Texas appeals court reduces Alex Jones' Sandy Hook damages to $1.5 million

A Texas appellate panel on Friday reduced the damages awarded to Sandy Hook families from $50 million to $1.5 million in the case against Infowars founder Alex Jones and his company, Free Speech Systems. The decision follows a 2022 verdict that held Jones liable for defamation after he repeatedly asserted that the 2012 Newtown school shooting was a hoax.

The court found that the plaintiffs, parents Neil Heslin and Scarlett Lewis, did not demonstrate that the harassment they experienced as a result of Jones' statements rose to a level that would exceed Texas' $750,000 per-plaintiff cap on punitive damages. The ruling does not affect a separate $1.4 billion judgment entered in Connecticut.

Jones, who had previously described the lawsuit as an infringement on his First Amendment rights, acknowledged during the trial that the Sandy Hook attack was “100 % real” and that his earlier claims were false. He and his company have filed for bankruptcy, and the case remains pending on appeal.

"The evidence does not support a finding that the harassment caused by Mr. Jones’ statements exceeded the statutory cap," the court wrote in its unanimous opinion.

The decision marks a significant reduction in the financial liability faced by Jones, though the larger Connecticut judgment remains in force.