Just how far can you go in pursuit of more fame and greater fortune?
You might ask Alex Jones.
The controversial conspiracy-minded talk show host found out -- potentially in a very big way -- this week when a Connecticut judge found he was liable for monetary damages in lawsuits brought by family members of those who died in the Dec. 12, 2012, mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School.
Of the 26 people who died that day, 20 were children. Most of the nation was shocked by the terrible tragedy.
Not Jones. He saw opportunity.
Jones began promoting the whole thing as a hoax, with actors playing the victims, to promote gun control and a "New World Order" political agenda.
Amazingly -- or maybe not these days -- some of Jones' more gullible followers bought into the story. And began harassing, stalking and even threatening the victims' families.
Several families sued Jones and his website, Infowars.
Jones eventually acknowledged the Sandy Hook massacre was real, but continues to claim he is not responsible for what happened to the victims' families.
The judge ruled Monday that Jones and his attorneys had purposely stonewalled the discovery process. Now a jury will determine how much he will have to fork over in damages.
We wish we could say it's over, that Jones has learned his lesson, that maybe others will think twice before trying to profit from such contemptable abuse of the First Amendment to spread false conspiracy theories at the expense of those affected by such tragedies.
But Jones, who, in a custody battle with his wife over their children, was described by his attorney as a "performance artist" who is "playing a character" when he spouts such heinous nonsense, is planning to appeal. And he hopes you will help.
"It's going to take a lot of money to fight this and a lot of money for the appeals," Jones said in a video begging for donations to "save" Infowars. "I can't spend the money we have paying our crew and running our independent media outlet that reaches millions of people without your support."
What can we say? We are reminded of lawyer Joseph Welch, who in 1954 famously asked the conspiracy-mongering U.S. Sen. Joseph McCarthy, "Have you no sense of decency, sir? At long last, have you left no sense of decency?"