Attorney Fined $96K for AI-Generated Legal Errors in Landmark Sanctions Case

A U.S. judge has hit San Diego attorney Stephen Brigandi with $96,000 in sanctions, marking what may be one of the largest penalties ever levied for the misuse of artificial intelligence in legal proceedings. The fine stems from court filings in a family vineyard dispute that contained over 20 fabricated legal citations, which were generated by AI software. Brigandi claims he did not personally draft the erroneous documents, but the court found “persuasive evidence” suggesting his client, Joanne