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 (831 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: 1 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)
Curry v. Capital One Auto Finance E.D. North Carolina (USA) 26 March 2026 Pro Se Litigant Implied
Fabricated Case Law (1), Legal Norm (1)
Leave to amend denied

The court found the plaintiff's proposed amended complaints included fabricated legal authorities — including fictitious provisions of a purported North Carolina Identity Theft Protection Act and other fabricated citations — and concluded the filings were likely drafted with AI. The court denied leave to amend as futile and constituted bad faith due to the fabricated citations, and granted defendant's motion to dismiss.

Dixon v. MultiCare Health System W.D. Washington (USA) 26 March 2026 Pro Se Litigant Implied
Fabricated Case Law (2)
Misrepresented Case Law (2)
Warning
Baker v. Rastelli Foods LLC D. New Jersey (USA) 26 March 2026 Pro Se Litigant Implied
Fabricated Case Law (1)
False Quotes Case Law (1)
Order to provide PDF copies of cited case; Order to Show Cause
Guerin v. O'Doherty Court of Appeal (Ireland) (Ireland) 26 March 2026 Pro Se Litigant Unidentified
Fabricated Case Law (2)
Warning
Elilton Alves Gouveia v. Meridian Financial Investments CA Florida (4th) (USA) 25 March 2026 Pro Se Litigant Implied
Fabricated Case Law (1)
Misrepresented Case Law (4)
Warning (and a limerick)

The limerick in question:


"There once was a litigant pro se,

Who let an AI lead the way.

It briefed every claim,

Cited cases—by name,

That vanished by morning’s next day."

Hong Chris Lu v. Capital One, N.A., et al. N.D. Ohio (USA) 25 March 2026 Pro Se Litigant Implied
Fabricated Case Law (2)
Factor in dismissing the case with prejudice
Fecteau v. Safety National Casualty Corporation S.D. New York (USA) 25 March 2026 Pro Se Litigant Implied
Fabricated Legal Norm (1)
False Quotes Case Law (1)
Source: Jesse Schaefer
Michael A. DeVita v. Midtown Motors, et al. M.D. Alabama (USA) 25 March 2026 Pro Se Litigant Implied
Fabricated Case Law (3)
Case dismissed without prejudice
Jared Ashcraft v. First-Citizens Bank and Trust Company, et al. C.D. California (USA) 25 March 2026 Pro Se Litigant Implied
Fabricated Case Law (1)
Warning
Source: Jesse Schaefer
Kevin Lee Biglow v. Dell Technologies Inc. CA Tenth Circuit (USA) 24 March 2026 Pro Se Litigant Implied
Fabricated Case Law (5)
False Quotes Case Law (1)
Warning
Jorge A. Zea v. National Association of REALTORS S.D. Florida (USA) 24 March 2026 Pro Se Litigant Unidentified
False Quotes Case Law (1)
Misrepresented Case Law (1), Doctrinal Work (1)
Warning
Source: Jesse Schaefer
Iyer v Nazir CA Alberta (Canada) 23 March 2026 Pro Se Litigant Implied
Fabricated Case Law (1)
Misrepresented Case Law (1)
Warning
Stafford v. Andrew Taffet, et al. D. Oregon (USA) 23 March 2026 Pro Se Litigant Implied
Fabricated Case Law (5)
Source: Jesse Schaefer
Gregory Hardy v. K. Jones, et al. E.D. Michigan (USA) 23 March 2026 Pro Se Litigant Unidentified
False Quotes Case Law (2)
Warning
Source: Jesse Schaefer
Singh v. Director of the Residential Tenancy Branch SC British Columbia (Canada) 23 March 2026 Pro Se Litigant Implied
Misrepresented Case Law (1)
Source: Courtready
Endure Industries, Inc. v. Defense Health Agency ASBCA (USA) 23 March 2026 Pro Se Litigant Unidentified
Fabricated Case Law (1)
Misrepresented Case Law (4)
Warning
Source: David Timm
Hessert v. Hessert & Wieland-Pulayya CA Florida (6th) (USA) 20 March 2026 Pro Se Litigant Implied
Fabricated Case Law (1)
Misrepresented Case Law (1)
Order to show Cause
Pamela Blair v. Sanctuary Bluff Homeowners Association, Inc., et al. CA Kentucky (USA) 20 March 2026 Pro Se Litigant Unidentified
Fabricated Case Law (1)
Misrepresented Case Law (1)
Brief struck
Oscar Brownfield v. Cherokee County School District No. 35 E.D. Oklahoma (USA) 19 March 2026 Pro Se Litigant Unidentified
Fabricated Case Law (1)
Misrepresented Case Law (1)
500 USD
Source: Jesse Schaefer
Jana James v. National Board of Osteopathic Examiners, Inc. S.D. Indiana (USA) 19 March 2026 Pro Se Litigant Implied
Fabricated Case Law (1)
Misrepresented Case Law (2)
Anna Sheerer v. Thomas Panas CA California (d1) (USA) 19 March 2026 Pro Se Litigant Unidentified
Fabricated Case Law (2), Exhibits or Submissions (1)
False Quotes Case Law (1)
Warning
Source: Jesse Schaefer
Keirton Inc. v. Mersad Rahmanovic D. Colorado (Bankruptcy) (USA) 19 March 2026 Pro Se Litigant Implied
False Quotes Case Law (1)
Warning
Salah v. Peel Condominium Corporation ONCAT (Canada) 19 March 2026 Pro Se Litigant Implied
Fabricated Case Law (1)
Misrepresented Case Law (1)
Warning
Source: Courtready
Jenson & Lockridge (No 2) Federal Circuit and Family Court (Australia) 19 March 2026 Pro Se Litigant Unidentified
Misrepresented Doctrinal Work (1), Exhibits or Submissions (1), other (1)
Adverse Costs Order; Appeal dismissed 1540 AUD
Kelly Bartholomew v. Clackamas County LUBA (Oregon) (USA) 19 March 2026 Pro Se Litigant Implied
Fabricated Case Law (2)
Misrepresented Case Law (1)
Petition struck
Davos Francois v. Vive Financial CA Florida (4th) (USA) 18 March 2026 Pro Se Litigant Implied
Fabricated Case Law (1)
Warning
Gregory Richmond and Lynne Richmond v. City of Newport, Washington CA Washington (d3) (USA) 17 March 2026 Pro Se Litigant Implied
Fabricated Case Law (3)
False Quotes Case Law (2)
Misrepresented Case Law (1)
Michael Wayne Singletary v. SWBC Mortgage Corporation et al. CA Fifth Circuit (USA) 17 March 2026 Pro Se Litigant Implied
Fabricated Case Law (1)
Zesiger v. Kansas et al. D. Kansas (USA) 17 March 2026 Pro Se Litigant Implied
Fabricated Case Law (1)
Misrepresented Case Law (1)
Warning
Shaquan Pridgen v. Amazon.com Services LLC D. New Jersey (USA) 16 March 2026 Pro Se Litigant Implied
Fabricated Case Law (1)
Warning
Esterra Commons Venture, LLC dba Verde Esterra Park v. Justin Norton CA Washington (d1) (USA) 16 March 2026 Pro Se Litigant Implied
Fabricated Case Law (2), Legal Norm (2)
Warning
Domingo Beato-Estrella v. M. Arviza M.D. Pennsylvania (USA) 16 March 2026 Pro Se Litigant Implied
Fabricated Case Law (3)
Misrepresented Case Law (1)
Warning
Juerg von Geitz v. Kieran Kelly & Ors CA Ireland (Ireland) 16 March 2026 Pro Se Litigant Implied
Fabricated Case Law (1)
Misrepresented Case Law (1)
Meriland Keith Dillard v. CBS Studios, Inc. C.D. California (USA) 16 March 2026 Pro Se Litigant Implied
Fabricated Case Law (2), Exhibits or Submissions (1)
Factor in dismissing with prejudice
GSA v. Department of Communities SC Western Australia (Australia) 16 March 2026 Pro Se Litigant Unidentified
False Quotes Legal Norm (1)
Re Reza Khoshnik Ontario SCJ (Bankruptcy) (Canada) 16 March 2026 Pro Se Litigant Unidentified
Misrepresented Case Law (3)
Adverse Costs Order 1 CAD
A.C. Appellant v. H.D. AND J.C. SC Pennsylvania (USA) 13 March 2026 Pro Se Litigant Implied
Fabricated Case Law (1)
Misrepresented Case Law (2)
Albert Taylor v. Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, et al. D. Nevada (USA) 13 March 2026 Pro Se Litigant Implied
Fabricated Case Law (1)
Warning
Suiter v. GM - General Motors, LLC W.D. Virginia (USA) 12 March 2026 Pro Se Litigant Implied
Fabricated Case Law (1)
False Quotes Case Law (1)
Misrepresented Case Law (1)
Warning
Hartmann v. Davidson N.D. Texas (USA) 12 March 2026 Pro Se Litigant Unidentified
Fabricated Case Law (1)
Source: Jesse Schaefer
Law Society of Alberta v. Tiwana Law Society of Alberta Appeal Panel (Canada) 12 March 2026 Pro Se Litigant Unidentified
Fabricated Case Law (1)
Misrepresented Case Law (1)
AI misuse as aggravating factor for awarding costs 1 CAD
Source: Courtready
Donte McClellon v. E. Rickard, Warden of FCI Otisville, et al. S.D. New York (USA) 11 March 2026 Pro Se Litigant Implied
Fabricated Case Law (1)
False Quotes Case Law (1)
Warning
Samantha Roussell v. The Bank of New York Mellon CA Florida (USA) 11 March 2026 Pro Se Litigant Implied
Fabricated Case Law (1)
Misrepresented Case Law (1)
Warning
Source: Jesse Schaefer
Kateryna Maslovska v. Ekaterina Shigabetdinova AC Illinois (USA) 11 March 2026 Pro Se Litigant Implied
Fabricated Case Law (1)
Misrepresented Case Law (1)
Warning (both parties)

Appellate court found briefs from the parties contained six AI-style citations (four from defendant, two from plaintiff) that either did not exist or did not support the propositions for which they were cited. The court cautioned compliance with the Illinois Supreme Court Policy on AI but imposed no sanctions and affirmed the judgment due to an inadequate record on appeal.

Source: Jesse Schaefer
Traver v. General Motors Financial Company Inc., et al. D. Massachusetts (USA) 11 March 2026 Pro Se Litigant Implied
Fabricated Case Law (3)
Warning
Krivaia v. Hungerford SC British Columbia (Canada) 11 March 2026 Pro Se Litigant Implied
Fabricated Case Law (1)
No strike for abuse of process
Source: Courtready
Hunter v. TForce Freight Incorporated D. Arizona (USA) 10 March 2026 Pro Se Litigant Implied Warning
In re A.R. and N.R., Minors AC Illinois (USA) 10 March 2026 Pro Se Litigant Implied
Fabricated Case Law (1)
Warning
Source: Jesse Schaefer
Tina Rose v. City of West Frankfort et al. S.D. Illinois (USA) 10 March 2026 Pro Se Litigant ChatGPT Warning
Helen Allen v. Cass Casper and Disparti Law Group N.D. Illinois (USA) 10 March 2026 Pro Se Litigant Implied
Fabricated Case Law (2)
Monetary Sanction 1500 USD