Jury says New York Times defamed Alabama basketball player with incorrect story about shooting

An Alabama jury has ordered the New York Times to pay $9.25 million in damages after finding the publication guilty of defaming a college basketball player. The ruling, handed down on Thursday in Tuscaloosa, stems from an incorrect news story that falsely reported the player was present at the scene of a fatal shooting.

The case centers on the newspaper's erroneous reporting regarding the violent incident in Tuscaloosa, which wrongly linked the student-athlete to the crime scene. The substantial financial penalty was determined by the jury following the defamation finding.