Lawyer Punished for Using ChatGPT, Citing Fabricated Testimony

The New Mexico Supreme Court has held a lawyer in direct contempt of court for filing a brief that included "false testimony from wholly fabricated witnesses," alongside other inaccuracies generated by AI. The state's highest court referred the attorney to a disciplinary board for further proceedings and stated he "demonstrated a lack of remorse and a lack of concern for his client."

Attorney Stephen Aarons admitted to the court that he did not verify the factual claims or legal authority within the AI-generated brief before signing and filing it. He also failed to inform his client that the filing contained multiple factual and legal misrepresentations.

Aarons, a criminal defense lawyer in New Mexico for over 40 years, was hired by family members to appeal a murder conviction. His client, Oscar Renee Sandoval, was sentenced to life in prison in February 2025 after being convicted of killing his partner and the mother of his children.