Nuked A Texas jury has ordered Alex Jones to pay around $ 45.2 million for spreading a false conspiracy theory about the Sandy Hook elementary school shooting. The punitive damages come on top of a $ 4.1 million verdict from yesterday. The number could be vastly reduced by limits built into the Texas legal code, which caps damages on defamation punishments.
The jury handed back its verdict on Friday after hearing testimony about Jones’ finances. It included an assessment that free speech systems was worth at least $ 130 million. Previous testimony indicated its annual revenue in recent years has been $ 50 million or above.
Texas law caps punitive damages at twice the level of compensatory economic damages per defendant plus a maximum of $ 750,000 for non-economic damages. Jones’ attorneys plan to file for a reduction of the fine based on that rule.
