ChatGPT-using lawyer punished for citing fake testimony from made-up witnesses
“You buried your head in the sand” 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. Aarons has been a criminal defense lawyer in New Mexico for over 40 years and was hired by a defendant’s family members to appeal a murder conviction. Aaron’s now-former client, Oscar Renee Sandoval, was sentenced to life in prison in February 2025 after being convicted of killing Shiereen Al-Jibury, who was his partner and the mother of his children.
- ▪“You buried your head in the sand” 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.
- ▪Aarons has been a criminal defense lawyer in New Mexico for over 40 years and was hired by a defendant’s family members to appeal a murder conviction.
- ▪Aaron’s now-former client, Oscar Renee Sandoval, was sentenced to life in prison in February 2025 after being convicted of killing Shiereen Al-Jibury, who was his partner and the mother of his children.
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| Original publisher | Ars Technica |
| Canonical URL | https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2026/09/chatgpt-using-lawyer-punished-for-citing-fake-testimony-from-made-up-witnesses/ |
| Publication time | Fri, 11 Sep 2026 19:34:09 +0000 |
| Retrieval time | 2026-09-11T21:58:35.210Z |
| Last seen | 2026-09-11T21:58:35.210Z |
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Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand
“You buried your head in the sand” 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. Jon Brodkin – Sep 11, 2026 3:34 pm | 48 Credit: Getty Images | NurPhoto Credit: Getty Images | NurPhoto Text settings Story text Size Small Standard Large Width * Standard Wide Links Standard Orange * Subscribers only Learn more Minimize to nav The New Mexico Supreme Court held a ChatGPT-using lawyer in direct contempt of court for submitting a brief with “false testimony from wholly fabricated witnesses,” including fake police testimony and other mistakes.
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Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at Ars Technica.
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