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 (884 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)
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 
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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | — | — | |
| 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 | — | — | |
| 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. |
|||||||||
| 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 | — | — | |
| 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 | — |
Defendant's Brief
|
|
|
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 | — |
Plaintiff's Reply
|
|
| 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)
|
— | — | ||
| 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
|
|||||||||
| 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 | — | — | |
| 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 | — | — | |
| Matter of Zareh | SC New York (USA) | 10 February 2026 | Lawyer | ChatGPT |
Fabricated
Case Law
(1)
Misrepresented
Case Law
(1)
|
Respondent publicly censured | — | — | |
|
Respondent filed an opposition brief in federal litigation containing numerous citation errors and misstatements of law. The District Court found the brief AI-generated, noting ChatGPT described at least one cited case in the same erroneous manner, and admonished counsel; this Court imposed reciprocal discipline in the form of a public censure for failure to supervise and for filing an unreviewed AI-drafted brief. |
|||||||||
| Valve Corporation v. Rothschild et al. | W.D. Washington (USA) | 9 February 2026 | Lawyer | Implied |
Fabricated
Case Law
(3)
False Quotes
Case Law
(6)
Misrepresented
Case Law
(2)
Outdated Advice
Overturned Case Law
(1)
|
Order to show cause | — |
Defendant's Daubert Motion
|
|
|
When warned about the issue, cousel apologised in an open letter to the Court. Later on, the Court issued a Show Cause Order (see here). |
|||||||||
| Peter L. Clinco v. Commissioner | US Tax Court (USA) | 9 February 2026 | Lawyer | Implied |
Fabricated
Case Law
(2)
Misrepresented
Case Law
(1)
|
Admonishment | — | — | |
| [Plaintiff] v. Webb Chevrolet, Inc., et al. | CA Illinois (USA) | 9 February 2026 | Pro Se Litigant | Implied |
Fabricated
Case Law
(5)
False Quotes
Case Law
(5)
|
Order to show cause | — | — | |
| Kusmin L. Amarsingh v. Frontier Airlines, Inc. | CA Tenth Circuit (USA) | 9 February 2026 | Lawyer | ChatGPT |
Fabricated
Case Law
(2)
False Quotes
Case Law
(3)
|
Monetary Sanction; Bar Referral | 1000 USD | — | |
|
Source: David Timm
|
|||||||||
| Daniel James Cummins v. Moises Becerra | E.D. California (USA) | 9 February 2026 | Lawyer | Implied |
Fabricated
Case Law
(5)
|
Order to Show Cause | — | — | |
| Bettis v. Gaston | N.D. Illinois (USA) | 9 February 2026 | Pro Se Litigant | Implied |
Fabricated
Case Law
(1)
False Quotes
Case Law
(1)
Misrepresented
Case Law
(1)
|
Warning | — | — | |
|
Source: Jesse Schaefer
|
|||||||||
| Nelson L. Bruce v. The United States | D. South Carolina (USA) | 9 February 2026 | Pro Se Litigant | Implied |
Fabricated
Case Law
(1)
Misrepresented
Legal Norm
(1)
|
Warning | — | — | |
| Ave. Capital Group, LLC v. Strum | SC New York (USA) | 9 February 2026 | Lawyer | Implied |
Fabricated
Case Law
(2)
|
Order to Show Cause | — | — | |
| State v. Garrett | CC Wisconsin (USA) | 6 February 2026 | Prosecutor | Implied |
Fabricated
Case Law
(1)
|
Case dismissed without prejudice | — | — | |
|
From the docket record: "Court sanctions DA Solis by striking the State's Response for failure to disclose AI, using hallucinated and false citations and for admitting failure to disclose AI. Court grants Motion to Dismiss for defective bind-over, in its entirety, without prejudice. " |
|||||||||
| David Angel Sifuentes, III v. Capital One | CA, Tenth Circuit (USA) | 6 February 2026 | Pro Se Litigant | Implied |
Fabricated
Case Law
(1)
False Quotes
Case Law
(1)
Misrepresented
Case Law
(1)
|
— | — | ||
| Mutugu v. Kiaraho | CA Indiana (USA) | 6 February 2026 | Pro Se Litigant | Implied |
Fabricated
Case Law
(2)
Misrepresented
Case Law
(1),
Exhibits or Submissions
(1)
|
— | — | ||
| Nonnie Berg v. United Airlines, Inc. (3) | D. Colorado (USA) | 6 February 2026 | Pro Se Litigant | Unidentified |
Fabricated
Case Law
(2)
Misrepresented
Case Law
(1)
|
Filing restriction | — | — | |
|
Source: Jesse Schaefer
|
|||||||||
| Ravi Kadiyala v. Shellpoint Mortgage Servicing et al. | N.D. Illinois (USA) | 6 February 2026 | Pro Se Litigant | Implied |
Fabricated
Case Law
(1)
|
Warning | — | — | |
| Raul Gonzales Davila v. Roblen | United States District Court, D. Connecticut (USA) | 6 February 2026 | Lawyer | Unidentified |
Fabricated
Case Law
(1)
False Quotes
Case Law
(1)
|
CLE | — | — | |
| Arkansas DHS v. April Ward and Minor Child Respondents | SC Arkansas (USA) | 5 February 2026 | Lawyer | Copilot |
Fabricated
Case Law
(1)
False Quotes
Case Law
(1)
Outdated Advice
Repealed Law
(1)
|
Report to Office of Professional Conduct and Counsel dismissal | — | — | |
|
Order to Show Cause is here. |
|||||||||
|
Source: Robert Freund
|
|||||||||
| Woodward Harbor L.L.C., et al. v. City of Mandeville | E.D. Louisiana (USA) | 5 February 2026 | Lawyer | Implied |
Fabricated
Case Law
(1)
False Quotes
Case Law
(1)
Misrepresented
Case Law
(1)
|
Monetary Sanction; CLE | 1000 USD | — | |
|
Show Cause Order is here. |
|||||||||
| Flycatcher v. Affable Avenue | S.D. New York (USA) | 5 February 2026 | Lawyer | NotebookLM; vLex; Paxton AI |
Fabricated
Case Law
(2)
False Quotes
Case Law
(1)
Misrepresented
Case Law
(1)
|
Brief Struck; Default Judgment | — |
Memorandum of Law
|
|
|
Counsel Steven A. Feldman repeatedly filed submissions containing AI-generated nonexistent case citations and misattributed quotations. Opposing counsel flagged numerous errors; the Court found fabricated citations and false quotes, concluded counsel acted in bad faith or with conscious avoidance, struck the filings, and entered default judgment against counsel's client Affable Avenue LLC. The Court permitted opposing counsel to apply for attorneys' fees. |
|||||||||
| In re: Snowflake, Inc., Data Security Breach Litigation | J.P.M.L. (USA) | 5 February 2026 | Pro Se Litigant | Implied |
Fabricated
Case Law
(2)
False Quotes
Case Law
(5)
|
Warning | — | — | |
| Mitchell Taylor Button & Dusty Button v. Sigrid McCawley | S.D. Florida (USA) | 4 February 2026 | Pro Se Litigant | Implied |
Fabricated
Case Law
(4)
False Quotes
Case Law
(3)
Misrepresented
Exhibits or Submissions
(1)
|
Show Cause Order; Order to certify review of citations | — | — | |
| Offen Petroleum v. L&J Express | D. Arizona (USA) | 4 February 2026 | Lawyer | Implied |
Fabricated
Case Law
(1)
False Quotes
Case Law
(1)
Misrepresented
Case Law
(1)
|
Warning | — | — | |
| In re the Matter of: Abius Rosas Carreon | CA Arizona (USA) | 4 February 2026 | Lawyer | Implied |
Fabricated
Case Law
(1)
False Quotes
Case Law
(1)
Misrepresented
Case Law
(1)
|
Warning | — | — | |
| Ericka Holmes v. The University of Texas at Austin | W.D. Texas (USA) | 4 February 2026 | Lawyer | Implied |
Fabricated
Case Law
(1)
Misrepresented
Case Law
(2),
Exhibits or Submissions
(1)
|
Show Cause Order | — | — | |