This 1995 Texas law could shield Alex Jones from paying the vast majority of the $50 million defamation case judgment

Correction, Aug. 12, 2022: A previous version of this story erroneously stated that a 2003 Texas law passed by Republicans established the current cap on punitive damages. It was a 1995 law passed by a Democratic-controlled Legislature that established that cap. The 2003 law, passed by Republicans, required them to be decided by a unanimous jury.

Infowars founder Alex Jones joined protestors gathered at the Texas Governor’s Mansion to protest business closures and mask mandates on Oct. 10, 2020. (Credit: Jordan Vonderhaar for The Texas Tribune)

A Texas jury has awarded a nearly $50 million judgment in a defamation trial against extremist talk show host Alex Jones for claiming the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting was a hoax. He was sued by the parents of a 6-year-old boy killed in the tragedy.