AUSTIN — A Texas appeals court on Friday reduced the damages Alex Jones owes two families who sued him over false claims about the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre, cutting the total from nearly $50 million to $1.5 million.
The Third Court of Appeals ruled that the families did not present enough evidence to justify damages above the state’s statutory cap. The court reduced the award to $750,000 for each family.
Jones repeatedly claimed on his Infowars platform that the Sandy Hook shooting was a hoax and described victims’ relatives as “crisis actors.” The Dec. 14, 2012, shooting in Newtown, Connecticut, killed 20 children and six adults.
The families sued Jones for defamation and won in 2022. A Texas judge later ordered Jones to pay nearly $50 million to the two families.
Jones filed for bankruptcy after the Texas ruling. A Connecticut court separately ordered him to pay about $1.4 billion in damages to families who sued him there. Friday’s Texas appeals court decision does not affect the Connecticut judgment.
The Texas case has faced repeated disputes over Jones’ financial records and evidence. Courts in Travis County and federal bankruptcy proceedings in Houston previously sanctioned or ruled against Jones over his handling of evidence.
The appeals court’s ruling brings the Texas damages dispute to a new stage, although the families’ efforts to collect from Jones remain tied to his bankruptcy proceedings.
Jones’ assets, including the Infowars platform, have been subject to bankruptcy proceedings for years. A court ordered Infowars to shut down in May, and satirical publication The Onion later took control of the brand as part of efforts to parody Jones’ conspiracy-driven media operation.
The Onion has said it intends to direct money from the Infowars assets toward Sandy Hook families.
