Lawyer Faces Contempt for AI-Generated Court Filing Errors

Defense attorney fined $5,000 after AI-generated court filing with fake testimony and witnesses. New Mexico Supreme Court acts as AI use in legal field grows.

Editorial Desk

September 12, 2026 One Min Read

POLICY WIRE — Santa Fe, New Mexico — A defense attorney has been held in contempt by the New Mexico Supreme Court after submitting a court filing that contained fabricated police testimony and invented witnesses generated by OpenAI’s ChatGPT.

The court ruled that Stephen Aarons failed to verify the accuracy of the document, which he claimed was prepared using the AI tool. The filing included false statements from made-up witnesses, leading to a $5,000 fine and referral to an attorney disciplinary board for further review.

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Aarons, who handles appeals in Santa Fe, said he used ChatGPT trial proceedings but did not fully understand how AI can create inaccurate or fictional content. He expressed remorse, calling it an honest mistake, while the court criticized his lack of concern for his client’s case. The appeal, involving Oscar Renee Sandoval, remains pending.

Reporting by Policy-Wire (PW)

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