Alex Jones ordered to pay $49.3M total over Sandy Hook lies

 https://www.politico.com/news/2022/08/05/alex-jones-sandy-hook-damages-00050186

Punitive damages are meant to punish defendants for particularly egregious conduct, beyond monetary compensation awarded to the individuals they hurt. A high punitive award is also seen as a chance for jurors to send a wider societal message and a way to deter others from the same abhorrent conduct in the future.