New Mexico Supreme Court sanctions lawyer for AI‑generated brief with fabricated testimony
A New Mexico criminal‑defense attorney, Stephen Aarons, was held in direct contempt after filing an appellate brief that relied on ChatGPT‑generated content containing entirely fictitious witness statements and erroneous legal citations. Aarons admitted he never verified the facts or sources produced by the AI and failed to inform his client, Oscar Renee Sandoval, whose murder conviction the…
Key points
- Stephen Aarons submitted a brief with fabricated witness testimony generated by ChatGPT
- The New Mexico Supreme Court held him in direct contempt and referred him to a disciplinary board
- The case raises warnings about unverified AI use in legal filings
The court’s order highlighted the growing risk of unvetted AI output in legal practice, emphasizing the duty of lawyers to ensure accuracy and transparency. Aarons, a veteran with over four decades of experience, now faces potential sanctions and a review of his professional conduct, underscoring that reliance on generative AI does not excuse negligence or ethical breaches.
Legal experts warn that this case could set a precedent for how courts treat AI‑assisted filings, urging stricter verification protocols and clearer guidelines for attorneys using large language models in their work.
ChatGPT-using lawyer punished for citing fake testimony from made-up witnesses
Ars Technica AI · 11 September 2026
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. The state’s top court referred the lawyer to a disciplinary board for further proceedings and concluded that 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 and legal authority in his AI-generated brief before signing it and filing it with the Court, and that he did not inform his client of this failure or that the brief in chief contained multiple factual and legal misrepresentations,” the state Supreme Court said in an order on Wednesday.
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.
A little over a year ago, in August 2025, Aarons submitted the brief containing fake testimony and other errors. Weeks later, the state of New Mexico filed a motion to strike portions of that brief.
“Respondent admitted to the Court that the brief in chief contained false testimony from wholly fabricated witnesses—Officer Michelle Amarillo, Officer Sanchez, Manal Al-Jibury, and Teresa Marquez,” the court order on Wednesday said.
Lawyer fed trial transcript into ChatGPT
Aarons further admitted submitting “false testimony from Danny Stanton that he received threats,” “false testimony from Linda Stanton about the threats her husband received,” and “false testimony from Mariah Chavez and Teresa Marquez (fabricated witness) regarding the shooter’s clothing and appearance,” according to the order, which said Aarons also “misrepresented legal authority” in citations to previous cases.
This text was published by Ars Technica AI and written by Jon Brodkin. It is reproduced here with attribution so you can read it in full; the rights remain with the publisher. Read it at the source ↗
Coverage and discussion
2 sources- New Mexico lawyer fined for using AI-generated brief containing fabricated police testimony Press · The Guardian AI ·
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