On Friday, US Bankruptcy Judge Christopher Lopez in Houston ordered Alex Jones to sell his assets to contribute to the $1.5 billion in damages owed to Sandy Hook families, marking a significant development in the ongoing litigation.
On Friday, a bankruptcy judge in Houston, Texas, gave Infowars founder Alex Jones an order to sell off his assets to contribute to the approximately $1.5 billion in damages that the Sandy Hook families will receive. However, Jones also received a victory when the plaintiffs’ separate bankruptcy case against Infowars’ parent company, Free Speech Systems, was dismissed.
US Bankruptcy Judge Christopher Lopez ruled that Free Speech Systems need not file for bankruptcy for Sandy Hook families to pursue claims against Jones in state court.
With a “the right call is to dismiss this case,” Lopez gave Infowars some much-needed breathing room. “I think remaining assets can be resolved outside of a bankruptcy forum.”
Jones had consented to turn his bankruptcy into a Chapter 7 liquidation last week.
“Those trustees will make decisions about where things go,” he continued. “We’re not leaving things into the wind here.”
Infowars responds
Following the announcement of the decision, anchor Owen Shroyer remarked on air, “Looks like Infowars just got some extra time.”
As the families’ lawyers attempted to seize control of Infowars and Jones’ personal social media accounts, arguing that they were “no different from a customer list of any other liquidating business,” Jones had been preparing his large following for the site’s impending shutdown.
Jones spoke to the public just before the hearing to outline potential outcomes.
The Sandy Hook families asked the judge to make clear that the Jones’ “@RealAlexJones” account on X.com, formerly known as Twitter, will be among the assets turned over to a court-appointed trustee in charge of liquidating Jones’ assets. Jones’ X account, which has 2.3 million followers, is “no different than a customer list of any other liquidating business,” the Sandy Hook families argued.
They argued that Jones has used the social media account to push down the value of Infowars by diverting sales from that site to his father’s DrJonesNaturals.com, which sells health supplements and other products.
-Reuters
Vickie Driver, Jones’s lawyer, responded by claiming that the request was improperly made in the first place and that Jones would fight the now-moot request.
“The Connecticut Plaintiffs have never wanted money from Jones but to silence him,” said Driver.
Jones drove to court early on Friday morning and outlined what was going on.
Jones claimed that a court-appointed trustee for Free Speech Systems, a massive leftist, was pushing Lopez earlier this week to turn over Jones’ bankruptcy to a Chapter 7 liquidation. The trustee claimed that Jones’ response to having his life’s work taken apart was “erratic and unhinged,” which could damage the value of his business empire and lower the amount that could be given to the Sandy Hook families.
The Texas plaintiffs who defeated Jones in the action requested that the case be dismissed, noting that they could more effectively pursue financial gains if Infowars continued in operation. The plaintiffs from Connecticut requested that the corporation be liquidated.
After declaring bankruptcy for Free Speech Systems earlier in the year, Jones filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in late 2022.
Jones will be on the air at 10 AM Central and live-streamed while traveling home from court.
Previously, GreatGameIndia reported that a U.S. jury ordered Alex Jones to pay $45.2 million over his claims regarding the Sandy Hook massacre and his assertion that it was a hoax. The parents of the schoolchildren murdered in the 2012 shooting are set to receive the money.
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