New Mexico Court Holds Lawyer in Contempt Over 7 Fake Witnesses, Refers Him for Discipline
Updated
Updated · Ars Technica · Sep 11
New Mexico Court Holds Lawyer in Contempt Over 7 Fake Witnesses, Refers Him for Discipline
3 articles · Updated · Ars Technica · Sep 11
Summary
Stephen Aarons was held in direct contempt by the New Mexico Supreme Court after filing an AI-generated appeal brief that included false testimony from wholly fabricated witnesses and other factual errors.
The court said Aarons admitted he fed a trial transcript into ChatGPT, failed to verify the brief’s factual claims or legal citations before filing it, and did not tell his client about the misrepresentations.
The order identified fabricated or false testimony attributed to seven people, including fake police witnesses Officer Michelle Amarillo and Officer Sanchez, and said Aarons also misrepresented legal authority.
Aarons, a criminal defense lawyer of more than 40 years, had been hired to appeal Oscar Renee Sandoval’s murder conviction; the court said he showed a lack of remorse and concern for his client and referred him to a disciplinary board.