The lawyer representing conspiracy theorist Alex Jones has apologised after he gave the middle finger to the attorney for the parents of a Sandy Hook victim during a heated exchange in court.
F. Andino Reynal made the gesture towards Mark Bankston, who represents the parents of six-year-old Jesse Lewis, following a dispute over video evidence at the defamation trial in Austin, Texas. Reynal allegedly called Bankston a 'liar' multiple times before flipping him off.
The argument erupted after Reynal accused Bankston of showing the jury 'little clips from cherry-picked videos' where Jones discussed the Sandy Hook massacre on his InfoWars show. Bankston objected to a nine-minute clip from the broadcast, calling it 'hearsay' and 'not appropriate' for the damages phase of the trial.
State District Judge Maya Guerra Gamble ordered the pair to work together on the evidence. After she left the courtroom, Bankston approached Reynal, who got close to his face and repeatedly called him a liar before raising his middle finger. Fellow attorney Bill Ogden intervened and told them to discuss the matter by phone.
Reynal apologised in court on Thursday before the jury arrived, saying, 'I apologise for yesterday's outburst. It wasn't appropriate.' Judge Guerra Gamble responded, 'Next time anyone wants to have an argument, you need to take it outside.'
Jones has already been found liable for defamation in the lawsuit brought by Jesse Lewis's parents, Neil Heslin and Scarlett Lewis. The trial is now determining damages, with the family seeking $150 million for emotional distress and reputational damage, plus punitive damages.
