A three‑judge panel of the Texas Third Court of Appeals on Friday reduced the massive judgment against Infowars founder Alex Jones for defaming the families of the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting. The court limited Jones’ liability to roughly $6 million, down from the $50 million originally ordered by a Dallas‑area jury.
State law caps punitive damages
The appellate court applied Texas statutes that cap punitive damages at $750,000 per plaintiff. While the jury had awarded more than $45 million in punitive damages, the court lowered that portion to $1.5 million to comply with the statutory limit. The decision left more than $4.1 million in compensatory damages for parents Neil Heslin and Scarlett Lewis untouched.
Impact on the families and other judgments
Attorney Mark Bankston, who represents the Sandy Hook families in the Texas case, said the ruling is largely “irrelevant” because Jones still faces a separate $1.25 billion judgment in Connecticut. That Connecticut verdict, also based on defamation and emotional‑distress claims, remains unaffected by the Texas decision.
Despite the reduced amount, the families have yet to collect any money from Jones, who has filed for bankruptcy and seen personal assets auctioned. The bankruptcy proceedings continue as Jones’ company, Free Speech Systems, faces liquidation.
Jones’ response and ongoing appeals
Jones called the ruling “a gigantic victory for the First Amendment,” and indicated he will appeal to the Texas Supreme Court to try to overturn the remaining damages. He said, “I got lawyers who are good constitutional lawyers, and they are not backing down.”
Jones previously sought review of the Connecticut judgment by the U.S. Supreme Court, a request that was denied last year.
Background on the defamation case
The lawsuit stemmed from Jones’ repeated claims that the Sandy Hook massacre was a hoax orchestrated by the government to advance gun‑control measures. Those false statements led to harassment of the victims’ families, including death threats and online abuse. During the trial, Jones conceded that the shootings were “100 % real” and that his earlier statements were false.
Both the Texas and Connecticut trials featured testimony from relatives describing the severe emotional toll of the conspiracy claims. The families initially sought more than $150 million in damages, arguing that no apology could repair the harm caused.
Future of Infowars assets
The bankruptcy court has been handling the sale of Infowars’ intellectual property. The satirical outlet The Onion won a court auction for the assets in 2024, intending to use proceeds to help satisfy the defamation judgments. However, a federal judge later overturned that auction, citing procedural issues, leaving the liquidation process in limbo.
Jones has moved his shows to new websites and streams them on his personal X account after taking Infowars off the air in April. The legal battles over his liability are expected to continue as both state and federal courts address the remaining claims.
Original reporting: Dallas TX News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
