AUSTIN, Texas — A Texas appeals court has reduced the damages Alex Jones owes two families who sued him over his false claims about the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, cutting the amount from about $50 million to $1.5 million.
The Third Court of Appeals ruled Friday that the families did not prove their damages exceeded Texas’ statutory cap, limiting the award to $750,000 for each family.
Jones repeatedly claimed the Sandy Hook shooting, which killed 20 children and six adults, was a hoax. He also described victims’ families as “crisis actors” on his Infowars platform, prompting harassment from some of his followers.
The families sued Jones for defamation and won in 2022. A Travis County judge later awarded the families damages exceeding the state’s $750,000 cap.
The appeals court’s decision reverses that larger award. It does not affect a separate Connecticut case in which a judge ordered Jones to pay $1.4 billion to Sandy Hook families.
Jones filed for bankruptcy after the families’ lawsuits. His assets, including Infowars, have remained tied up in bankruptcy proceedings.
The Texas ruling follows years of legal disputes over the damages Jones should pay. Courts in Texas and a federal bankruptcy court in Houston previously sanctioned or ruled against Jones over his failure to provide evidence during the proceedings.
Infowars was shut down in May after a court order. The Onion, a satirical publication, later took control of the Infowars brand as part of efforts to parody Jones’ conspiracy-driven media operation.
The appeals court ruling leaves Jones owing $1.5 million to the two families in the Texas case, while the separate Connecticut judgment remains in place.