A federal judge in Alabama has fined and reprimanded lawyer James Johnson for using artificial intelligence to draft court filings that contained inaccurate case citations. U.S. District Judge Terry Moorer issued an 18-page order criticizing Johnson's conduct, stating that the errors were more than mere recklessness. "The insertion of bogus citations is not a mere typographical error, nor the subject of reasonable debate," Moorer wrote. "It is just wrong."

Johnson, based in Loxley, Alabama, was fined $5,000 and ordered to inform current and future clients about the incident. Additionally, the court's advisory panel will consider removing him from the list of attorneys eligible for court-appointed criminal cases. The judge emphasized that basic reprimands and small fines are insufficient deterrents for such misconduct, citing similar errors made by lawyers nationwide using AI.

Johnson was representing Glennie Antonio McGee in a high-profile drug case when the AI-generated errors occurred. Following the incident, McGee expressed a lack of confidence in Johnson, leading the judge to allow McGee to represent himself.

Judge Moorer acknowledged that AI can be a useful tool in legal practice but stressed that lawyers are responsible for verifying citations and submissions to the court. The judge's decision follows a similar incident in July when three attorneys were sanctioned for submitting AI-generated citations in a separate case (1819 News).