Judge rules bankruptcy filing will not protect Alex Jones from paying over $1 billion to Sandy Hook families

On Thursday, Judge Christopher Lopez ordered that Infowars host Alex Jones will still be required to pay over $1 billion to the families of Sandy Hook victims and won't be able to absolve those payments with bankruptcy. 

According to the Daily Mail, Judge Lopez ruled that Chapter 11 bankruptcy protections don't apply to findings of "willful and malicious" conduct. 

Chapter 11 bankruptcy, which Jones filed to have protection for in December last year, is most commonly used by businesses as a way to reorganize and renegotiate debt to remain in business, according to Investopedia. Debts for "willful and malicious injury to another person or property" are considered a "non-dischargeable debt" and are never eligible for discharge no matter the type of bankruptcy being filed. 

Lawyer for the Sandy Hook victim's families, Christopher Mattei told the outlet that "The families are pleased with the Court's ruling that Jones's malicious conduct will find no safe harbor in the bankruptcy court." He added, "As a result, Jones will continue to be accountable for his actions into the future regardless of his claimed bankruptcy."

Jones said in a video on the Infowars website that the ruling would have little effect because he has little money to pay the families due to being in over $1 million in debt already. He said, "It's all academic. I don't have a million dollars." 

"My company has a few million, but that's just to pay the bills and my product in the future. So we are literally on empty," Jones continued. "So this idea that we're going to take your money away doesn't exist because the money doesn't exist. It's all political. At the end of the day, they won't take my free speech away, I'm still going to be on the air one way or another."

After he claimed that the shooting was a hoax and that the "victims were actors hired as part of a scheme to get more gun control laws in place," Jones was ordered on October 12, 2022, to pay the families of the victims of the Sandy Hook shooting almost $965 million after he was found guilty of defamation, infliction of emotional distress, and violations of Connecticut’s Unfair Trade Practices Act. 

In November 2022, Jones was ordered to pay an additional $473 million in punitive damages by a Connecticut judge. In December 2022, it was reported that Jones filed for bankruptcy saying that he has $1-10 million in assets but $1-10 billion in liabilities.