By Dietrich Knauth

NEW YORK (Reuters) – Sandy Hook conspiracy theorist Alex Jones may exit Chapter 11 chapter by late March or early April, his lawyer stated on Wednesday after a choose determined households whom he owes $1.5 billion for mendacity in regards to the 2012 college capturing can vote on competing plans to resolve their claims.

U.S. Chapter Decide Christopher Lopez in Houston allowed Jones to solicit votes on a proposal that may pay no less than $55 million to the family members of 20 college students and 6 employees members killed within the 2012 mass capturing at Sandy Hook Elementary College in Newtown, Connecticut.

Jones, who hosts a radio present, claimed for years that the bloodbath was a hoax, staged with actors as a part of a authorities plot to grab People’ weapons.

He has since acknowledged the capturing occurred, however the households, who stated Jones cashed in for years off his lies, sued him for defamation. Courts in Connecticut and Texas have dominated that Jones deliberately defamed them and have ordered Jones to pay $1.5 billion in damages.

Lopez on Wednesday additionally allowed the relations, whose defamation judgments make them the primary collectors in Jones’ chapter, to solicit votes on their very own plan, which might liquidate Jones’ belongings and pursue litigation in opposition to his associates.

The households beforehand estimated that they’d obtain no less than $85 million from Jones beneath their plan.

Lopez stated at a court docket listening to that each proposals contained sufficient info for collectors to make an knowledgeable vote. Lopez set a Feb. 12 deadline for votes.

Jones will try to achieve a compromise with the Sandy Hook households earlier than both plan is submitted for closing court docket approval, his legal professional Vickie Driver instructed Lopez on the listening to.

“Now that we have some plans in place, that folks can consider what it actually appears prefer to go left or proper. Now we have an opportunity at yet one more run at settlement,” Driver stated.

Jones beforehand engaged in chapter mediation with the households, however failed to achieve a settlement.

Jones expects to ask the court docket to approve his chapter plan in late March or early April, after votes are collected and settlement talks have resumed, Driver stated.

The Sandy Hook households’ authorized judgments account for almost all of Jones’ money owed, based on court docket filings. Lopez beforehand dominated that no less than $1.1 billion of their authorized judgments can’t be legally discharged by Jones’ chapter.

Chapter can be utilized to wipe out money owed and authorized judgments however not in the event that they end result from “willful or malicious harm” brought on by the debtor, Lopez stated in an October ruling.

Jones and his media firm, Free Speech Techniques, filed for chapter safety in December and July final yr, respectively.