ChatGPT-using lawyer punished for citing fake testimony from made-up witnesses
"I didn't know that AI could hallucinate facts," New Mexico defense lawyer says.
New Mexico's highest court sentenced a lawyer to contempt for filing a brief containing false testimony from fictitious witnesses, including fabricated police accounts. The top court also referred the lawyer to a disciplinary board, citing a lack of remorse and disregard for his client. Attorney Stephen Aarons admitted to the court that he failed to verify any claims or legal authority in his AI-generated brief before submitting it for filing.
He did not inform his client, Oscar Renee Sandoval, about the errors or that the document contained multiple inaccuracies. Sandoval, who hired Aarons over 40 years ago, was sentenced to life in prison in February 2025 for the murder of his partner and children's mother, Shiereen Al-Jibury.
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