A Texas appeals court has reduced a $50 million damages award against conspiracy theorist Alex Jones stemming from his false claims that the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School killings were a hoax. In a unanimous decision on Friday, the Texas Third Court of Appeals said the Infowars founder can be made to pay about $6 million under state law limits on damages. The ruling affects only the Texas case brought by Sandy Hook parents Neil Heslin and Scarlett Lewis. Texas Ruling Keeps Defamation FindingThe appeals court did not overturn the trial judge’s determination that Jones defamed Heslin and Lewis. However, it trimmed a large portion of the damages to comply with caps set under Texas statute. Jurors had awarded more than $4.1 million in compensatory damages for defamation and emotional distress, which the appellate court left in place. The court, though, reduced punitive damages of more than $45 million down to $1.5 million, noting a $750,000 limit for each plaintiff. The panel said Heslin and Lewis had not produced evidence showing the harassment that followed Jones’ claims reached a level that would justify exceeding the cap. It also found the trial court had allowed the parents to seek higher damages after the trial. Jones said the outcome was a significant win for free speech and indicated he would continue appealing to the Texas Supreme Court to seek the remaining damages thrown out. Connecticut Judgment Not AffectedThe Texas decision does not change a separate $1.25 billion judgment against Jones in Connecticut. That case found Jones liable for defaming relatives of 20 first-graders and six educators killed in Newtown and for causing emotional distress. Heslin and Lewis’ Texas lawsuit arose from Jones’ portrayal of the massacre as staged in order to advance gun control measures. At trial in both states, relatives testified that people who believed Jones’ claims harassed them, including threats and in-person abuse, as well as abusive comments online. Jones argued there was no proof linking him to those acts. Despite his years of appeals, Jones conceded during the Texas trial that the shootings were real and that he was wrong to have lied about them. Bankruptcy And Moves Away From InfowarsThe financial verdicts against Jones and his company, Free Speech Systems, have contributed to bankruptcy proceedings. Court actions have resulted in some of his personal property being scheduled for auction, and he has left the Infowars platform. Jones had taken Infowars off the air in April and shifted to shows hosted on new websites, along with posts on his personal X account. Sandy Hook families have said they have not yet collected any money from Jones. The Onion Targets Infowars BrandingThe satire site The Onion has also tried to take over parts of Jones’ media operation by turning Infowars into parody pages. A proposed licensing deal that would have given The Onion temporary authority to use Infowars’ trademarks, copyrights and intellectual property has been paused because the liquidation process has been stayed during Jones’ appeals. In November 2024, The Onion was named the winner of a bankruptcy court auction for Free Speech Systems assets intended to help pay defamation awards. A federal judge later overturned that auction outcome, citing issues with the process and The Onion’s bid. Join the discussion? 22 August 2026
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