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 (956 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 developped 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.

Click to Download CSV
Last updated: 5 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)
Braun v. Day N.D. Illinois (USA) 30 April 2026 Lawyer Implied
Fabricated Case Law (3)
Show Cause Order
Report
Plaintiff's Motion to Compel
Sana Hazina Butler v. Fidelity Management & Research Company LLC S.D. New York (USA) 30 April 2026 Pro Se Litigant Implied
Fabricated Case Law (1)
False Quotes Case Law (3)
Misrepresented Case Law (2)
Warning
Source: Jesse Schaefer
Mercy Wellington v. City of New York S.D. New York (USA) 30 April 2026 Pro Se Litigant Implied
Fabricated Case Law (1)
Warning
Faisal Rahman v. Michael J. Burton, et al. N.D. Illinois (USA) 30 April 2026 Pro Se Litigant Implied
Fabricated Case Law (2)
Warning
Jamal Berry v. Early Warning Services E.D. Pennsylvania (USA) 30 April 2026 Pro Se Litigant Implied
Fabricated Case Law (1)
False Quotes Case Law (1)
Misrepresented Case Law (1)
Warning
Source: Jesse Schaefer
Darrin L. Johnson, Jr. v. Nationstar Mortgage, LLC, et al. D. Maryland (USA) 30 April 2026 Pro Se Litigant Implied
Fabricated Case Law (1)
Order to Show Cause
Fadi El Bitar v. Julio Hernandez W.D. Washington (USA) 30 April 2026 Lawyer Implied
False Quotes Case Law (2)
Order to Show Cause
Burnside v. Verdick, et al. S.D. Iowa (USA) 30 April 2026 Pro Se Litigant Implied
Fabricated Case Law (6)
Order to Show Cause
Source: Jesse Schaefer
Superb Motors Inc. et al. v. Anthony Deo et al. E.D. New York (USA) 30 April 2026 Lawyer Implied
Fabricated Case Law (2)
Monetary Sanction 1500 USD
Report
Defendant's Memorandum of Law

In his Response to the Order to Show Cause (available here), Counsel blamed the incident on virus and malwares allegedly impacting his computer.

Source: Jesse Schaefer
Sai Malena Jimenez-Fogarty v. Thomas Fogarty et al. S.D. New York (USA) 29 April 2026 Lawyer LexisNexis
Fabricated Case Law (7)
Monetary Sanction; Order to Notice Client 2500 USD
Report
Plaintiff's First Opp.
Report
Plaintiff's Second Opp.
Source: Robert Freund
Nisland Asset Investment, LLC v. Carissa Ann Gericke CA Iowa (USA) 29 April 2026 Pro Se Litigant Implied
Fabricated Case Law (2)
Misrepresented Case Law (1)
Issues deemed waived for failure to provide valid supporting authority
Bathsheba Nichole Adams v. Kiewit Infrastructure West Company, et al. D. Arizona (USA) 29 April 2026 Pro Se Litigant Implied
Fabricated Case Law (2)
Motion Struck; Warning
In re W.B. CA California (5d) (USA) 29 April 2026 Pro Se Litigant Implied Warning
In the Matter of Ikechukwu H. Okorie CA 5th Cir. (USA) 29 April 2026 Pro Se Litigant Implied
Fabricated Case Law (1)
Misrepresented Case Law (1)
Justin Spiehs v. Erik Smith D. Kansas (USA) 29 April 2026 Lawyer Implied
False Quotes Case Law (1)
Warning
Source: Jesse Schaefer
Amparo Trejo v. Miguel Angel Amaya Hernandez CA Maryland (USA) 29 April 2026 Lawyer Implied
Fabricated Case Law (3)
Brief Partly Struck
Anthony C. Hill v. Workday, Inc. (2) N.D. California (USA) 28 April 2026 Lawyer CoCounsel
Fabricated Case Law (1)
Misrepresented Case Law (1)
Admonishment; Monetary Fine; 4 hours live CLE; Order Circulation 1001 USD
Brandon Rulund Akins v. Tashi Latwon Ratliff, et al. M.D. North Carolina (USA) 28 April 2026 Pro Se Litigant Implied
Fabricated Case Law (9)
Warning
Tekoma Chaney v. Transdev Services Inc. et al. C.D. California (USA) 28 April 2026 Lawyer LexisNexis+ (Protégé)
Fabricated Case Law (3)
Monetary Sanction; Reporting to other courts 2500 USD
Pate v. CMG Mortgage, Inc., et al. E.D. Tennessee (USA) 28 April 2026 Pro Se Litigant Implied
Fabricated Case Law (2)
Warning
Richard Paul Smith v. Verra Mobility Corporation et al. M.D. Florida (USA) 28 April 2026 Lawyer Implied
Fabricated Case Law (3)
Misrepresented Case Law (1)
Order to Show Cause
Tunstall v. Alabama Department of Corrections N.D. Alabama (USA) 28 April 2026 Lawyer Implied
False Quotes Case Law (1)
Admonishment
Source: Jesse Schaefer
Louis L. Ligon III v. Meta Platforms, Inc. N.D. California (USA) 28 April 2026 Pro Se Litigant Implied
Misrepresented Case Law (1)
Warning
Ali Behroz Aziz, et al. v. United States of America, et al. D. Maryland (USA) 27 April 2026 Pro Se Litigant Implied
Fabricated Case Law (1)
Page Limits and Warning
Gregoire v. Board of Trustees of San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District N.D. California (USA) 27 April 2026 Lawyer Implied
Fabricated Case Law (1)
Order to Correct and Explain
Moore v. Wireless CCTV LLC S.D. Texas (USA) 27 April 2026 Pro Se Litigant Implied
Fabricated Case Law (2)
Warning
Marble v. O'Malley M.D. Pennsylvania (USA) 27 April 2026 Pro Se Litigant Unidentified
Fabricated Case Law (1), Doctrinal Work (1), Exhibits or Submissions (1)
Admonishment
Source: Jesse Schaefer
Rhonda L. H.-B. v. Commissioner of Social Security S.D. New York (USA) 27 April 2026 Pro Se Litigant Implied
Fabricated Exhibits or Submissions (2)
Warning; Refiling Allowed
Source: Jesse Schaefer
Laurie Ibach and Mark Stewart v. Bruce Stewart SC Alabama (USA) 24 April 2026 Lawyer Unidentified
Fabricated Case Law (5)
False Quotes Case Law (3)
Adverse Costs Order; Doubled Costs; Filing Prohibition; Bar Referral 17200 USD
Source: Robert Freund
Ryan-Michael Jarvis v. County of Teton Wyoming 10th Cir. CA (USA) 24 April 2026 Pro Se Litigant Implied
False Quotes Case Law (1)
Misrepresented Case Law (1)
Warning
United States v. Jose Marquez CA 5th Cir. (USA) 24 April 2026 Pro Se Litigant Implied
Fabricated Case Law (1)
False Quotes Case Law (1)
Misrepresented Case Law (1)
Warning
Source: Jesse Schaefer
Joann Crawford v. Buffalo Creek Properties, LLC CA Texas (USA) 23 April 2026 Pro Se Litigant Implied
Fabricated Case Law (2), Doctrinal Work (1)
Philip D. Dennison v. June Caudill et al. S.D. Indiana (USA) 23 April 2026 Pro Se Litigant Implied
Fabricated Case Law (1)
Warning
IN RE PAULA M. MILLER, Relator AC Texas (USA) 23 April 2026 Lawyer Implied Warning

Concurring opinion noted the mandamus petition contained attributions and quotations to caselaw that strongly appear to be AI-fabricated hallucinations; court emphasized counsel must verify AI research and warned of potential corrective measures (striking briefs, reporting to State Bar).

Fatima Meziane v. Abdelouahab Aitouche CA Maryland (USA) 23 April 2026 Pro Se Litigant Implied
Fabricated Case Law (2)
Gunter v. Contango ORE, Inc., et al. D. Alaska (USA) 23 April 2026 Pro Se Litigant Implied
Fabricated Exhibits or Submissions (1), Legal Norm (1)
Misrepresented Case Law (3)
Admonishment
Source: Jesse Schaefer
O.K., LLC v. Melka CA California (2d) (USA) 23 April 2026 Pro Se Litigant Implied
Fabricated Case Law (1)
Misrepresented Case Law (1)
Meyer v. Castroville State Bank CA Texas (4th Dist.) (USA) 22 April 2026 Pro Se Litigant Implied
Fabricated Case Law (2)
Alishia Monique Jones v. Ahmed Taylor, et al. E.D. Michigan (USA) 22 April 2026 Pro Se Litigant Implied
Fabricated Case Law (2)
Warning
Report
Plaintiff's Answer to OSC
Krista C. Geddes v. LoanCare, LLC, et al. E.D. California (USA) 22 April 2026 Lawyer Implied
False Quotes Case Law (2)
Monetary Sanction; Bar Referral 1000 USD
Carol L. Williams v. Tracy Honl CA Oregon (USA) 22 April 2026 Lawyer Unidentified
Fabricated Case Law (1)
False Quotes Case Law (1)
Misrepresented Case Law (3)
Brief Struck; Adverse Costs Order 8044 USD
Primerica Life Insurance Company v. Daniel Vett Finlayson; Michelle Johnson D. Utah (USA) 22 April 2026 Lawyer Implied
Fabricated Case Law (1)
False Quotes Case Law (1)
Warning
Source: Jesse Schaefer
In re the Marriage of Joanne Rodrigues and Nathan Craig CA California (6d) (USA) 22 April 2026 Pro Se Litigant Implied
Fabricated Case Law (9)
Daniel D’Agostino v. Circle K Stores Incorporated, et al. D. Arizona (USA) 22 April 2026 Pro Se Litigant Implied
Fabricated Case Law (1)
Source: Jesse Schaefer
Yanling Zhang v. Yanhui Zhang SC Nevada (USA) 22 April 2026 Lawyer Implied
Fabricated Case Law (2)
Misrepresented Case Law (2)
Monetary Fine; Bar Referral; Refusal to file corrected brief 250 USD

Order to Show Cause is here.

In re: María V. Irizarry Centeno; Anissa M. Bonilla Irizarry TS Puerto Rico (USA) 21 April 2026 Lawyer Implied
Fabricated Case Law (6)
Admonishment 1000 USD
Bunce v. Visual Technology Innovations (2) E.D. Pennsylvania (USA) 20 April 2026 Lawyer Unidentified
Fabricated Case Law (1)
Misrepresented Case Law (1)
Monetary Sanction, Additional CLE 5000 USD
Report
Motion for sanctions
Source: Volokh
Arthur West v. Lower Duwamish Waterway Group CA Washington (USA) 20 April 2026 Pro Se Litigant Implied
Fabricated Case Law (1)
False Quotes Case Law (1)
Admonishment
Source: Jesse Schaefer
In re Prince Global Holdings Limited, et al. S.D. New York (Bankruptcy) (USA) 18 April 2026 Lawyer Unidentified
Fabricated Case Law (2)
False Quotes Case Law (1)
Misrepresented Case Law (1)
Firm apologised

Sullivan & Cromwell acknowledged that its April 9, 2026 Motion contained AI-generated inaccuracies including fabricated and misquoted case citations. The firm apologized, identified and corrected the errors in Schedule A, undertook remedial measures, and filed corrected papers. The issue was brought to the firm's attention by opposing counsel (Boies Schiller Flexner).

Robert Harris v. Elementis Specialties, Inc. C.D. California (USA) 17 April 2026 Lawyer Unidentified
Fabricated Case Law (1)
Misrepresented Case Law (1)
Warning