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Sanctions watch

Every incident where a lawyer got caught filing AI-fabricated citations. The Hall of Shame.

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251
Incidents tracked
81
Incidents in 2026
$1,813,310
In fines, where reported
186 of 251 report an amount

The curve

Incidents per month

Last 18 months of published incidents, by the date of the court's order.

Apr 2025 Sep 2026

Charting 139 of 251 incidents; the rest are undated or fall outside this window.

Blamed by name

ChatGPT 53 Claude 4 Lexis+ AI 4 Westlaw Precision 4 CoCounsel 3 Copilot 2 AI-assisted legal software 1 Archie 1 ChatOn 1 ClearBrief 1 CoCounsel, Westlaw Precision, Google Gem 1 Descrybe.ai 1 First Drafts 1 Gemini 1 Ghostwriter Legal 1 Google AI 1 Google Scholar 1 Grok 1 Irys 1 vLex Fastcase 1

Counts only incidents where the filing court or the reporting named the tool.

Hall of Shame

All Fined 251 Caught, not sanctioned 199 Warned 125 Referred to the bar 101 Reprimanded 86 Outcome unclear 56 Filing dismissed 37 Suspension 2 Upcoming sanction 1

Showing 31–40 of 251 incidents. Clear filters

Fined $10K ChatGPT
Two law firms faced sanctions after submitting ChatGPT-generated briefs that contained nine fabricated citations out of 27 total authorities.
ChatGPT-generated briefs
proplaintiff.ai ↗
The file →
  • Two law firms were sanctioned for ChatGPT-generated briefs.
  • Their filings contained nine fabricated citations out of 27 authorities.
  • The page says the sanction was a $10,000 wake-up call.
  • The court and judge are not named on the page.
  • The article gives the fabrication count but no citation strings.
Fined
A District of Arizona court sanctioned plaintiff’s counsel after her opening brief contained fabricated, misleading, or unsupported citations likely caused by AI hallucinations.
Plaintiff’s opening brief sanction order (District of Arizona) · District of Arizona · AZ
“… well over the majority of the citations provided to this court in plaintiff’s opening brief were fabricated, misleading or unsupported.”
kahanafeld.com ↗
The file →
  • District of Arizona order involving plaintiff’s counsel
  • Opening brief contained fabricated, misleading, or unsupported citations
  • Court imposed severe sanctions, including apology letters and pro hac vice revocation
  • Federal court in Arizona
  • September 10, 2025 article; court said most citations were fabricated or unsupported
Fined $2K
Judge Dena M. Coggins sanctioned attorney Sepideh Ardestani for a filing with numerous nonexistent and erroneous AI-generated citations.
Sepideh Ardestani · Sepideh Ardestani · U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California · CA
“"submission of a motion with numerous nonexistent and erroneous citations, coupled with her repeated failure to be forthcoming with the court, constitutes conduct that is 'akin to contempt of court,'"”
news.bloomberglaw.com ↗
The file →
  • Sepideh Ardestani was sanctioned in the Eastern District of California.
  • She allegedly used artificial intelligence to generate more than a dozen fictitious case citations in a filing.
  • The court imposed a $1,500 sanction.
  • The case was in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California.
  • Judge Dena M. Coggins issued the order; the article says it was docketed Tuesday.
Fined $2K
Yolanda Smith-Parker filed a divorce order with made-up citations, and the court criticized her and imposed a $2,500 fine.
Yolanda Smith-Parker · Yolanda Smith-Parker · DeKalb County Superior Court · GA
“The situation was “troubling,” said Judge Ana Keil Lynch.”
ajc.com ↗
The file →
  • Yolanda Smith-Parker was sanctioned in a divorce case.
  • She prepared an order with fabricated legal citations.
  • The court fined her $2,500.
  • DeKalb County Superior Court, Georgia.
  • Judge Ana Keil Lynch called the situation “troubling.”
Fined $6K
Brian G. Brady filed a document with bogus legal citations in a contract-breach case, and Judge Louis Sands fined him $6,500 and ordered AI-education costs.
Brian G. Brady · Brian G. Brady · U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Georgia · GA
ajc.com ↗
The file →
  • Brian G. Brady was sanctioned in a federal Georgia case.
  • He admitted a filing had bogus legal citations generated with AI.
  • Judge Louis Sands imposed a $6,500 fine and AI-education costs.
  • U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Georgia, Georgia.
  • The article says Brady apologized and blamed an error by his staff.
Fined $1K
A public defender filed an appellate brief with AI-generated citations, and the Appellate Court of Illinois ordered disgorgement of his fee plus $1,000 in sanctions and a referral.
Illinois public defender · Appellate Court of Illinois · IL
“It was a “perfect storm” of “temptation of AI out there at a time when [he] was busy and trying to meet deadlines.””
vlex.com ↗
The file →
  • Illinois public defender was sanctioned after filing an AI-written appellate brief.
  • Eight cited cases were involved, including five nonexistent ones and three misidentified ones.
  • The court ordered disgorgement of a $6,925.62 fee plus $1,000 in sanctions.
  • Appellate Court of Illinois, Illinois.
  • Page quotes the lawyer calling it a “perfect storm” and says the court referred him to the disciplinary commission.
Fined $10K ChatGPT
An attorney filed AI-enhanced appellate briefs with fabricated citations and quotations; the California Court of Appeal sanctioned him $10,000 and referred him to the State Bar.
[Los Angeles attorney; case caption not named on page] · attorney in Los Angeles · California Court of Appeal · CA

Cases that don't exist

  • Schimmel v. Levin
  • Peake v. Underwood
vlex.com ↗
The file →
  • Los Angeles attorney was sanctioned after filing AI-enhanced appellate briefs.
  • ChatGPT generated fabricated citations and quotations that were filed without reading.
  • The court imposed a $10,000 sanction and referred him to the State Bar.
  • California Court of Appeal, California.
  • Page says the sanction was the highest fine ever issued by a California state court for AI misuse.
Fined $10K
A Los Angeles plaintiff's attorney filed an opening brief riddled with AI-generated fake citations, and the California Second District Court of Appeal fined him $10,000.
Amir Mostafav matter · Amir Mostafav · California Second District Court of Appeal · CA
legalnewsline.com ↗
The file →
  • Amir Mostafav, a Los Angeles plaintiff's attorney, was sanctioned.
  • He submitted an opening brief riddled with AI-generated fake citations.
  • The court imposed a $10,000 fine.
  • The sanction came from the California Second District Court of Appeal in California.
  • The page gives no AI tool name and no quoted judge language.
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