Judge weighs AI use penalties for lawyers in prison case

A federal judge is weighing sanctions against a prestigious law firm after attorneys used ChatGPT to generate legal filings containing nonexistent case citations. This incident highlights the growing concern about AI hallucinations in legal contexts and the professional responsibility of verifying AI-generated content, particularly in high-stakes environments like prison litigation where the firm represents Alabama’s prison system in multiple lawsuits.

The big picture: U.S. District Judge Anna Manasco is considering penalties after discovering five false case citations in two court filings submitted by Butler Snow attorneys defending Alabama’s prison system.

• The judge noted there have been widespread warnings from courts about AI-generated legal filings due to their potential inaccuracies.
• Butler Snow has been paid millions to defend Alabama’s prison system in various lawsuits, including a Department of Justice case alleging cruel conditions for male inmates.

How it happened: A firm partner used ChatGPT to research supporting case law but failed to verify the information before adding it to federal court filings.

• Matt Reeves, the partner who used ChatGPT, took full responsibility and asked the judge not to punish his colleagues who also signed the documents.
• Four attorneys in total signed the filings containing the AI-generated “hallucinations” or incorrect citations.

What they’re saying: Butler Snow representatives expressed embarrassment over the incident during the hearing.

• “Butler Snow is embarrassed by what happened here, which was against good judgment and firm policy. There is no excuse for using ChatGPT to obtain legal authority and failing to verify the sources it provided,” firm lawyers wrote in response to the judge.
• Bill Lunsford, who heads Butler Snow’s prison litigation division and serves as a deputy attorney general for Alabama, claimed he only scanned the documents before filing them.

What’s next: Judge Manasco is considering a range of sanctions including fines and has given the law firm 10 days to file a brief with the court.

Behind the numbers: The filings in question were part of a lawsuit brought by an inmate who suffered multiple stabbings at the William E. Donaldson Correctional Facility, alleging officials failed to maintain safety.