Judge refunds $75,000 to Infowars host Alex Jones after he shows up for court

A Connecticut judge ordered a $75,000 refund to Infowars host Alex Jones, who was fined for failing to show up to court last month in an ongoing lawsuit over his false claims that the 2012 Sandy Hook shooting never occurred.

Judge Barbara Bellis in Waterbury, Conn., on Thursday directed that the money be returned to Jones after he appeared for a deposition last week.

The case centers on the 2012 tragedy in which a shooter opened fire at Sandy Hook, a school in Newton, Conn., killing 20 children and six adults.

Families of eight of the shooting victims and an FBI agent who responded to the scene sued Jones for falsely saying the shooting was a hoax invented as a way to advance restrictions on firearms.

In November, Bellis found Jones liable for damages in the defamation case.

The right-wing media personality, conspiracy theorist and Infowars host faces a jury trial in August that will determine how much he will have to pay the families in damages.

Jones failed to appear at multiple deposition hearings last month, claiming that he was ill. Jones paid $75,000 in fines for missing two days, which his lawyer asked be returned after the Infowars host eventually sat for a two-day deposition last week.

In a video interview uploaded to his website last week, Jones said he had acknowledged that the Sandy Hook shooting happened but alleged that Democrats were pushing to take down his website and curb his free speech rights.

“I walked back what I said about Sandy Hook years and years and years ago,” he said. “I’m not a villain, and I’m here to stand up for the First Amendment of all Americans.”

Jones was also found liable for defamation in two separate lawsuits last year by a Texas judge.