Punitives get $43.5 million slice in Alex Jones Texas defamation award

A Texas appeals panel cut the punitive damages owed by Alex Jones to Sandy Hook parents Neil Heslin and Scarlett Lewis from over $45 million to $1.5 million combined, finding the trial court improperly let the parents amend their damages claim more than a month after the jury verdict to dodge Texas's $750,000 exemplary damages cap.

The $4 million in compensatory damages, interest and attorney's fees stands untouched, as does the panel's finding that Jones's conduct met the bar for defamation and intentional infliction of emotional distress. None of this touches the separate $1.5 billion Connecticut judgment against Jones.

Jones remains in bankruptcy proceedings, having given up the Infowars brand in April, with The Onion circling to take over the platform.

The full dispatch is available from the source below.