{
  "id": 6780700,
  "title": "Lawyer cites fake witnesses in murder case and blames ChatGPT",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/11/lawyer-cites-fake-witnesses-in-murder-case-and-blames-chatgpt",
  "topic": "ai",
  "section": "AI",
  "published": "2026-09-11T12:08:41.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "CNA - Business",
    "slug": "cna-business",
    "url": "https://www.channelnewsasia.com/business/lawyer-cites-fake-witnesses-in-murder-case-and-blames-chatgpt-6378846"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "WASHINGTON, Sept 11 : New Mexico's highest court has fined attorney Stephen Aarons $5,000 and held him in contempt for submitting a brief containing fabricated witnesses and police testimony generated by OpenAI's ChatGPT. The New Mexico Supreme Court deemed Aarons' court filing as containing false testimony from entirely fabricated witnesses. Furthermore, the court found that Aarons demonstrated a lack of remorse and concern for his client. Aarons stated that he used ChatGPT to summarize trial proceedings when he agreed to take up his client's appeal last year, but admitted to not fully understanding the extent to which AI could generate inaccurate facts. He expressed remorse but hoped that the disciplinary board would consider it an honest mistake. The case is still pending, and the client's new defense attorney, Kim Chavez Cook, declined to comment on the matter.",
  "summary": null,
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 8,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Channel News Asia",
        "title": "ChatGPT invented fake police testimony in murder appeal, New Mexico high court says",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/11/chatgpt-invented-fake-police-testimony-in-murder-appeal-new-mexico",
        "published": "2026-09-11T12:08:41.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Hindustan Times",
        "title": "Mumbai man used ChatGPT to fake PMO ID ‘to boost social standing’, police tell court",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/11/mumbai-man-used-chatgpt-to-fake-pmo-id-to-boost-social-standing",
        "published": "2026-09-11T12:11:02.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Quartz",
        "title": "New Mexico court held a lawyer in contempt for using ChatGPT to fake testimony in a murder appeal",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/11/new-mexico-court-held-a-lawyer-in-contempt-for-using-chatgpt-to-fake",
        "published": "2026-09-11T13:40:28.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "NDTV",
        "title": "ChatGPT Wrote Fake Police Testimony In Murder Trial, Lawyer Fined $5,000",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/11/chatgpt-wrote-fake-police-testimony-in-murder-trial-lawyer-fined-5-000",
        "published": "2026-09-11T14:28:18.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Times of India",
        "title": "Mumbai mall entry case: Man used ChatGPT to create fake PMO docs, police tell court",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/11/mumbai-mall-entry-case-man-used-chatgpt-to-create-fake-pmo-docs",
        "published": "2026-09-11T14:34:11.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Economic Times Tech",
        "title": "ChatGPT invented fake police testimony in murder appeal, New Mexico high court says",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/11/chatgpt-invented-fake-police-testimony-in-murder-appeal-new-mexico-6779001",
        "published": "2026-09-11T17:09:35.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Jerusalem Post",
        "title": "ChatGPT invented fake police testimony in murder appeal, New Mexico high court says",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/11/chatgpt-invented-fake-police-testimony-in-murder-appeal-new-mexico-6794473",
        "published": "2026-09-11T20:35:11.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}