Bankruptcy judge blocked the proposed settlement among the families of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting victim who sued conspiracy theorist Alex Jones over his false remarks about the 2012 mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School I did.
On Wednesday, Judge Christopher Lopez of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas said he could not approve the proposed settlement between his family and Jones’ bankruptcy trustee. Lopez argued that their efforts to split Jones’ assets exceeded his court’s authority.
The decision complicates Jones’ proposal to sell the infowars platform, and sue Jones, between the family that won nearly $1.3 billion in Connecticut courts and the family that won $50 million in Texas courts. It can promote division. Two groups of families proposed a settlement that guarantees Texas families 25% of Jones’ future payments to Sandy Hook’s families, with Connecticut families accounting for 75%.
Speaking in court Wednesday, Lopez said:
Lopez said the family and Jones bankruptcy trustees could resolve the state court matters and return with another settlement proposal.
“What this debtor needs, and what these families need, is the finality of bankruptcy, so they can now pursue relief in state courts.
Lopez said he thwarted the settlement because he asked him to split the assets of the Free Speech System, the parent company of Jones’ website Infowars, which was dismissed from bankruptcy last June.
According to the Connecticut Post Office, in a statement prior to Lopez’s order, Jones Bankruptcy Attorney said: If it turns out, there’s no way for Alex Jones to get back these funds. ”
A lawyer representing the Sandy Hook family said: “The proposed settlement does not expressly undermine Jones’ right to continue sue the judgment provided in state courts. The largest creditor – the Sandy Hook family – and the trustee will begin a provisional distribution. It paves the way for us.”
Lopez’s Wednesday decision follows his decision to block parody news site, onions, last December, claiming that bankruptcy auctions will not bring the best possible bid.
A few days before Lopez’s ruling over the Onion auction in December, the Connecticut Court of Appeals upheld a $965 million verdict against Jones from 2022.
After the 2012 shooting that killed 20 children and six educators in Newton, Connecticut, Jones told his followers that the tragedy was staged by “crisis actors” who are trying to enact a more severe gun policy He repeatedly said that.
