AI Disrupted a Court Case in the US: Four Lawyers Punished for Citing Non-Existent Cases
In the US, a Federal judge in Mississippi sanctioned all four lawyers from both sides of a civil case and dismissed the trial after some of them, relying on artificial intelligence, cited non-existent court cases in their documents, reports the New York Times.
Two lawyers were banned from participating in hearings of the US District Court for the Northern District of Mississippi for two years due to their conduct. Meanwhile, all four were removed from the case and fined.
The case arose from a breach of contract lawsuit filed in 2023. Louisiana attorney Tom Weathers III claimed that the city of Aberdeen, Mississippi, failed to pay him legal fees related to a solar energy development project.
Weathers himself was not among those punished. Disciplinary sanctions were applied to two female attorneys representing his interests — Kathleen M. Wilson and Shoncie Hunter Ridgeway — as well as to two city attorneys — Catherine I. Williams and Mark McClinton.
In a court order filed on June 8, Senior US District Judge Sharion Aycock noted that all four lawyers violated Rule 11 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure when certifying the accuracy of information presented in their filings.
"This case presents the court with an unusual situation — lawyers on both sides of the case engaged in similar sanctionable conduct," Judge Aycock wrote.
The judge barred both from practicing in this federal court for two years. Additionally, Wilson was fined $2,500, and Williams was fined $3,500.
Both were temporarily admitted to participate in the Mississippi case because they held law licenses in other states — Louisiana and Texas.
The judge reported that Wilson explained the appearance of two references to non-existent cases — so-called "hallucinated" court decisions — in her motion by using the AI-based program First Drafts.
When these errors were pointed out to her, Wilson stated that she was unaware of AI's ability to fabricate court cases and did not even understand the meaning of the term "hallucinated case."
The judge also reminded that Wilson had already faced disciplinary action in April in the US Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Louisiana for similar conduct.
"Her continued improper use of artificial intelligence demonstrates an extremely serious disregard for professional duties," the judge noted.
Regarding Williams, she explained that her law firm does not use open generative AI systems but purchased software with AI elements for internal research.
According to the judge, Williams used this tool while preparing two documents containing four fabricated court cases. She also acknowledged that the software included a database of court decisions from several states but not Mississippi.
Unlike Wilson's solo practice, where no AI use policy existed, Williams' firm required attorneys to verify research results.
"The court finds it particularly egregious that Williams, who is a partner and likely one of the firm's leaders, ignored the AI use policy and blindly relied on the AI tool," the judge wrote.
Shoncie Ridgeway and Mark McClinton hold Mississippi law licenses and acted as sponsors for the temporary admission of Wilson and Williams to participate in the case.
Judge Aycock fined each of them $1,000 and concluded that they also violated civil procedure rules by signing court documents with inaccurate citations.
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