Conspiracy theorist Alex Jones' motion to dismiss a defamation lawsuit against him filed by parents of a Sandy Hook shooting victim was denied in a ruling by a Texas judge on Thursday, reports the New York Times.

Why it matters: Jones will now have to go to trial and defend himself in court. For years, the conspiracy theorist has spread false rumors that the Sandy Hook shooting was a staged government event part of an effort to abolish the second amendment, and that the shooting's victims were crisis actors.