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Alex Jones Sandy Hook case
Archived — this story has rotated out of today’s deck. It is kept here in full.
The gist
Texas appeals court cut Alex Jones' $50M Sandy Hook defamation award to $1.5M.
The ruling spares Jones millions but leaves a $1.4B Connecticut judgment intact.
Background
Alex Jones, founder of Infowars, was found liable for defamation for falsely claiming the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting was a hoax. In 2022, a Texas jury awarded $50 million to the parents of a 6-year-old victim, Neil Heslin and Scarlett Lewis. The Texas 3rd Court of Appeals ruled that the trial court erred in exceeding the state's $750,000 cap on damages, reducing the award to $1.5 million. This ruling does not affect a separate $1.4 billion judgment against Jones in Connecticut.
How it unfolded
- 2012Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting occurs in Newtown, Connecticut; Alex Jones begins claiming it was a hoax.
- 2022A Texas jury awards $50 million to parents Neil Heslin and Scarlett Lewis in a defamation lawsuit against Jones.
- 2022Jones files for bankruptcy protection after the Sandy Hook judgments.
- May 2026A federal judge in Houston rejects Jones' effort to bring Infowars back under his personal bankruptcy case.
- Aug 21, 2026Texas 3rd Court of Appeals unanimously slashes the $50 million award to $1.5 million, citing the state's $750,000 cap on damages.
Who’s saying what
- Court
- The trial court erred in exceeding the state's $750,000 cap because evidence did not meet the legal standard for exceeding the statutory limit.
- Plaintiffs
- Sandy Hook parents Neil Heslin and Scarlett Lewis argued that an apology wouldn't suffice and called on jurors to make Jones pay for years of suffering.
- Jones
- Jones said, 'I got lawyers who are good constitutional lawyers and they are not backing down.'