Former Alabama basketball player wins $9.25m in defamation case against New York Times
Summary
An Alabama jury awarded $9.25 million to Kai Spears, a former University of Alabama basketball player, after finding that the New York Times wrongly reported he was involved in a fatal shooting. The Times admitted its error but plans to consider legal options following the verdict.Key Facts
- Kai Spears sued the New York Times in 2023 for defamation over a false report linking him to a 2023 fatal shooting.
- The Times said a source, speaking anonymously, told them Spears was a passenger in the car involved in the shooting.
- The Times later corrected the story and apologized for the mistake.
- The jury reached its decision after a nine-day trial and awarded Spears $9.25 million.
- Spears said the false report caused him emotional distress and wrongly connected him to a murder.
- The person actually involved in the car was a team manager, who was not charged.
- The New York Times said it was an honest mistake and plans to review legal options.
- Spears has also played basketball for Marshall and West Liberty after transferring from Alabama.
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