The judge in Connecticut in charge of the defamation trial of conspiracy theorist Alex Jones disdained his lawyer and outlined the ethical violations of We believe the pair may have committed.
Attorneys face allegations that they revealed plaintiff's confidential medical and psychiatric information related to her 2012 Sandy Elementary school shooting that killed 26 people. Year.
Mr. Jones and several of his companies have been sued for defamation for his false allegations that the shooting was staged, and several parents who have lost children to the shooting. After they faced false accusations of being so-called "crisis actors" seeking tougher gun control measures.
Superior Court Judge Barbara Bellis said Wednesday that the lawyer's actions were "unprecedented" and "extremely shocking," according toLaw & Crimes.
On August 10, Judge Bellis argued that Mr. Jones and his firm's chief attorney, Norm, should hold a hearing for Mr. Pattis in a defamation case in Connecticut. did.
She later said a similar hearing should be held against Texas attorney Andino Raynal, who was considering joining the Connecticut lawsuit.
} "It appears that the medical and/or psychiatric records of plaintiffs in the underlying litigation were recently provided to unauthorized individuals," Judge Bellis said on Aug. 10.
The records are contained in multiple protection orders, as pointed out by the judge on Aug. 10 and she on Aug. 17. In each case, the judge should ask “who sent the record,” “when was it sent,” and, if a member of staff sent the content, “what technical expertise the sender had?” I wanted to know what kind of records there were. Sent” according to thelaw & crime.
"Were they medical and psychiatric records, or other records subject to court protection orders?" she asked several times. "I would like to know exactly who received the record, and if it requires testimony from attorneys or others in a Texas case, so be it.
In addition to Connecticut, Mr. Jones There have also been lawsuits filed in Texas, where his companies, including his outlet Infowars, have been sued.As a result of the Texas lawsuit, Mr. Jones has denied his long-standing erroneous belief that the shooting was a "hoax." The allegation was followed by an order to pay $45.2 million in punitive damages and $4.1 million in compensatory damages. I want to," Judge Bellis said on August 10, pursuant to the law & offenses. "This court has issued orders relating to confidential records, highly confidential records, and attorney-only records. Therefore, evidence is required as to whether any of the records were subject to a protective order. And I am clearly very concerned about the unauthorized disclosure of confidential private records that were protected under a court order of protection. medical records, and psychiatric or psychological or counseling records, which enjoy a very high level of protection under the law, may have been inappropriately disclosed to unauthorized individuals;
On Wednesday, the judge reiterated these concerns and asked to be given "details as to how this could have happened."
She added that it was "the fourth time that Jones' defense counsel has been involved in this case" to potential ethics violations.
Judge Bellis said jury selection for the trial to determine the amount of damages Jones and his firm should pay begins Thursday.
Raynal His lawyers said they were aware of the gravity of thecourt's allegations, according to the & Criminal Code.
Mr. Pattis opposed the possibility of an ethics inquiry, arguing that Judge Bellis had acted beyond his authority and should withdraw from the disciplinary hearing. He added that his due process rights had been violated by the ethics inquiry. "We are acting on that basis," he said.
He added that her action "(regardless of its validity) may give the public an improper impression that the court has chosen the wrong side in the case."
Mr. Meade noted that Judge Bellis' statement was that "Attorney Pattis could be penalized on the basis of the judge's dissatisfaction with the complaints board's previous decisions, rather than on the merits of these allegations." It could create an inappropriate public perception of sexuality."
This board is the state's legal and ethical oversight body.
"This is of particular concern in this case, as the attorney's disciplinary action against Mr. Pattis may leave these particular defendants completely vulnerable in these cases." Because of public perceptions of sex and impartiality, this court allows another fully independent judge to decide questions of attorney discipline, whether appropriate or not, and, where appropriate, , should be allowed to determine punishment after a fair and impartial hearing," Meade said, according to theAct on&crimes.
The legal documents state that there is an opinion that Mr. Pattis has "fully complied with" the protective order.
Judge Bellis on Wednesday decided to proceed with the hearing despite objections from Mr. Mead.
The Independent reached out to her Reynal and Pattis for comment.