The Alabama Supreme Court on Friday limited the scope of the state’s reporter shield law, handing a partial victory to former University of Alabama basketball player Kai Spears in his ongoing defamation lawsuit against The New York Times.
The decision clarifies what journalists in the state can withhold during discovery when confidential sources are at issue.
The case stems from a 2023 article that identified Spears as a passenger in a car linked to a fatal shooting in Tuscaloosa. Spears, who was not involved, sued the newspaper, claiming the story was repeatedly stated as fact even though it was primarily based on one anonymous source and despite contrary information from another.
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