Kai Spears Wins NYT Defamation Case

A jury awarded former Alabama player Kai Spears $9.25 million in his NYT libel suit.

•Leans Right

Fake News New York Times Loses Defamation Lawsuit — Ordered to Pay $9.25 Million After Falsely Linking Innocent Alabama Basketball Player to Deadly Shooting * The Gateway Pundit * by Jim Hᴏft

An Alabama Jury Just Gave the New York Times a $9.25 Million Reality Check

NYTimes Found Liable for Defamation of College Basketball Player

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The reporting

A neutral summary of the key facts most outlets agree on, drawn from reporting across the political spectrum.

A federal jury in Alabama awarded former University of Alabama basketball player Kai Spears $9.25 million after finding The New York Times liable for defamation over a March 2023 article. The article incorrectly reported that Spears was a passenger in Brandon Miller’s vehicle at the scene of a January 2023 Tuscaloosa shooting that killed 23-year-old Jamea Harris. Spears, then a walk-on on Alabama’s men’s basketball team, sued in 2023 and also prevailed on a false-light/invasion-of-privacy claim. The verdict followed about five hours of deliberation in federal court.

Analysis & opinion

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Verdict Was DeservedLeans Right

The New York Times deserved the multimillion-dollar legal defeat because it falsely connected Kai Spears to a deadly shooting. The verdict was justified as accountability for harming an innocent Alabama basketball player with an untrue claim.