Texas appeals court reduces Alex Jones' $50 million Sandy Hook verdict to $1.5 million

In Austin, a Texas appellate panel reduced the $50 million liability against Infowars founder Alex Jones to $1.5 million after finding that the Sandy Hook families failed to show harassment that exceeded the state’s $750,000 damage limit. The unanimous opinion from the Texas Third Court of Appeals involved parents Neil Heslin and Scarlett Lewis, whose son Jesse Lewis was among the victims of the 2012 Newtown school massacre.

While the ruling trims the Texas judgment, it leaves untouched a massive $1.4 billion verdict previously issued in Connecticut. Jones’ trial lawyer, Andino Reynal, had indicated an appeal would seek a lower award, and the reduced figure aligns with that expectation. Jones and his firm, Free Speech Systems, have filed for bankruptcy, and those proceedings continue. The case remains a landmark moment as it is the first successful financial judgment against Jones for his false claims that the shooting was a government hoax.