The New Mexico Supreme Court fined lawyer Stephen Aarons $5,000 for including fake witnesses and false testimony generated by ChatGPT in a murder conviction appeal.

The New Mexico Supreme Court has fined attorney Stephen Aarons $5,000 and held him in contempt for submitting an appeal brief containing AI-fabricated content. The court determined that Aarons failed to verify the factual claims and legal authority within the document, which included false testimony from nonexistent witnesses and inaccurate descriptions of a shooter. Aarons admitted to using ChatGPT to create the filing, believing it would produce a reliable summary of the trial.

Court Hearing and Judicial Response

During an August hearing, Justice C. Shannon Bacon questioned Aarons regarding his use of artificial intelligence. When Aarons acknowledged relying on the tool, Justice Bacon asked if he followed news reports, noting that the risks of AI hallucinations in legal work are frequently publicized. The court's filing emphasized that the brief contained fabricated testimony regarding the shooter's appearance and clothing.

Lawyer's Response and Broader Context

In a statement provided to Reuters, Aarons expressed remorse for the incident, characterizing his reliance on the AI tool as an honest mistake. The case follows other instances of legal professionals facing sanctions for submitting AI-generated documents containing false citations and misquotes, including recent cases involving law firms and representatives for Mike Lindell.