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Comment by apazzolini | Hacker News Reader

Let me know once he actually transfers a non-zero sum towards either the punitive or compensatory amounts.

I'm a minor Russian political activist and a lot of my friends have had to fled the country in order to avoid persecution. This case and the manner in which the trial has been conducted is night and day difference to what Russian state does to it's citizens. I don't have the time or endurance to describe all the details to you, but just as a simple example — a regional parliament member has been recently sentenced to 7 years in prison for calling the current invasion of Ukraine a “war”.

What is it about this trial that stands out to you? I can tell you it's a very unusual example of a civil trial in the US so I'm not sure how it is supposed to compare with a criminal trial in Russia.

The fact that it is recorded and available to the wide audience. The fact that the prosecution actually had to present evidence. The fact that a wide audience actually cares about this trial. The fact that this trial is covered by the media. The fact that the whole trial takes more than half an hour. The fact that the defendant only risks his money but not his freedom.

Yes, despite our rhetoric to the contrary, the rule of law is still quite strong in the USA.

Thank fucking god.

Just a small correction, this is a civil case so there's no prosecution but instead a plaintiff. The workings of civil and criminal trials are similar though, the plaintiff has to make a case in court like a criminal prosecution would. Also in civil cases can result in criminal charges for things like contempt of court and perjury. Those are separate criminal proceedings but you can't just go into a civil trial and lie or otherwise break the law.

For those interested in more insight on how Russia now and in the past is not like the west, I have found The Eastern Border podcast to be illuminating. https://theeasternborder.lv/ Look for the episodes prior to the war in Ukraine.

Generally, to appeal a judgment, you need to post a bond. Otherwise, the other side can move to enforce the judgment. This seems to be the case in Texas, though it seems the amount of the bond is capped at 50% of his net worth.

Per the NYT [1], "his and Free Speech Systems’ combined net worth likely fell between $135 million and $270 million."

So depending on what that split is, and how the court considers Free Speech Systems's worth in relation to him, that cap wouldn't necessarily apply.

[1] https://www.nytimes.com/2022/08/05/us/alex-jones-finances.ht...

Yes. I'm just pointing it out as a caveat because of his attempts to shield assets.

Many of his attempts have gone beyond 'shielding' to outright illegally hiding assets.

That's a pretty successful grift. A lot of gullible people out of money.

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