Verified source report
Former Alabama basketball player wins $9.25m in defamation case against New York Times
Kai Spears incorrectly linked to death of young mother Times says it had not lost libel case in more than 50 years An Alabama jury has awarded $9.25m in damages after finding that the New York Times defamed a college basketball player by incorrectly reporting that he was at the scene of a fatal shooting . Kai Spears, who played for the University of Alabama men’s team, sued the Times in 2023 after it published a report, citing a person familiar with the investigation, that said he was a passenger in a car involved in the shooting. The Times reported that the person had spoken “on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive matters.” Continue reading...
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Kai Spears incorrectly linked to death of young mother Times says it had not lost libel case in more than 50 years An Alabama jury has awarded $9.25m in damages after finding that the New York Times defamed a college basketball player by incorrectly reporting that he was at the scene of a fatal shooting . Kai Spears, who played for the University of Alabama men’s team, sued the Times in 2023 after it published a report, citing a person familiar with the investigation, that said he was a passenger in a car involved in the shooting. The Times reported that the person had spoken “on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive matters.” Continue reading...
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What happened
According to The Guardian’s source item, Former Alabama basketball player wins $9.25m in defamation case against New York Times, Kai Spears incorrectly linked to death of young mother Times says it had not lost libel case in more than 50 years An Alabama jury has awarded $9.25m in damages after finding that the New York Times defamed a college basketball player by incorrectly reporting that he was at the scene of a fatal shooting . Kai Spears, who played for the University of Alabama men’s team, sued the Times in 2023 after it published a report, citing a person familiar with the investigation, that said he was a passenger in a car involved in the shooting. The Times reported that the person had spoken “on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive matters.” Continue reading…
Context
The development sits in VINI’s Technology file for readers following technology, science, product policy, markets, infrastructure, and the public consequences of innovation. The original report is linked so readers can check the source account, follow later updates, and compare new coverage against the first published record. The source item is dated 2026-08-21T12:32:54+00:00.
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Primary source: Former Alabama basketball player wins $9.25m in defamation case against New York Times via The Guardian. VINI cites and links the source; it does not reproduce the publisher’s full article text without rights clearance.
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- Former Alabama basketball player wins $9.25m in defamation case against New York TimesThe Guardian - 2026-08-21T12:32:54+00:00
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