AI Hallucination Cases

This database tracks legal decisions1 I.e., all documents where the use of AI, whether established or merely alleged, is addressed in more than a passing reference by the court or tribunal.

Notably, this does not cover mere allegations of hallucinations, but only cases where the court or tribunal has explicitly found (or implied) that a party relied on hallucinated content or material.

As an exception, the database also covers some judicial decisions where AI use was alleged but not confirmed. This is a judgment call on my part.
in cases where generative AI produced hallucinated content – typically fake citations, but also other types of AI-generated arguments. It does not track the (necessarily wider) universe of all fake citations or use of AI in court filings.

While seeking to be exhaustive (1497 cases identified so far), it is a work in progress and will expand as new examples emerge. This database has been featured in news media, and indeed in several decisions dealing with hallucinated material.2 Examples of media coverage include:
- M. Hiltzik, AI 'hallucinations' are a growing problem for the legal profession (LA Times, 22 May 2025)
- E. Volokh, "AI Hallucination Cases," from Courts All Over the World (Volokh Conspiracy, 18 May 2025)
- J-.M. Manach, "Il génère des plaidoiries par IA, et en recense 160 ayant « halluciné » depuis 2023" (Next, 1 July 2025) - J. Koebler & J. Roscoe, "18 Lawyers Caught Using AI Explain Why They Did It (404 Media, 30 September 2025)

If you have any questions about the database, a FAQ is available here.
And if you know of a case that should be included, feel free to contact me.3 (Readers may also be interested in this project regarding AI use in academic papers.)

Based on this database, I have developed an automated reference checker that also detects hallucinations: PelAIkan. Check the Reports Report icon in the database for examples, and reach out to me for a demo.

For weekly takes on cases like these, and what they mean for legal practice, subscribe to Artificial Authority.

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Last updated: 28 May 2026
State
Party
Nature – Category
Nature – Subcategory

Case Court / Jurisdiction Date ▼ Party Using AI AI Tool Nature of Hallucination Outcome / Sanction Monetary Penalty Details Report(s)
Innocent v. Meraki Installers, LLC CA Florida (4d) (USA) 27 May 2026 Lawyer Implied
Fabricated Exhibits or Submissions (1)
Bar Referral
Source: Christian Silva
Eclectic Synergy, LLC v. Seredin CA Florida (4d) (USA) 27 May 2026 Lawyer Implied
Fabricated Case Law (1)
Misrepresented Case Law (2)
Order to Show Cause
Source: Christian Silva
Robert Hinton Avery v. Danielle Beauzil CA Florida (4d) (USA) 27 May 2026 Pro Se Litigant Unidentified
Fabricated Legal Norm (1)
Misrepresented Case Law (1)
Barred from filing save with Counsel
Source: Christian Silva
Johnny Fuselier v. John S. Riscassi S.D. Mississippi (USA) 22 May 2026 Lawyer Fastcase; Google AI
Fabricated Case Law (1)
False Quotes Case Law (1)
Misrepresented Case Law (1)
Admonishment

Order to show cause is here.

Kings Roofing v. Fusion Works CA Florida (6th) (USA) 22 May 2026 Lawyer Implied
Fabricated Case Law (1)
Misrepresented Case Law (1)
Order to Show Cause
Re an Office-Holder; Cork v Smith Chancery (UK) 22 May 2026 Lawyer Unidentified
Fabricated Legal Norm (3)
Misrepresented Legal Norm (1)
Public admonishment; SRA Referral
Saqib Kafeel v. CJDropshipping N.D. Illinois (USA) 22 May 2026 Pro Se Litigant Implied
Fabricated Case Law (1)
False Quotes Case Law (1)
Misrepresented Case Law (1)
A.T.W. v. Commonwealth of Kentucky CA Kentucky (USA) 22 May 2026 Pro Se Litigant Implied
Fabricated Case Law (1)
False Quotes Case Law (1)
Sana Hazina Butler v. Fidelity Management & Research Company LLC S.D. New York (USA) 22 May 2026 Pro Se Litigant Implied
Misrepresented Case Law (1)
Warning
That Xiong v. Minga Wofford (2) E.D. California (USA) 21 May 2026 Lawyer ChatGPT
Fabricated Case Law (3)
No Sanctions in circumstances

Order to Show Cause is here. The court concluded:
"After careful consideration, including the involvement of a law student at the beginning of their legal career and for the reasons stated above, the Court exercises its discretion to discharge the OSC (ECF No. 49) and declines to impose sanctions on Petitioner’s counsel Cummings or law student [XX] for counsel’s failure to fully comply with the Court’s January 13, 2026 order. The Court repeats its admonishment that while AI and generative AI tools can assist counsel and parties, these tools must be used responsibly. They should not be used to verify legal authorityand citations, especially when generative AI tools were used to generate or identify the legal authority and citations being checked."

Maryia Sinkova v The Minister of Citizenship and Immigration Federal Court (Canada) 21 May 2026 Pro Se Litigant Implied
Fabricated Case Law (6)
Memorandum struck from the Court record and removed
Source: Courtready
Marie Pia Fazio v Canada Revenue Agency Federal Court (Canada) 21 May 2026 Pro Se Litigant Unidentified
Fabricated other (1)
Adverse Costs Order 100 CAD
Source: Courtready
Jackie L. Miller v. Regions Bank N.D. Alabama (USA) 21 May 2026 Lawyer ChatGPT
False Quotes Case Law (4)
DQ from case and court (6 months); Bar Referral
Simmons v. Shahidul Islam CA Tennessee (USA) 21 May 2026 Pro Se Litigant Implied
Fabricated Case Law (1)
Misrepresented Case Law (1)
Source: Jesse Schaefer
City of Shaker Heights v. Andre D. Thompson CA Ohio (8d) (USA) 21 May 2026 Pro Se Litigant Implied
Fabricated Case Law (2)
Misrepresented Case Law (1)
Source: Jesse Schaefer
Dalton Gage Hill v. Oklahoma County Criminal Justice Authority (2) W.D. Oklajoma (USA) 21 May 2026 Lawyer Implied
Fabricated Case Law (1)
False Quotes Case Law (1)
Misrepresented Case Law (1)
Magistrate recommended sanctions
Isaiah Hunter-Bey v. City of Cleveland Law Department CA Ohio (8d) (USA) 21 May 2026 Pro Se Litigant Implied
Fabricated Case Law (1)
Misrepresented Case Law (2)
Admonishment
Chapel v. Americredit Financial Services & Experian N.D. Alabama (USA) 21 May 2026 Pro Se Litigant Implied
False Quotes Case Law (2)
Admonishment
Twigg v. BSN Sports, Inc., et al. M.D. Pennsylvania (USA) 21 May 2026 Lawyer Unidentified
Fabricated Case Law (1)
False Quotes Case Law (1)
Misrepresented Case Law (1)
Order to Show Cause
Source: Jesse Schaefer
Lowrey v. City of Rio Rancho et al. (2) D. New Mexico (USA) 21 May 2026 Pro Se Litigant Implied
Fabricated Case Law (1)
Misrepresented Case Law (3)
Warning (again)
Source: Jesse Schaefer
Arron v. Custer, et al. S.D. Ohio (USA) 21 May 2026 Pro Se Litigant Implied
Fabricated Case Law (1)
Citation treated as unverified
Davis v. Marion County Juvenile Detention Center S.D. Indiana (USA) 20 May 2026 Lawyer Fastcase
Fabricated Case Law (2)
Monetary Sanction 2000 USD

Magistrate had suggested a higher sanction: see here.

Source: Jesse Schaefer
Sherwood v. County of Botetourt, Virginia, et al. W.D. Virginia (USA) 20 May 2026 Lawyer Implied
Fabricated Case Law (4)
Misrepresented Case Law (2), Legal Norm (1)
Landberg v City of New York App. NY (2d) (USA) 20 May 2026 Lawyer Implied Order to Show Cause
Brandy Dorsey v. Walter Livramento, III CA Maryland (USA) 20 May 2026 Pro Se Litigant Implied
Fabricated Case Law (6)
Misrepresented Case Law (1)
Warning
Curtin v. Watts, et al. M.D. North Carolina (USA) 20 May 2026 Pro Se Litigant Implied
False Quotes Case Law (2)
Warning
Downing v. Dwayne Brown, et al. CA 11th Cir. (USA) 20 May 2026 Pro Se Litigant Implied
Fabricated Case Law (1)
False Quotes Case Law (1)
Brief partly struck
Source: Jesse Schaefer
Taiujuan Burches v. Equifax Information Services, LLC, et al. E.D. Louisiana (USA) 20 May 2026 Pro Se Litigant Implied Warning
In re Nicholia Cherry-Crockette D. New Jersey (Bankruptcy) (USA) 20 May 2026 Pro Se Litigant Implied
Fabricated Case Law (1)
Misrepresented Case Law (1)
Syreeta LaShawn McNeal v. Vera L. Calvin, et al. E.D. Missouri (USA) 19 May 2026 Pro Se Litigant Implied
Fabricated Case Law (1)
Misrepresented Case Law (1)
Order to provide certification with every future filing

Order to Show Cause is here.

Chakma v. Sushi Katsuei, Inc. S.D. New York (USA) 19 May 2026 Lawyer LexisNexis AI
Fabricated Doctrinal Work (1)
Misrepresented Case Law (1)
Monetary Sanction 2712 USD
Herbert Brooks v. Lowes Home Centers LLC W.D. Louisiana (USA) 18 May 2026 Lawyer Implied
False Quotes Case Law (7)
Monetary Sanction; CLE 1000 USD
Report
Memorandum in Limine

Order to show cause is here.

Source: Volokh
Glenn Wilder and Others v. President & Fellows of Harvard College and Others SC Massachussetts (USA) 18 May 2026 Lawyer MX2.law
Fabricated Case Law (1)
Monetary Sanction 1000 USD
Source: Robert Freund
Harris v. St. Peter Investors, LLC et al. D. Minnesotta (USA) 18 May 2026 Pro Se Litigant Implied
Fabricated Case Law (2)
False Quotes Case Law (3)
Warning
Estate of Claxton CA Arizona (USA) 18 May 2026 Pro Se Litigant Implied
Fabricated Case Law (1)
Nikko D’Ambrosio v. Meta Platforms Inc. CA 7th Cir. (USA) 15 May 2026 Lawyer Implied
Fabricated Legal Norm (1)
False Quotes Case Law (1)
Misrepresented Legal Norm (2)
Order to Show Cause
Source: Robert Freund
Brock et al. v. Hamilton County JFS Children Services et al. S.D. Ohio (USA) 15 May 2026 Pro Se Litigant Implied
Fabricated Case Law (1)
Warning
K.W. v. Ringwood Board of Education D. New Jersey (USA) 15 May 2026 Lawyer Implied
Fabricated Case Law (1)
False Quotes Case Law (6)
Misrepresented Case Law (5)
Order to explain past citations
Bank of America v. Mapp M.D. North Carolina (USA) 15 May 2026 Pro Se Litigant Implied
Fabricated Case Law (1)
False Quotes Case Law (1)
Misrepresented Legal Norm (1)
Order to Show Cause
Source: Jesse Schaefer
In the Matter of Janelle Melissa Lewis, an attorney and counselor-at-law App. Div. 1st Dept (NY) (USA) 14 May 2026 Lawyer Implied
Fabricated Case Law (1)
Monetary Sanction; Bar Suspension 1500 USD
Source: Jesse Schaefer
ООО «Точка опоры» v. ООО «ЦСС» West Siberian District AC (Russian Federation) 14 May 2026 Lawyer Implied
Fabricated Case Law (4)
Misrepresented Case Law (1)
Monetary Fine 50000

The cassation complaint cited multiple judicial acts that the court could not locate or that did not contain the quoted passages; the representative admitted the cited practice did not exist. The court found this to be deliberate fabrication/misrepresentation and imposed a judicial fine of 50,000 RUB on ООО «ЦСС».

Stringer v. White Cap Supply Holdings, LLC M.D. Florida (USA) 14 May 2026 Lawyer Implied
Fabricated Exhibits or Submissions (1)
False Quotes Case Law (1)
Misrepresented other (1)
Order to Show Cause
Oscar Danilo Montealto Garcia v. Todd Lyons, et al. C.D. California (USA) 14 May 2026 Pro Se Litigant Implied
Fabricated Case Law (1)
Jones v. Department of the Army Fed. Cir. (USA) 13 May 2026 Pro Se Litigant Implied
Fabricated Case Law (3)
Warning
Source: David Timm
Jane Doe 1, et al. v. Mount Saint Mary High School Corporation W.D. Oklahoma (USA) 13 May 2026 Lawyer Unidentified
Fabricated Case Law (1)
False Quotes Case Law (1)
Misrepresented Case Law (1)
Public reprimand; Notice to client; Bar Self-Referral
Source: Jesse Schaefer
Christopher Gleason v. Julie Marcus CA Florida (2d) (USA) 13 May 2026 Pro Se Litigant Implied
Fabricated Case Law (1)
Misrepresented Case Law (1)
Warning
Source: Jesse Schaefer
Joseph Guy v. AFGE N.D. California (USA) 13 May 2026 Lawyer Claude
False Quotes Case Law (3)
Order to Explain

Counsel's subsequent explanation can be found here.

Pyle v. Glenn County Sheriff's Department E.D. California (USA) 12 May 2026 Pro Se Litigant Implied
Fabricated Exhibits or Submissions (1), other (1)
Warning
Henri Giovani Morales Jimenez v. Christopher Shanahan E.D. New York (USA) 12 May 2026 Lawyer Implied
Fabricated Case Law (1)
Outdated Advice Overturned Case Law (1)
Admonishment
Zena L. Powell v. The Borough of Bergenfield D. New Jersey (USA) 12 May 2026 Pro Se Litigant Implied
False Quotes Case Law (1)
Misrepresented Exhibits or Submissions (1)
Order to Show Cause