United News of Bangladesh

A jury in Alabama on Thursday awarded $9.25 million in damages to a college basketball player after finding that The New York Times defamed him by incorrectly reporting that he was at the scene of a fatal shooting in Tuscaloosa. Kai Spears, a former player for the University of Alabama men's basketball team, sued the newspaper in 2023 over a report that said he was a passenger in a car linked to the shooting. The report cited a person familiar with the investigation who spoke anonymously because of the sensitivity of the case. The Times acknowledged the mistake several days later, publishing an editor's note and correcting the report. The eight-member jury reached its verdict after a nine-day trial in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Alabama. Matt Glover, an attorney for Spears, welcomed the verdict, saying he believed it would help improve journalism across the country. The Times said it was reviewing its legal options following the verdict. "We're disappointed the jury found The Times liable for an honest mistake," spokesperson Charlie Stadtlander said in a statement Thursday. "We thank the jury for its service, but believe the verdict and award of damages are contrary to law and not supported by the evidence." Three other Alabama basketball players were at the January 2023 shooting, in which a 23-year-old mother was killed. Spears said in his lawsuit that the inaccurate report caused him emotional distress and permanently associated him with the killing. In a report on Thursday's verdict, The Times said it had not lost a defamation lawsuit in the United States over one of its articles in more than 50 years.