Austin, Texas - Alex Jones has been trying to avoid paying the money he owes to the families of Sandy Hook victims that he defamed, but a judge has now stepped in.

According to Fox News, US Bankruptcy Judge Christopher Lopez ruled that Jones could not use bankruptcy protection to get out of the payments.

Jones was ordered to pay nearly $1.5 billion in legal damages after several families of Sandy Hook victims sued him for repeatedly claiming on his show, InfoWars, that the school shooting was staged by the US government and that the victims and families were "crisis actors."

After the ruling, Jones filed for bankruptcy, claiming that his financial assets are worth $1 to $10 million dollars while his liabilities have now reached $1 to $10 billion.

The bankruptcy could have granted protections to Jones allowing him to pay far less than the amount that was decided upon, but Judge Lopez argued that these protections do not apply in situations of "willful and malicious" conduct.

"The families are pleased with the Court's ruling that Jones's malicious conduct will find no safe harbor in the bankruptcy court," said Christopher Mattei, an attorney representing the families. "As a result, Jones will continue to be accountable for his actions into the future regardless of his claimed bankruptcy."

Jones was also recently ordered to testify in the Georgia election interference trial against former President Donald Trump.