California Attorney Fined $10,000 for Filing Appeal with 21 Fake AI-Generated Citations

Sep 23, 2025
CalMatters
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Summary

California attorney Amir Mostafavi faces a historic $10,000 fine for filing a court appeal containing 21 fake ChatGPT-generated citations, as legal experts report over 600 similar cases nationwide amid growing concerns about AI misuse in the legal profession.

Key Points

  • California attorney Amir Mostafavi receives a historic $10,000 fine for filing a court appeal containing 21 fabricated quotes out of 23 citations generated by ChatGPT
  • California's Judicial Council requires judges and court staff to either ban generative AI or adopt AI use policies by December 15, while the California Bar Association considers strengthening conduct codes
  • Legal experts report exponential increases in AI-generated fake case citations, with trackers identifying over 600 such cases nationwide and 52 in California alone

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