{
  "id": 2395850,
  "title": "Court slashes $50M judgment against Infowars’ Alex Jones over falsely calling school shooting a hoax",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/21/court-slashes-50m-judgment-against-infowars-alex-jones-over-falsely-2395850",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-21T15:23:02.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Associated Press",
    "slug": "associated-press",
    "url": "https://apnews.com/article/alex-jones-infowars-newtown-b7866ab5ef652bbc7307ae55b09937ce"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The Texas court has reduced the $50 million judgment to $1.5 million against Infowars founder Alex Jones for falsely claiming the 2012 school shooting was a hoax. This ruling does not impact the $1.4 billion judgment against Jones in Connecticut. The Texas Third Court of Appeals unanimously determined that the harassment caused by Jones' hoax claims did not exceed the state's $750,000 cap on damages. Neil Heslin and Scarlett Lewis, whose 6-year-old son Jesse Lewis was killed in the Newtown, Connecticut attack, did not present sufficient evidence to warrant higher damages. This marks the first time Jones was financially held accountable for spreading false information about the massacre. Jones' trial attorney, Andino Reynal, had expressed intent to appeal the damages amount and expected a reduction to $1.5 million. Both Jones and his company, Free Speech Systems, have filed for bankruptcy, and legal proceedings are ongoing.",
  "summary": "AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — A Texas court has slashed the $50 million judgment to $1.5 million against Infowars founder Alex Jones over falsely calling 2012 school shooting a…",
  "key_points": [
    "Texas court reduces $50M judgment to $1.5M against Alex Jones",
    "Jones' claims of 2012 school shooting hoax deemed false",
    "Jones and Free Speech Systems in bankruptcy, legal proceedings ongoing"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 5,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Winnipeg Free Press",
        "title": "Court slashes $50M judgment against Infowars’ Alex Jones over falsely calling school shooting a hoax",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/21/court-slashes-50m-judgment-against-infowars-alex-jones-over-falsely",
        "published": "2026-08-21T15:10:57.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "The Guardian US",
        "title": "Texas slashes $50m judgment against Alex Jones over false claim Sandy Hook shooting was hoax",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/21/texas-slashes-50m-judgment-against-alex-jones-over-false-claim-sandy",
        "published": "2026-08-21T15:32:23.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "CBS News",
        "title": "Texas court slashes $50M judgment against Infowars' Alex Jones",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/21/texas-court-slashes-50m-judgment-against-infowars-alex-jones",
        "published": "2026-08-21T16:18:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "PBS NewsHour",
        "title": "Court slashes $50M judgment against Alex Jones over falsely calling Sandy Hook shooting a hoax",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/21/court-slashes-50m-judgment-against-alex-jones-over-falsely-calling",
        "published": "2026-08-21T17:14:07.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}