A Texas appeals court has unanimously ruled to reduce a $50 million defamation judgment against Infowars founder Alex Jones to $1.5 million. The case stems from Jones’ false claims that the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting was a hoax. The appellate court determined that the original trial judge erred by allowing the plaintiffs, Neil Heslin and Scarlett Lewis, to exceed the state’s statutory cap on punitive damages.

While the ruling marks a significant reduction in the Texas judgment, it does not impact a separate $1.4 billion judgment against Jones and his company, Free Speech Systems, handed down in a Connecticut court. The Texas court’s decision focused specifically on the application of state law regarding damage limits rather than the underlying liability for the defamatory statements. The court found that the plaintiffs failed to demonstrate that the damages awarded at the trial level were legally permissible under Texas statutes. Jones, who has been found liable for damages in multiple jurisdictions for his repeated assertions that the mass shooting was staged, has faced ongoing legal and financial challenges related to his broadcasts. The reduction in the Texas case provides a rare legal victory for Jones amidst a series of high-profile losses in defamation litigation.