Anthony Yates
A judge put an attorney from Alabama on blast and fined him after he reportedly used fake AI-generated citations in court. His client kicked him off the case and sought new counsel after the incident.
Videos by Rare
What happened: According to a report by AL, a federal judge “publicly reprimanded” a lawyer, James A. Johnson, for allegedly using a Microsoft Word plug-in called Ghostwriter Legal. The plug-in uses ChatGPT, and the lawyer’s drafted motion reportedly contained fabricated citations.
- Per Cornell Law School, “A citation is a reference to a source that supports a statement or is otherwise related to it.” U.S. District Judge Terry Moorer bemoaned the use of AI last week. He reportedly said, “The improper use of generative AI is a problem that sadly is not going away despite the general knowledge in the legal community that AI can hallucinate and make up cases.”
- Per FOX 10 News, the lawyer made the blunder back in July. He apologized at the time, reportedly claiming he was unaware AI could generate fake cases.
The Alabama Attorney Faces Multiple Sanctions
A list of punishments: FOX 10 News reveals a list of sanctions against Johnson, including a $5,000 fine. The judge also referred the matter to a panel to determine whether the lawyer should still be eligible to receive court-appointed criminal cases.
- According to Bloomberg, Moorer said Johnson must file the order in any pending case where he has appeared as counsel. That sanction extends to any cases he may work on for the next 12 months.
- FOX 10 reveals a statement from the judge, which reads, “The insertion of bogus citations is not a mere typographical error, nor the subject of reasonable debate. It’s just wrong. Per AL, Moorer also said, “Simply put, the legal community is well aware of the dangers and pitfalls of using AI shortcuts without further review or supervision.”
- Johnson reportedly told the outlet he is appealing the scope of the sanctions against him. He allegedly said he believes the judge “exceeded his authority by imposing punitive sanctions for what amounted to a mistake.”
- Moorer stressed that the court does not prohibit the use of AI in law, admitting it can be a useful tool. However, lawyers are ultimately responsible for the authenticity of their submissions.
