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 (1313 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.

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)
White v. The Owners, Strata Plan BCS3946 BC CRT (Canada) 27 February 2026 Pro Se Litigant Implied
Fabricated Legal Norm (1)
Misrepresented Case Law (1)
Source: Steve Finlay
Joseph Maldonado v. Professional Animal Retirement Center N.D. Indiana (USA) 27 February 2026 Lawyer Implied
Misrepresented Case Law (6)
Monetary Sanction; Bar Referral 1500 USD

Order to show cause is here.

Source: Jesse Schaefer
No. 25BX02906 CAA Bordeaux (France) 26 February 2026 Lawyer Implied
Fabricated Case Law (2)
Misrepresented Case Law (4)
Hicks v. City of Albany CA Georgia (USA) 26 February 2026 Lawyer Unidentified
Fabricated Case Law (2)
Warning
Perry v. Exeter Finance LLC D. Arizona (USA) 26 February 2026 Pro Se Litigant Implied
Fabricated Case Law (2)
False Quotes Case Law (1)
Warning
United States v. Robert Ponce, Jr. D. Nevada (USA) 26 February 2026 Pro Se Litigant Implied
Fabricated Case Law (1)
Warning
Source: Jesse Schaefer
Volker v. Nygaard SC North Dakota (USA) 26 February 2026 Pro Se Litigant Implied
Fabricated Case Law (1)
Case dismissed with prejudice

The district court found Volker repeatedly submitted fictitious, AI-generated case citations and dismissed his action with prejudice as a Rule 11 sanction. The Supreme Court dismissed Volker's appeal as untimely, leaving the sanction and judgment in place.

Samuel K. v. Winsley Focia CA California (USA) 26 February 2026 Pro Se Litigant Implied
Fabricated Case Law (1), other (1)
Misrepresented Case Law (1)
Appeal dismissed; appellant to bear her own costs on appeal.
Estate of Khallid Muhammad et al v. Tupac Shakur Estate et al C.D. California (USA) 26 February 2026 Lawyer Implied
Fabricated Case Law (1)
Misrepresented Case Law (1)
Order to Show Cause
Report
Brief
David Thomas v. The Quikrete Companies, LLC W.D. Texas (USA) 26 February 2026 Lawyer Implied
Fabricated Case Law (1)
False Quotes Case Law (1)
Source: Jesse Schaefer
n° 25BX02906 (M. B. c. Préfet de la Vienne) CAA Bordeaux (France) 26 February 2026 Lawyer Implied
Fabricated Case Law (2)
Kettering Adventist Healthcare v. Sandra Collier, et al. S.D. Ohio (USA) 25 February 2026 Lawyer Implied
Fabricated Case Law (4)
False Quotes Case Law (1)
Misrepresented Case Law (4)
Contempt Finding; Brief Struck; Monetary Sanction 7500 USD
Report
Defendant's Motion to Dismiss

OSC is here.

Source: Robert Freund
Christina Leas Dunn v. Nelnet W.D. Arkansas (USA) 25 February 2026 Pro Se Litigant Implied
Fabricated Case Law (1)
Roosevelt Hunt, Jr. v. True Sky Federal Credit Union D. Kansas (USA) 25 February 2026 Pro Se Litigant Implied
Fabricated Case Law (1)
Warning
Source: Jesse Schaefer
In re termination of parental rights (HK) CA Arizona (USA) 25 February 2026 Lawyer Implied
Fabricated Legal Norm (2)
False Quotes Case Law (2)
Bar Referral
Straub v. Henderson DCA Florida (USA) 25 February 2026 Pro Se Litigant Implied Affirmed.
Anthony Jama Hall v. Superior Court of Sacramento County CA California (USA) 25 February 2026 Pro Se Litigant Implied
Fabricated Case Law (1), Legal Norm (1), other (1)
Warning
Moses v. State CATennessee (USA) 25 February 2026 Pro Se Litigant Implied
Fabricated Case Law (1)

The court observed that Moses' brief contained several citation errors and at least one fictitious case. The court stated it would disregard any legal authorities it could not verify as authentic and proceeded to decide the appeal on the merits, ultimately affirming the Claims Commission's dismissal.

Chapter Kris Jackson v. BOK Financial Corporation et al. (3) N.D. Oklahoma (USA) 24 February 2026 Pro Se Litigant Implied
Fabricated Case Law (1)
False Quotes Case Law (1)
Misrepresented Case Law (1)
Struck filings; Monetary sanction 405 USD
Juan Villalovos-Gutierrez, et al. v. Gerard Van de Pol, et al. (2) E.D. California (USA) 24 February 2026 Lawyer Implied
Fabricated Case Law (2)
Order to Show Cause
Source: Jesse Schaefer
Louis J. Blazy v. Department of State CBCA (USA) 24 February 2026 Pro Se Litigant Implied
Fabricated Case Law (1)
False Quotes Exhibits or Submissions (1)
Misrepresented Case Law (1)
Formal admonishment
Wells Fargo Bank v. Frances W. Dean E.D. Texas (USA) 24 February 2026 Pro Se Litigant Implied
Fabricated Case Law (2)
Misrepresented Case Law (1)
Outdated Advice Overturned Case Law (1)
Warning
Gail Fung v. Liberty University W.D. Virginia (USA) 24 February 2026 Pro Se Litigant Implied
Fabricated Case Law (1)
Warning
Ebony Sherisse Lucas v. Charles W. Scharf, et al. W.D. North Carolina (USA) 24 February 2026 Pro Se Litigant Implied
Fabricated Case Law (12)
Misrepresented Case Law (1)
Order to Show Cause
Ryan Lee v. Capital One Bank et al. D. Utah (USA) 24 February 2026 Pro Se Litigant Implied Warning
Kenneth Hawkins v. I.C. System, Inc. S.D. Texas (USA) 23 February 2026 Pro Se Litigant Implied
Fabricated Case Law (1)
Warning
Source: Jesse Schaefer
Zeus Realty Group LLC v. 1032 N Sycamore Owner LA, LLC et al C.D. California (USA) 23 February 2026 Lawyer Implied
Fabricated Case Law (1)
False Quotes Case Law (1)
Source: Jesse Schaefer
Shawn Olali v. Ampex Brands, LLC N.D. Texas (USA) 23 February 2026 Pro Se Litigant Implied
Fabricated Case Law (1)
Warning
Gerow v. Falcone D. Arizona (USA) 20 February 2026 Pro Se Litigant Implied
Fabricated Case Law (1)
Zlatkin v. Gladwin County, et al. E.D. Michigan (USA) 20 February 2026 Pro Se Litigant Implied
Fabricated Case Law (2)
Warning
R.G. n. 1244/2025 T. Siracusa (Italy) 20 February 2026 Lawyer Implied
False Quotes Case Law (4)
Monetary sanction 2000 EUR
Source: Irina Carnat
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