A Texas appeals court reduced the damages conspiracy theorist Alex Jones must pay to Sandy Hook families from $50 million to about $6 million, ruling on Friday that state laws limit such awards. This ruling applies only to the Texas judgment and does not affect a separate $1.25 billion verdict against Jones in Connecticut related to the same case, according to fortune.com.
The Texas Third Court of Appeals issued a unanimous opinion that cited state law caps on damages, significantly lowering the financial penalty. The original judgments found Jones liable for defamation and emotional distress caused to relatives of the 20 children and six educators killed in the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting. Jones has appealed multiple times and faced bankruptcy proceedings as a result of these rulings.
The Sandy Hook families have yet to receive any payments from Jones, whose company Free Speech Systems is undergoing liquidation. The Connecticut judgment remains intact, holding Jones accountable for spreading false claims that the massacre was a hoax. These rulings have led to the auctioning of some of Jones’ personal property and his departure from the Infowars platform, which he used to promote conspiracy theories for years.
Jones described the Texas ruling as “a gigantic victory for the First Amendment” and indicated he will continue his online presence through new websites and streaming platforms. The $1.25 billion Connecticut judgment remains enforceable, maintaining significant financial pressure on Jones and his company.