New Mexico lawyer fined for using ChatGPT to create fake witnesses

The New Mexico Supreme Court has fined attorney Stephen Aarons $5,000 and held him in contempt of court after he submitted a legal brief containing fabricated information generated by ChatGPT. The brief, prepared for the murder appeal of Oscar Renee Sandoval, included entirely fictitious witnesses, false police statements, and inaccurate descriptions of the perpetrator's clothing.

Aarons admitted to using the AI tool to summarize trial proceedings, stating he did not realize the extent of the software's “hallucinations.” The court noted that the attorney failed to verify the factual claims and legal authority within the document before signing it.

In addition to the fine, the court has referred the matter to the attorney disciplinary board for further investigation and barred Aarons from appearing before the state's highest court until the proceedings are complete.