Lawyer Fined for Using Fake AI-Generated Citations
Bill Ghiorso, a lawyer based in Salem, has been ordered to pay a $10,000 fine by the Oregon Court of Appeals.
The penalty was given after he submitted a legal brief that included multiple fake legal references. According to the court, the document had:
- At least 15 fake case citations
- Around 9 quotations that do not exist
The court described the filing as “unchecked and fabricated,” which is a serious violation in legal practice.
What Went Wrong in the Case
The issue came up in a case known as Doiban v. OLCC. This case involved a dispute with the Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission over a cancelled marijuana production license.
Ghiorso had filed the opening legal brief in November 2024. Later, it was discovered that many references in the document were not real.
Blaming Technology and Staff
Ghiorso explained that his office relied on online tools like search engines to prepare the document. He said his law clerk used these tools, which led to incorrect information being included…