An Alabama jury awarded $9.25 million in damages after ruling that The New York Times defamed a former Crimson Tide basketball player by erroneously reporting that he was at the scene of a homicide.
Following a nine-day civil trial in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Alabama, the eight-person jury delivered its verdict on Thursday night.
Spears, a walk-on guard who played in 11 games for Alabama in 2023-24, sued the Times for defamation for its reporting in the aftermath of the Jan. 15, 2023 shooting death of Jamea Harris, 23.
Former Alabama basketball player Darius Miles was charged with murder in the shooting near the school campus in Tuscaloosa and still is awaiting trial. Miles’ friend, Michael Davis, was convicted of capital murder in May 2025.
On March 15, 2023, the Times falsely reported that Spears had been a passenger in teammate Brandon Miller’s car at the time of the shooting. Investigators allege that the gun used in the shooting arrived at the scene in Miller’s vehicle.
Days later, the newspaper published a correction and acknowledged its error, which had been based on an unidentified source.
Matt Glover, an attorney for Spears, told The Associated Press he was pleased with the decision and believes “this verdict will improve journalism throughout the country.”
“We’re disappointed the jury found The Times liable for an honest mistake,” Times spokesman Charlie Stadtlander wrote in a statement. “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. We are reviewing our legal options.”
According to the newspaper, the Times had not lost a defamation case in the United States in more than 50 years.
Spears left Alabama after the 2023-24 season and played in 37 games over the next two campaigns at Marshall.
