Alex E. Jones and Free Speech Systems, LLC v. Neil Heslin and Scarlett Lewis

Summary

The Texas Court of Appeals, Third District at Austin supplemented and amended prior orders concerning three consolidated appeals arising from the same Travis County trial-court cause. The court continued abatement of the merits appeal pending any challenge to the trial court’s June 10, 2026 supersedeas bond order, which set the bond at $4,339,273.80, and maintained stays and restrictions concerning turnover and asset dissipation.

Holdings

1. The appeal in Cause No. 03-23-00209-CV shall remain abated through July 24, 2026, pending the filing of a challenge to the 2026 supersedeas bond order; if a challenge is filed by that date, the appeal will remain abated until further order.
2. The prior stays of the turnover orders and the prohibition against dissipating or transferring assets to avoid satisfaction of the judgment remain in effect, subject to the limitation that the trial court may not interfere with appellants' ordinary-course business use, transfer, conveyance, or dissipation of assets.

Questions Presented

1. Whether the merits appeal should remain abated while appellants determine whether to challenge the trial court's supersedeas bond order.
2. Whether existing stays of turnover orders and asset-preservation restrictions should remain in effect in the related appeals.

Disposition

other