Members of the Alabama Supreme Court recently sanctioned W. Perry Hall, a Mobile attorney, for improper use of artificial intelligence.
The sanctions were revealed in an opinion released by the Alabama Supreme Court on Friday concerning an appeal from Mobile Circuit Court involving a dispute over a family trust.
According to the court, Hall, an attorney who represented Laurie Ibach and Mark Campbell, filed briefs in the appeal that contained “numerous invalid, inaccurate, and/or irrelevant citations to legal authorities.”
“They appear to be artificial-intelligence ('AI') 'hallucinations,' i.e., fake authorities created by an AI system. Because those briefs are grossly deficient under the Alabama Rules of Appellate Procedure, we dismiss the appeal. Further, pursuant to our inherent authority to conduct the proceedings before us in an effective manner and Rule 38, Ala. R. App. P., we find that Hall's conduct is so egregious as to warrant sanctions as set forth below,” Alabama Supreme Court Associate Justice Chris McCool said in the court’s opinion released on Friday. “This Court takes Hall's misconduct very seriously. As demonstrated earlier, the improper use of AI in the plaintiffs' briefs was widespread and particularly egregious. This Court and Bruce (Stewart, opposing party in the lawsuit) have wasted a significant amount of time and resources reviewing and responding to the fabricated legal authorities.”
The court ordered Hall to pay attorney fees and costs to “Bruce in the amount of $17,200 (this amount includes any amount that has already been paid to Bruce); (2) Concerning the costs of this appeal that are payable to this Court, Hall is ordered to pay double costs; (3) Hall is prohibited from filing anything else in this Court unless another attorney, who is in good standing with the Alabama State Bar, signs the filing in accordance with Rule 25A, Ala. R. App. P.; and (4) We also refer Hall to the Alabama State Bar for potential discipline concerning his possible violations of the Alabama Rules of Professional Conduct.”
To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email [email protected].
Don't miss out! Subscribe to our newsletter and get our top stories every weekday morning.
