The United States Supreme Court declined to hear Alex Jones's appeal in October 2025, effectively upholding the $1.4 billion judgment against him for defamation related to false claims that the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting was a hoax. This ruling was originally made in 2022 in favor of 14 family members of victims and an FBI agent involved in the incident. Jones had claimed that the ruling infringed on his constitutional rights to due process and free speech, but the Supreme Court rejected these arguments without comment. Jones has also faced a separate, smaller $50 million judgment in Texas for similar claims and has declared bankruptcy following these lawsuits.

Background on the Lawsuit

• The 2012 Sandy Hook shooting, where 26 people (20 students and six staff members) were killed by a former student, was falsely described by Alex Jones as fabricated by crisis actors on his Infowars platform.
• Families of the victims and an FBI agent sued Jones for defamation, emotional distress, and related damages.
• The 2022 jury trial resulted in a $965 million damages award, which was later increased to $1.4 billion after punitive damages were added.

Legal Proceedings and Outcome

• The Connecticut Appellate Court upheld the majority of the judgment.
• Alex Jones argued this violated his constitutional rights and sought to overturn the ruling in the U.S. Supreme Court.
• The Supreme Court's refusal to hear the case leaves the judgment intact, marking one of the largest defamation awards in U.S. history.
• Jones's bankruptcy filing signals difficulties in paying the damages despite the court rulings.

This Supreme Court decision marks the final judicial stance on the Sandy Hook defamation lawsuits against Alex Jones as of October 2025.