An Alabama jury determined on Thursday, August 20 that former Alabama men's basketball player Kai Spears was defamed by The New York Times for an article that inaccurately linked him to the scene of a fatal shooting.
As part of the ruling, which came after five hours of deliberation and two weeks of testimony in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Alabama, Spears was awarded $9.25 million in damages.
In March 2023, the newspaper reported that Spears, a walk-on that season for the top-ranked Crimson Tide, was in the passenger seat of former Alabama star and current Charlotte Hornets forward Brandon Miller's car during the deadly shooting of Jamea Harris in Tuscaloosa. It was later revealed that the passenger in the car was a team manager, not Spears.
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Spears filed a lawsuit against the outlet for defamation and "false light" invasion of privacy, claiming it caused him emotional distress for linking his name to a high-profile murder. The Times later issued a correction and added an editor's note following Spears' lawsuit.
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As part of the ruling, which came after five hours of deliberation and two weeks of testimony in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Alabama, Spears was awarded $9.25 million in damages.
In March 2023, the newspaper reported that Spears, a walk-on that season for the top-ranked Crimson Tide, was in the passenger seat of former Alabama star and current Charlotte Hornets forward Brandon Miller's car during the deadly shooting of Jamea Harris in Tuscaloosa. It was later revealed that the passenger in the car was a team manager, not Spears.
REQUIRED READING: SEC commissioner Greg Sankey voices objections to pro athletes returning to college
Spears filed a lawsuit against the outlet for defamation and "false light" invasion of privacy, claiming it caused him emotional distress for linking his name to a high-profile murder. The Times later issued a correction and added an editor's note following Spears' lawsuit.
#later
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