The New York Times has been ordered to pay $9.25 million in damages to former Alabama basketball player Kai Spears after an Alabama jury found the paper defamed him in a 2023 report about a fatal shooting in Tuscaloosa.
The verdict came Thursday at the end of a nine-day trial in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Alabama, according to ESPN. Spears had sued the newspaper in 2023, arguing that the inaccurate story tied him to a murder and caused him emotional distress.
His attorney, Matt Glover, said he was pleased with the outcome and believes "this verdict will improve journalism throughout the country."
The case centered on a New York Times report that said Spears was at the scene of the shooting and described him as a passenger in a car involved in the incident. The paper relied on an anonymous source who spoke "on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive matters," per ESPN. The Times later acknowledged the mistake and corrected the story.
After the jury ruled against it, the newspaper said it would review its legal options. Spokesman Charlie Stadtlander said, "We're disappointed the jury found The Times liable for an honest mistake," and added, "We thank the jury for its service, but believe the verdict and award of damages are contrary to law and not supported by the evidence."
The shooting at the center of the case happened in January 2023, when 23-year-old mother Jamea Harris was killed while sitting in a car near the University of Alabama campus in Tuscaloosa. The incident followed a verbal altercation between two groups.
Former Alabama player Darius Miles was involved in the case. According to the source material, Miles allegedly retrieved a gun from the car of Brandon Miller, who was not accused of wrongdoing, then gave it to Michael Davis, the shooter. Davis and Miles were arrested and indicted in the killing, and Miles was charged with "aiding and abetting" Davis by providing the gun.
In 2025, Miller testified that he was almost struck by bullets fired into his car during the shooting and that he had driven the gun to the scene, where Miles and Davis took it from the vehicle.
At the time of Miles' charge in 2023, the University of Alabama said he had been "removed from campus" and "is no longer a member of the Alabama men’s basketball team," per ABC News.
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