Infowars host Alex Jones is responsible for damages triggered by his false claims on the Sandy Hook shooting, judge rules

I agree that Alex Jones is a bad guy.

But is it a good step in public morality that untrue/unpopular ideas that do not directly harm anyone can be punished with fines and lawsuits?

Alex Jones believes wrong things, unpopular ideas, that most people think are insane and cruel. I'm one of those people who disagree with him on everything I've heard coming from his mouth.

But usually in society, we sue people who have done direct damages, right?

In gun law, for example, the gun manufacturer isn't at fault for how people use its weapons in commission of the crime.

Is this step towards silencing unpopular ideas a good thing overall?

I wonder if this is an example of criminalizing unpopular speech--which in this case, is also wrong and cruel. But in other cases, such as religious, it might not be so clear.

/r/news Thread Link - cnn.com