Texas court cuts Alex Jones Sandy Hook judgment

On August 21, 2026, the United States — United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit reduced a $50 million defamation judgment against Alex Jones to approximately $6 million. The court upheld $4.1 million in compensatory damages awarded to Sandy Hook parents Neil Heslin and Scarlett Lewis but slashed punitive damages from over $45 million to $1.5 million, citing United States — Texas's $750,000 cap per plaintiff. The ruling does not affect a separate $1.25 billion judgment against Jones in United States — Connecticut. Jones, who had falsely claimed the Sandy Hook shooting was a hoax, called the decision 'a gigantic victory for the First Amendment' and plans to appeal to the United States — Supreme Court of the United States. The families' attorney dismissed the ruling as 'irrelevant' given Jones's remaining liabilities. Jones and his company Infowars remain in bankruptcy, and The Onion's attempt to acquire Infowars assets has been stayed.