Sandy Hook cases against Jones can proceed

Cases can move forward against US conspiracy theorist Alex Jones regarding the massive amount of money he was ordered to pay families of Sandy Hook victims over his conspiracy theories about the 2012 school massacre.

But the families can't yet pursue collection efforts against the Infowars host, a federal bankruptcy judge ruled on Monday,

Judge Christopher Lopez approved an order that lawyers for Jones, his media company and the Sandy Hook families had all agreed to. The order lifts a stay that automatically halted the cases when Jones filed for bankruptcy. Free Speech Systems, Jones' media company, is also seeking bankruptcy protection.

Lopez approved the order, which prevents the families from pursuing collection efforts, during a 90-minute hearing that Jones attended remotely.

Jones filed for Chapter 11 personal bankruptcy protection earlier this month in Texas, citing $US1 billion ($A1.5 billion) to $US10 billion ($A15 billion) in liabilities and $US1 million ($A1.5 million) to $US10 million ($A15 million) in assets.

For years, Jones described the 2012 Sandy Hook massacre as a hoax. A Connecticut jury in October awarded victims' families $US965 million ($A1.4 billion) in compensatory damages, and a judge later tacked on another $US473 million ($A706 million) in punitive damages.

Earlier in the year, a Texas jury awarded the parents of a child killed in the shooting $US49 million ($A73 million) in damages.

Jones has laughed at the awards on his Infowars show, saying he has less than $US2 million ($A3.0 million) to his name and won't be able to pay such high amounts.

Lopez on Monday delayed taking up a motion by Jones' lawyers to force Free Speech Systems to pay the $US1.3 million ($A1.9 million) listed under his contract, which would amount to about $US54,000 ($A80,550) every two weeks. Lopez said he will take up the issue at a hearing next month.

Sandy Hook families have alleged in another lawsuit in Texas that Jones hid millions of dollars in assets after victims' relatives began taking him to court. Jones' lawyer denied the allegation.

A third trial over Jones' comments on Sandy Hook is expected to begin within the next two months in Texas, in a lawsuit brought by the parents of another child killed in the shooting.