Law360: Jones Can't Use Bankruptcy To Dodge Sandy Hook Damages

Jarrod Martin Obtains Ruling for Sandy Hook Families in Lawsuit Against Alex Jones

On October 19, 2023, Chamberlain Hrdlicka and co-counsel at Wilkie Farr and McDowell Hetherington obtained a ruling that Alex Jones cannot use his Chapter 11 bankruptcy to avoid paying more than $1.4 billion in damages to the Sandy Hook families whom he had accused of faking being victims of the shooting that killed 20 children and six adults. Jarrod Martin, chair of Chamberlain Hrdlicka’s bankruptcy & restructuring practice, represents several of the Sandy Hook families pro bono in the Texas litigation against Alex Jones and Infowars.

Jones was found liable for defamation through default judgments in the Connecticut and Texas courts. Both Alex Jones and Free Speech Systems LLC (the entity that operates Infowars) filed for bankruptcy to erase the damages they owe to parents of children killed in the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting.  In March 2023, the families filed two adversary complaints in Jones' Chapter 11 case seeking a court declaration that the defamation judgments cannot be discharged in bankruptcy because the debts were incurred willfully and maliciously.

In two separate orders, U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Christopher Lopez, granted a partial summary judgement in favor of families accusing Jones of defamation and intentional infliction of emotional distress.

To learn more, read a Law360 article at: https://www.law360.com/articles/1735010/jones-can-t-use-bankruptcy-to-dodge-sandy-hook-damages