving “a sad and complex situation” which was actually on the eve of being decided by a jury. And we got them! Sponsored We hope they will show respect to the federal courts.”

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Alex Jones rep tells judge he didn't file bankruptcy himself for fear it ... (Middletown Press)

Alex Jones filed bankruptcy for Infowars, but not for himself, as trials neared to award damages in defamation cases he lost to Sandy Hook families because ...

Both requests were disputed by attorneys for the Sandy Hook families in Texas and Connecticut. An attorney representing the four parents of two slain Sandy Hook boys in the Texas cases called for the judge to dismiss the bankruptcy case. “InfoWars is a prominent trademark in the conspiracy theory community and Alex Jones is equally as prominent,” said Jones’ representative Marc Schwartz in federal bankruptcy court in Texas on Friday. “It would ruin his name and harm his ability to sell merchandise.”

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DOJ Challenges Alex Jones' Bankruptcy Filing; Sandy Hook Lawyer ... (HuffPost)

The Justice Department's bankruptcy watchdog called the Infowars host's move a potential "abuse" of the system after he lost Sandy Hook defamation suits.

The suit claims that he drew $18 million from his companies after the first suit was filed against him in 2018. Jon Beatty, an attorney for Sandy Hook victims’ families, characterized Jones’ move as a “sinister” strategy to duck liability in his comments Friday at a federal bankruptcy hearing in Texas, where Jones lives. But last Sunday, Jones, a multimillionaire, filed for bankruptcy protection for InfoW, which owns copyrights and domain names related to InfoWars.com, IWHealth and Prison Planet TV. The U.S. Trustee Program is urging that the judge reject Jones’ request to appoint supervisors to oversee a proposed limited victim compensation fund. He now admits the massacre did happen. The conspiracy theorist and his companies were found liable last year in Connecticut and Texas after Jones repeatedly claimed that the shooting deaths of 20 children and six adults at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut in 2012 was a “hoax” staged by “crisis actors” as part of an anti-gun stunt.

Obituaries in Springfield, IL | The State Journal-Register (The State Journal-Register)

Jerry "Hook" Louis Jett, Sr. Litchfield, IL - Jerry "Hook" Louis Jett, Sr., 64 passed on Wednesday April 20, 2022 at at his residence. Plummer...

Jerry 'Hook' Jett, Sr., 64 (thejournal-news.net)

Jerry “Hook” Louis Jett, Sr., 64, of Litchfield, died at 3:19 p.m. on Wednesday, April 20, 2022, at his residence. Visitation will begin at 12:30 p.m., ...

Mr. Jett was a member of ABATE and Amvets Post #16 of Litchfield. He enjoyed fishing, boating, canoeing, riding his Harley, doing mechanical work and raising dogs. Mr. Jett is survived by his mother; wife; sons, Jerry L. Jett, Jr. of Belleville, Benjamin L. Jett of Greenville and Leslie A. Jett of Springfield; daughter, Jenny M. Jett of Litchfield; step-son, Alex B.E. Jenkins of Litchfield; step-daughter, Jessica E. Jenkins of Litchfield; sister, Opal Jett of Litchfield; and grandchildren, Cassandra, Elessa, Nathan, Matthew, Haylie, Tristen, Payten, Makenzy and Serenity. He was preceded in death by his father; and his brothers George A. Jett, Leroy N. Jett, Dean M. Jett and Kevin M. Jett. Burial will be at King Cemetery in rural Irving. Memorials may be designated to the Family of Jerry Jett, Sr., c/o Plummer Funeral Home. Condolences may be left online at www.plummerfuneralservices.com. Mr. Jett was born May 18, 1957, in Litchfield, the son of Leslie Lewis and Ginger Ann (Logsdon) Jett. He was a construction laborer with Local #1084 in Hillsboro. His first marriage was to Donna Lynn Munos on April 18, 1980, they later divorced.

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Alex Jones's Reps Worried Personal Bankruptcy May Hurt Merch ... (The Wall Street Journal)

A restructuring officer for conspiracy site Infowars said Friday that representatives for its founder Alex Jones worried the radio-host would damage his ...

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Alex Jones didn't file for bankruptcy ahead of Newtown trial because ... (Danbury News Times)

When Alex Jones' business entities filed bankruptcy cases just days before a trial was set to award defamation damages, a Justice Department overseer and a ...

“They want the benefit of bankruptcy without being in bankruptcy,” said Randy Williams, an attorney representing an FBI agent and 14 people from eight families who lost loved ones in the Sandy Hook massacre. “I need to tell you that the parties have worked very hard in good faith to bring a proposal to pay creditors and pay them in an equal fashion,” Lee said. “It would ruin his name and harm his ability to sell merchandise.” “There has to be some guaranteed source of funds … and it cannot be based on something I haven’t approved.” The trust would be funded by Jones himself and his Free Speech Systems, starting with $10 million. “I think some of these concerns are legitimate.”

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Driftwood Outdoors: Hook youth anglers with positive experiences (Columbia Daily Tribune)

Nothing is more important in hooking a young angler than catching fish. Young folks aren't in this for the peace and relaxation. They want action.

Are you going to release them, or are you going to keep them to eat? You can search for the type of place you’re going to fish, like a farm pond, or you can search the exact water you plan to fish. If you are going to keep them, be sure to follow all the rules and regulations. It has to be all about the kids. Once you have a kid interested in fishing, you can push them a little more. It’s about the kids. Just allow them to come into the excitement of fishing at their own pace. If you don’t know where to start, a simple Google search is going to offer a ton of information. Zeller recommends “a Zebco 33 combo that includes the rod, reel, some line and even a few hooks, bobbers and split shot weights can be found for about $30 at most sporting goods stores.” Fast action is the key to keeping them engaged. Push button reels and casting rods exist for a reason — they’re easy to use. Taking them on a trip that produces the most fish possible should be your goal.

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New York may seal crime records, curb evictions, ban gas hook-ups ... (amNY)

New York could allow for the automatic sealing of some criminal records, make it harder to evict tenants and ban gas and oil hook-ups in new buildings ...

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High School Baseball: Marlboro downs Red Hook (The Daily Freeman)

Dan Conrad got the win. Owen Schlagler pitched a scoreless sixth and seventh to earn the save. Collin Casey also drove in two runs for the Dukes.

Dan Conrad got the win. MARLBORO, N.Y. — Marlboro High defeated Red Hook 5-2 in a non-league baseball game Saturday.

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'Professor' Jay Hook has lasting effect on 'The Old Perfessor' Casey ... (Chicago Daily Herald)

Jay Hook of Grayslake won the first game for the New York Mets franchise in 1962. He looks back on his days with manager Casey Stengel and looks ahead to ...

"And I wrote it on the basis that a loss is not a defeat. But you better have a relief pitcher there after the first pitch.'" With his blast on June 18, measured at 465 feet, Aaron became only the second man to reach the left center field stands in the modern history of the park, the other being teammate Joe Adcock. "And Casey was terrific with them," he said. "I looked at the lineup of the people they had signed. I have two artificial hips. I've got an artificial knee. Make him hit it to center field.' After every game, win, lose or draw -- and we were the worst team ever in baseball record-wise -- he would call the writers into his office and would get them a beer or a Coke or whatever and he would sit and just tell them stories. And I thought, 'This can't be that bad.' I mean, there was Richie Ashburn and Gil Hodges and Charlie Neal and a lot of Brooklyn guys. "He knew the fans were his customers, and knew the vehicle to get to those fans were those sportswriters. "Next pitch, I threw an outside fastball.

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60 years on, Hook's CG in Mets' 1st win 'seems like yesterday' (MLB.com)

The 1962 season was largely forgettable for the Mets. It was their first season of existence, and they lost a record-setting 120 games. But 60 years ago, ...

“We had a lot of sportswriters [covering the team] because there were a lot of papers back then. The Mets might have lost a record-setting 120 games in 1962, but as Hook pointed out, a lot of those players turned out to be winners after their playing careers ended. Hook was making his second start of the season and faced right-hander Tom Sturdivant, who was making his third start of the year. “It was just a combination. “I felt if I was a better hitter, I wouldn’t get taken out of games,” Hook said. The Mets won only 39 more games the rest of the way. He was coming off a terrible start against the Cubs in which he allowed five runs, including two home runs, in one inning. The 1962 season was largely forgettable for the Mets. It was their first season of existence, and they lost a record-setting 120 games. “They had such a good lineup, and Clemente was such a good hitter. “I have a press release that came out with the box score of the game. It was Rogers’ help.”","type":"markdown","__typename":"Markdown"},"$ROOT_QUERY.getForgeContentBySlug({\"locale\":\"en-us\",\"slug\":\"mets-win-first-game-in-franchise-history-60th-anniversary\",\"type\":\"story\"}).parts.4.data":{"html":"","providerName":"YouTube","providerUrl":"https://www.youtube.com/","type":"video","width":480,"__typename":"ExternalEmbedContent"},"$ROOT_QUERY.getForgeContentBySlug({\"locale\":\"en-us\",\"slug\":\"mets-win-first-game-in-franchise-history-60th-anniversary\",\"type\":\"story\"}).parts.4":{"data":{"type":"id","generated":true,"id":"$ROOT_QUERY.getForgeContentBySlug({\"locale\":\"en-us\",\"slug\":\"mets-win-first-game-in-franchise-history-60th-anniversary\",\"type\":\"story\"}).parts.4.data","typename":"ExternalEmbedContent"},"type":"oembed","__typename":"ExternalEmbed"},"$ROOT_QUERY.getForgeContentBySlug({\"locale\":\"en-us\",\"slug\":\"mets-win-first-game-in-franchise-history-60th-anniversary\",\"type\":\"story\"}).parts.5":{"content":"All three of his Hook’s pitches -- fastball, changeup, curveball -- were working that day in Pittsburgh. Even the great Clemente was held hitless in four at-bats.\n\nAfter the game ended, there wasn’t a celebration in the locker room. It was difficult after a while.”","type":"markdown","__typename":"Markdown"},"$ROOT_QUERY.getForgeContentBySlug({\"locale\":\"en-us\",\"slug\":\"mets-win-first-game-in-franchise-history-60th-anniversary\",\"type\":\"story\"}).parts.6":{"caption":"Mets owner Joan Payson in 1962","contextualCaption":null,"contextualAspectRatio":null,"credit":null,"format":"jpg","templateUrl":"https://img.mlbstatic.com/mlb-images/image/private/{formatInstructions}/mlb/mietnuee2vhujispghcq","type":"photo","__typename":"PhotoPart"},"$ROOT_QUERY.getForgeContentBySlug({\"locale\":\"en-us\",\"slug\":\"mets-win-first-game-in-franchise-history-60th-anniversary\",\"type\":\"story\"}).parts.7":{"content":"The Mets might have lost a record-setting 120 games in 1962, but as Hook pointed out, a lot of those players turned out to be winners after their playing careers ended.

Jay Hook and the '62 Mets look back on the franchise's first win: 'It ... (The Mercury News)

After Jay Hook beat the Pirates for the first victory in Mets history, Casey Stengel urged his pitcher to talk to the newspaper reporters covering the team ...

The ball now sits on display in the Mets Hall of Fame and Museum at Citi Field. George Weiss, the former Yankee GM who was running the Mets, had talked hopefully of a .500 mark before the season. He had stuffed it into the inside pocket of his sports coat after the game. I was in the dugout that night, so I felt the whole atmosphere. In front of 16,176 fans, Hook, who had missed part of the 1961 season with Cincinnati because of the mumps, throttled the powerful Bucs, throwing a five-hitter. The caption below ended, tongue-in-cheek, we hope: “Now for the pennant!” But it all came together, oddly enough, against a Pirates team that had matched the then-mark for most consecutive wins to begin a year (10), first held by the Brooklyn Dodgers. Dick Young wrote in the Daily News: “The Mets completed their successful home stand yesterday; nobody got killed.” He was, after all, a quote machine, even delivering the lament that became the title of Jimmy Breslin’s funny best-seller about the team: “Can’t Anybody Here Play This Game?” Craig, a jokester, according to Anderson, answered the phone and Stengel said, “This is Casey.” Roger Craig was there because he was slated to pitch the second game. Stengel, whose sense of theater and PR served the Mets as well or better than any diamond stratagem he devised, knew the milestone was a good story, especially since his expansion club had started its baseball life with nine straight losses.

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NY may seal crime records, curb evictions, ban gas hook-ups (Spectrum News)

Lawmakers could also pass a bill that could nix former Lt. Gov. Brian Benjamin, a Democrat, from the June primary ballot.

The Real Estate Board of New York, however, backed Hochul’s proposal to start the ban in 2027. This spring, the American Petroleum Institute launched a social media campaign opposing the ban. New York has a target of becoming emissions free by 2040. Oppose the Natural Gas Ban!” Hochul and Senate Democrats included the policy in their budget proposals. New York would prohibit landlords from evicting tenants for failure to pay rent following “unreasonable” rent hikes. New York City passed such a ban last year. Courts, or anyone required to run fingerprint-based criminal history checks, could access the records in certain scenarios. Benjamin resigned April 12 in the wake of his arrest in a federal corruption investigation. Hochul said this week she won’t ask her former running mate to move out-of-state. The oil and gas sector and real estate lobby has vigorously opposed legislation to ban oil and gas hook-ups in new building construction statewide. The Senate is also considering Sen. Jamaal Bailey’s bill to launch a state office of expungement that would help oversee the sealing and expungement of convictions.

Infowars bankruptcy lawyers promise cash, fairness to Sandy Hook ... (theday.com)

Advisers for bankrupt companies tied to far-right radio host Alex Jones shed light on the conspiracy theorist's business operations in bankruptcy court.

Jones and Free Speech Systems have already been found liable in the lawsuits, but trials over the amount of damages have now been halted because of the Chapter 11 filing. Always a crowd pleaser at Mohegan Sun, the buffet spread will stay in hiatus for a while yet as the resort gets back into gear after two years of pandemic adjustments. "There is a good faith effort here to do something constructive with the bankruptcy process," Kyung Lee, an attorney for the Infowars entities, said in the hearing. Schwartz said advisers didn't want Jones or Free Speech Systems to file for bankruptcy because it could damage their reputations with vendors and further hurt sales. The process would bring claimants into a single forum -- bankruptcy court -- to negotiate, rather than proceed with separate damages trials that were set to go forward in Texas and Connecticut this year. Jones himself didn't go bankrupt, though, and neither did the most lucrative corner of his business, prompting one plaintiff's attorney to call the maneuver a "ridiculous trick."

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