HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WAFF) – Three attorneys from Huntsville faced penalties from a federal judge for employing Artificial Intelligence to generate citations.
As per court documents, a prisoner alleged that the lawyers representing former Alabama Department of Corrections Commissioner Jefferson Dunn created false references to legal sources.
Attorneys from the Butler Snow law firm, Matthew Reeves, William Cranford, and William Lunsford, acknowledged in writing and during a hearing that the citations referenced were created by the AI application ChatGPT. This implies the citations were fabricated.
The judge instructs the attorneys to “deliver a copy of this order to their clients, the other side’s lawyer, and the overseeing judge in each ongoing state or federal case where they are representing a party. They must also give a copy of this order to every attorney in their law firm. They are required to follow this directive within ten days from the date of this order and must confirm to the court within twenty-four hours of completing this action that the requirement has been fulfilled.”
Creating false legal authority is a severe violation that requires a strong punishment,” the court document stated. “In the court’s opinion, it calls for much more responsibility than the reprimands and small fines that have become typical when courts deal with this type of AI abuse.
Lunsford, who serves as a deputy attorney general in the state, has received more than $40 million in the last five years while working on behalf of the prison system.
Lunsford submitted a reply to the court, claiming that Reeves was the one who utilized AI to prepare the citations, and he had not been involved in filing the motion. Nevertheless, the judge imposed penalties on the group, mandating that they notify all their clients, the other side’s legal representatives, and the judges about the results.
Lawyer Mark McDaniel has been familiar with the three individuals for several years.
Not only are they excellent lawyers, but they’re also great individuals,” McDaniel stated. “I think if the judge had noticed anything improper in their behavior, the penalties would have been far more severe.
Butler Snow submitted a reply describing the incidents as “unacceptable.”
WAFF 48 contacted Butler Snow several times for a response and was informed by the marketing director during a phone call, “I can’t take your call right now, thank you,” before she ended the conversation.
“Everyone makes errors, including the most skilled individuals, but I would feel privileged to work on a case with them today,” McDaniel stated.
In addition to being made public by the judge, this decision will also be communicated to the state bar association.
Some of the references that were created were not valid, while others cited a 1939 case that had no connection to the plaintiff’s situation, and another that is present in a specific format but not in the exact combination that was mentioned.
Consequently, the plaintiff is requesting that the improper use of AI be used to remove the attorneys from the case and for the issue to be sent to the Alabama State Bar and other relevant regulatory bodies.
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