New Mexico Attorney Fined $5,000 for Submitting ChatGPT-Fabricated Testimony

The New Mexico Supreme Court has fined attorney Steven Aarons $5,000 for submitting appellate documents containing fabricated testimony generated by ChatGPT. Aarons, who represented Oscar Rene Sandoval in a murder case, admitted to filing the documents without verifying the facts or legal citations. The AI-generated text included false statements from non-existent witnesses and misrepresented the testimony of actual participants. The court found Aarons in contempt, barred him from appearing before the Supreme Court pending disciplinary review, and appointed a new public defender for the client.