Case Intel:
- Indiana federal judge recommends $7,500 sanctions against employment attorney for submitting discovery brief with fabricated case citations
- Attorney blamed paralegal’s rushed work but judge found “most logical explanation” was generative AI usage
- Sanctions include financial penalty, chief judge referral, and mandatory client notification within 14 days
An Indiana federal judge has recommended sanctioning an employment attorney $7,500 after discovering fabricated legal citations in a discovery brief, highlighting the persistent challenges lawyers face when incorporating artificial intelligence into their practice without proper safeguards.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark J. Dinsmore issued the sanctions recommendation Tuesday against attorney Tae Sture of Sture Legal Services LLC, who represents a woman suing Marion County Superior Court Juvenile Detention Center for employment discrimination. The judge found Sture’s response to a motion to compel contained what he called a “rather bizarre amalgamation of several cases” and citations to nonexistent legal authority.
