The New York Times was ordered to pay $9.25 million in damages after a jury found it liable for defamation in a lawsuit filed by Kai Spears, a former college basketball player at the University of Alabama. The jury's decision came after a nine-day trial, during which it was determined that the Times had misidentified Spears in a March 2023 report linking him to a fatal shooting incident. The report, authored by sportswriter Billy Witz, incorrectly stated that Spears was a passenger in a vehicle at the scene of the January 2023 shooting that resulted in the death of Jamea Harris.
Following the lawsuit, the Times issued an editor's note in June 2023 acknowledging the error and clarifying that the individual in the car was actually Cooper Lee, a student manager for the team. Witz testified that he relied on an anonymous source for his information, which he believed to be credible. The Times expressed disappointment with the jury's verdict, stating they believe it is contrary to law and not supported by evidence, and indicated they are reviewing their legal options. Spears' legal team has not yet commented on the verdict.