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 (1150 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)
Based on this database, I have developped an automated reference checker that also detects hallucinations: PelAIkan. Check the Reports
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.
| Case | Court / Jurisdiction | Date ▼ | Party Using AI | AI Tool ⓘ | Nature of Hallucination | Outcome / Sanction | Monetary Penalty | Details | Report(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Juandel Pena and Martina Ruiz v. Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. | S.D. Florida (USA) | 19 February 2026 | Pro Se Litigant | Implied |
Fabricated
Case Law
(1)
|
— | — | ||
|
Source: Jesse Schaefer
|
|||||||||
| Johnson v. Florida Department of Juvenile Justice et al | M.D. Florida (USA) | 19 February 2026 | Pro Se Litigant | Implied |
Fabricated
Case Law
(2)
|
Brief Struck | — | — | |
| In re: Marrett | D. Massachusetts (USA) | 19 February 2026 | Pro Se Litigant | Implied |
Fabricated
Case Law
(1)
Misrepresented
Case Law
(1)
|
— | — | ||
| Bixler v. Church of Scientology | CA California (USA) | 19 February 2026 | Lawyer | Unidentified |
Fabricated
Case Law
(1)
|
Order to show cause | — | — | |
| Kosel Equity v. McGregor | SC Connecticut (USA) | 19 February 2026 | Lawyer | ChatGPT |
Fabricated
Case Law
(1)
|
Allowed to refile brief | — | — | |
|
Hallucinations introduced during formatting of legal brief; counsel explained what happened here. |
|||||||||
| Fletcher v. Experian Information Solutions & Bridgecrest Credit Company | CA Fifth Circuit (USA) | 18 February 2026 | Lawyer | Unidentified |
False Quotes
Case Law
(2)
Misrepresented
Case Law
(2)
|
Monetary Sanction | 2500 | — | |
| Kendle Mardis v. Dealer Loyalty Protection, Inc., et al. | D. Ohio (USA) | 18 February 2026 | Pro Se Litigant | Implied |
Fabricated
Case Law
(1)
|
Warning | — | — | |
| EFD USA, INC., et al. v. Band Pro Film and Digital, Inc., et al. | CA California (USA) | 18 February 2026 | Lawyer | Unidentified |
Fabricated
Case Law
(6)
|
Monetary Sanction | 900 USD | — | |
|
Source: Jesse Schaefer
|
|||||||||
| Kennon v. Ashley | D. Kansas (USA) | 18 February 2026 | Lawyer | Implied |
Fabricated
Exhibits or Submissions
(3)
False Quotes
Exhibits or Submissions
(6)
|
Order to Show Cause | — | — | |
|
Plaintiff's counsel repeatedly quoted passages purportedly from defendants' depositions that the court found do not appear in the cited transcript pages; the court treated the pattern as egregious and ordered counsel to show cause under Rule 11. |
|||||||||
|
Source: Jesse Schaefer
|
|||||||||
| Shaerica L. Walder v. Experian Information Solutions | E.D. Texas (USA) | 18 February 2026 | Pro Se Litigant | Implied |
Fabricated
Case Law
(1)
|
Warning | — | — | |
| David Martin v. ODS Community Dental Insurance et al. | D. Oregon (USA) | 18 February 2026 | Pro Se Litigant | Implied |
False Quotes
Case Law
(1)
Misrepresented
Case Law
(1)
|
— | — | ||
| Matter of: Adapt Forward, LLC | GAO (USA) | 18 February 2026 | Lawyer | Implied |
Fabricated
Case Law
(3)
|
Warning | — | — | |
| N… R… c. M… S… | Québec SC (Canada) | 18 February 2026 | Pro Se Litigant | Unidentified |
Fabricated
Case Law
(1),
Exhibits or Submissions
(1)
False Quotes
Exhibits or Submissions
(1)
Misrepresented
Legal Norm
(1)
|
Warning | — | — | |
|
Source: Courtready
|
|||||||||
| Nia Elan Davis v. American Airlines, et al. | D. Arizona (USA) | 17 February 2026 | Pro Se Litigant | Implied |
Fabricated
Case Law
(1)
|
— | — | ||
| Alejandro Rios v. Puente Hills Ford | CA California (USA) | 17 February 2026 | Pro Se Litigant | Implied |
Fabricated
Case Law
(2)
False Quotes
Case Law
(1)
|
Warning | — | — | |
| HDO v MDF | CA Alberta (Canada) | 17 February 2026 | Pro Se Litigant | Implied |
Fabricated
Case Law
(1)
Misrepresented
Case Law
(1)
|
Warning | — | — | |
| CHP 1010 McDowell et al. v. James Costello Turpen | D. Colorado (Bankruptcy) (USA) | 17 February 2026 | Pro Se Litigant | Implied |
Fabricated
Case Law
(1)
|
— | — | ||
| In re: Social Media Adolescent Addiction Litigation | N.D. California (USA) | 17 February 2026 | Expert | Unidentified |
Fabricated
Doctrinal Work
(1)
Misrepresented
other
(1)
|
Court declined to exclude the expert based on the AI-generated/incorrect citations; issue reserved for cross-examination; motion to exclude denied. | — | — | |
|
Defendants contended that Dr. Brian Osborne relied on nonexistent academic articles and miscited sources generated by an AI citation tool. Plaintiffs said the errors were formatting miscites from an AI citation tool and were corrected. The Court declined to exclude Osborne's opinions on this basis, permitting defendants to explore the issue on cross-examination and barring any regurgitation of hearsay at trial. |
|||||||||
| 14095863 Canada Inc. v Abercrombie & Fitch Trading Co. | Canadian IPO (Canada) | 17 February 2026 | Pro Se Litigant | Implied |
Fabricated
Case Law
(2)
Misrepresented
Exhibits or Submissions
(1),
Legal Norm
(1)
|
— | — | ||
|
Source: Courtready
|
|||||||||
| Brightwaters Energy Limited v Eroton Exploration and Production Company Limited | High Court (UK) | 17 February 2026 | Lawyer | Unidentified |
Fabricated
Case Law
(1)
|
— | — | ||
| Deblois v. Procureur Général | Federal Court (Canada) | 16 February 2026 | Pro Se Litigant | Implied |
Fabricated
Case Law
(1)
|
— | — | ||
|
Source: Courtready
|
|||||||||
| Rinaldi v Department of Justice (Right to Information and Privacy) | Queensland CAT (Australia) | 16 February 2026 | Pro Se Litigant | Implied |
Fabricated
Case Law
(2)
|
Appeal dismissed | — | — | |
| Martha Liliana Picon-Diaz et al. v. Pamela J. Bondi | CA Tenth Circuit (USA) | 13 February 2026 | Lawyer | Implied |
Fabricated
Case Law
(1)
|
Warning | — | — | |
| Landmark Development Group, LLC v. Lonnie LuPardus | CA Kansas (USA) | 13 February 2026 | Pro Se Litigant | Implied |
Fabricated
Case Law
(3)
|
Arguments deemed waived | — | — | |
| AC739-2026 | CSJ (Colombia) | 13 February 2026 | Lawyer | Unidentified |
Fabricated
Case Law
(10)
Misrepresented
Case Law
(1),
Legal Norm
(2)
|
Temeridad declaration; monetary fine; bar referral | 1 | — | |
| In re: Telexfree Securities Litigation | D. Massachusetts (USA) | 13 February 2026 | Lawyer | Implied |
Fabricated
Case Law
(1),
Exhibits or Submissions
(1)
Misrepresented
Case Law
(2)
|
Order to Show Cause | — | — | |
| Nydia Rosario v. Liberty Mutual Personal Insurance Company | E.D. Pennsylvania (USA) | 13 February 2026 | Lawyer | Implied |
Misrepresented
Case Law
(5)
|
Obligation to share decision with firm | — | ||
|
Source: Jesse Schaefer
|
|||||||||
| Lindsey Newell v. The Law Offices of Travis R. Walker, et al. | S.D. Florida (USA) | 13 February 2026 | Lawyer | Implied |
Fabricated
Case Law
(1)
|
— | — | ||
| Merz v. City of Kalama | W.D. Washington (USA) | 13 February 2026 | Pro Se Litigant | Implied |
Fabricated
Case Law
(1)
Misrepresented
Case Law
(1)
|
— | — | ||
|
Merz corrected the Sorensen citation, saying he intended to cite Norg v. City of Seattle, 200 Wn.2d 749 (2023). The court declined to dismiss based solely on the inaccurate citation, noted the replacement authority was not closely analogous, and proceeded to dismiss the claims on the merits. |
|||||||||
| Creditors Adjustment Bureau, Inc. v. All Season Power LLC, et al. | C.D. California (USA) | 13 February 2026 | Lawyer | Unidentified |
Fabricated
Case Law
(1)
False Quotes
Case Law
(3)
|
Warning | — | — | |
|
Source: Volokh
|
|||||||||
| G2 Ops, Inc. | GAO (USA) | 13 February 2026 | Lawyer | Implied |
Fabricated
Case Law
(1)
|
Warning | — | — | |
| Andre Legarza v. Northern Star (Alaska), Inc. | D. Alaska (USA) | 12 February 2026 | Lawyer | Implied |
False Quotes
Case Law
(1)
Misrepresented
Case Law
(1)
|
— | — | ||
| City of Dickinson v. Helgeson | SC North Dakota (USA) | 12 February 2026 | Pro Se Litigant | Implied |
Fabricated
Case Law
(15)
|
500 USD | — | ||
|
Source: Jesse Schaefer
|
|||||||||
| TQJ, LLC v. Jennifer Esquivel et al. | C.D. California (USA) | 12 February 2026 | Lawyer | Implied |
Fabricated
Case Law
(4)
|
Order to Show Cause | — | ||
| Virgil v. Experian Information Solutions, et al. | S.D. Indiana (USA) | 12 February 2026 | Lawyer | Implied |
Fabricated
Case Law
(11)
Misrepresented
Case Law
(4)
|
Magistrate recommended Monetary Sanction and Bar Referral | 1 | — | |
| Seifert v. Nationstar Mortgage LLC, et al. | D. Idaho (USA) | 12 February 2026 | Pro Se Litigant | Implied |
Misrepresented
Case Law
(1)
|
— | — | ||
| Ploni v. Log-On Software Ltd. et al. | Regional Labor Court of Tel Aviv-Jaffa (Israel) | 12 February 2026 | Lawyer | Implied |
Fabricated
Case Law
(1)
|
Monetary Sanction | 2500 ILS | — | |
| CVTEK, LLC (B-423943; B-423943.2) | GAO (USA) | 12 February 2026 | Lawyer | Westlaw CoCounsel |
Fabricated
Case Law
(1)
Misrepresented
Case Law
(1)
|
Warning | — | — | |
| City of Dickinson v. Helgeson | SC North Dakota (USA) | 12 February 2026 | Pro Se Litigant | Implied |
Fabricated
Case Law
(5)
|
Monetary sanction | 500 USD | — | |
|
Source: Jesse Schaefer
|
|||||||||
| RYJZ and Commissioner of Taxation (Taxation) | ART Australia (Australia) | 12 February 2026 | Pro Se Litigant | Implied |
Fabricated
Case Law
(2)
|
— | — | ||
| Jones v. Family Court at Whangarei | Supreme Court (New Zealand) | 11 February 2026 | Pro Se Litigant | Implied |
Fabricated
Case Law
(1)
Misrepresented
Case Law
(2)
|
Warning | — | — | |
| Flora Chumpitaz-Morales v. Pamela J. Bondi | CA Tenth Circuit (USA) | 11 February 2026 | Pro Se Litigant | Implied |
Misrepresented
Case Law
(2)
|
Warning | — | — | |
| Keith Powell v. Employment Dep. & First Congregational Church of Portland | CA Oregon (USA) | 11 February 2026 | Pro Se Litigant | Unidentified |
Fabricated
Case Law
(1)
False Quotes
Case Law
(1)
Misrepresented
Case Law
(1)
|
Monetary Sanction | 500 USD | — | |
|
Source: Jesse Schaefer
|
|||||||||
| Thomas Carl Dodds, Jr. v. Carrie Bridges | CA Tenth Circuit (USA) | 11 February 2026 | Pro Se Litigant | ChatGPT |
Fabricated
Case Law
(2)
False Quotes
Case Law
(1)
|
Warning | — | — | |
| Alamleh c. R. | SC Quebec (Canada) | 11 February 2026 | Pro Se Litigant | Unidentified |
Fabricated
Case Law
(2),
Legal Norm
(1)
Misrepresented
Exhibits or Submissions
(1)
|
— | — | ||
| Tabitha Alberti v. District of Columbia | D. DC (USA) | 10 February 2026 | Lawyer | Unidentified |
Fabricated
Case Law
(1)
|
— | — | ||
| Labonte v. Bokf, et al. | D. Colorado (USA) | 10 February 2026 | Pro Se Litigant | Implied |
False Quotes
Case Law
(1)
Misrepresented
Case Law
(2)
|
Warning | — | — | |
| United States v. Clint Travis Rodgers | W.D. Missouri (Central Division) (USA) | 10 February 2026 | Lawyer | Implied |
Misrepresented
Case Law
(4)
|
Admonishment | — | — | |
| Morcos v Bayside Council | IRC New South Wales (Australia) | 10 February 2026 | Pro Se Litigant | Implied |
Fabricated
Case Law
(2)
|
— | — | ||
| Caso No. 0000140/2025-00 | TSJ Gran Canaria (Spain) (Spain) | 10 February 2026 | Lawyer | Unidentified |
Fabricated
Case Law
(1),
Legal Norm
(1),
other
(1)
False Quotes
Case Law
(2)
Misrepresented
Case Law
(1)
|
Monetary Sanction; Bar Referral | 420 EUR | — | |