An Alabama jury has ruled against The New York Times in a defamation lawsuit, ordering the newspaper to pay $9.25 million in damages to Kai Spears, a former University of Alabama basketball player. Spears was mistakenly implicated in a 2023 New York Times report linking him to a fatal shooting.
The report, authored by Times sportswriter Billy Witz, erroneously named Spears as a passenger at a January 2023 shooting, which resulted in the death of 23-year-old Jamea Harris. This misidentification occurred despite objections from Alabama’s athletic director and Spears’s father at the time. The Times later issued a correction in June 2023, acknowledging the error, noting the actual person was Cooper Lee, a student manager for the team.
During the nine-day trial, Witz testified about relying on an anonymous source who incorrectly identified Spears. Witz described the source as a “high-level person” with significant access to case information. The journalist acknowledged the error during testimony, admitting the report contained a clear mistake.
The Times expressed disappointment with the verdict, asserting the mistake was unintentional. A spokesperson stated, “We’re disappointed the jury found The Times liable for an honest mistake.” The newspaper is currently reviewing its legal options.
This lawsuit marks the first defamation case The New York Times has lost in more than 50 years. Spears’s legal team has not commented on the verdict.