Kathmandu— A US appeals court in Texas has substantially reduced a defamation judgment against Alex Jones, founder of Infowars, for his false claims about the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting. The Third Court of Appeals lowered the original $50 million penalty to $1.5 million on Friday, finding that the plaintiffs—parents of one of the children killed in the shooting—did not demonstrate enough evidence of harassment to meet Texas’s legal threshold for damages. Despite this reduction, Jones still faces over $1 billion in liability from a separate ruling in Connecticut and has filed for bankruptcy.

Reduced Damages Explained

The Texas court determined that Neil Heslin and Scarlett Lewis, the parents who brought the suit, did not provide sufficient proof of the emotional distress and harassment they endured as a direct result of Jones’s statements. The state law caps damages for such claims at $750,000, and the court found the evidence presented did not meet that standard. Mark Bankston, an attorney representing Heslin and Lewis, downplayed the significance of the ruling, stating, “The families care not at all about this irrelevant ruling which affects only two of the 19 claims they all share.” He emphasized that Jones remains responsible for a much larger sum in total liabilities.

Separate Connecticut Ruling Remains

This decision does not impact a parallel case brought in Connecticut, where Jones was ordered to pay $1.25 billion for similar false and defamatory statements regarding the Sandy Hook shooting. The Connecticut ruling stemmed from lawsuits filed by multiple families of victims who alleged that Jones’s claims caused them significant emotional distress and led to years of harassment and threats.

Jones's Response and Ongoing Appeals

Following the Texas court’s decision, Alex Jones characterized it as a “gigantic victory for the First Amendment.” He indicated his intention to continue appealing the case before the Texas Supreme Court in an effort to have the remaining charges dismissed. Despite filing for bankruptcy earlier this year and relinquishing control of the Infowars brand in April, Jones continues to broadcast online and share content on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Jones’s legal battles are ongoing, with significant financial liabilities still outstanding from both the Texas and Connecticut cases. He maintains his intent to fight the remaining charges.

(With inputs from Al Jazeera)

Originally published on abcnews.com.np.