Lawyers Sanctioned Over AI Use on Both Sides in Federal Case

A Mississippi federal judge sanctioned attorneys on both sides of a contract breach case for failing to prevent AI hallucinations in legal filings, including banning attorneys from entering appearances in that court for two years.

Additional punishments included disqualifying the attorneys from this specific case, monetary fines, and sending a copy of the court’s order to various state bar associations, Senior Judge Sharion Aycock of the US District Court for the Northern District of Mississippi said in a Monday order.

All four attorneys in this “unusual scenario” failed to to verify legal authorities in their court filings in violation of Rule 11 in the federal rules of civil procedure, Aycock said.

Attorney Tom Withers III sued the city of Aberdeen, Miss. over legal fees. Withers was represented by Kathleen M. Wilson of Baton Rouge, La., and Shauncey Hunter Ridgeway of Christian & Small LLP; the city was represented by Kathryn Y. Williams of Daniel, Williams & Associates PLLCand Mark C. McClinton of New Albany, Miss.

The court last December directed attorneys from both sides to show cause as to why the court shouldn’t impose sanctions for submitting filings with flawed legal authorities cited. At a Jan. 20 hearing, Wilson and Williams admitted to using AI, and neither verified the legal authorities before filing briefs, the opinion said.

Wilson said she was unaware AI could produce hallucinated cases, an explanation the court found “to be insufficient and incredulous.” Besides having her pro hac vice admission was revoked, she is barred from appearing in any case in the district for two years and must pay a $2,500 fine and attend CLE, the court said.

Williams is also barred from appearing in the district for two years for “blindly relying” on an AI research tool and must pay a $3,500 fine.

Aycock also disqualified McClinton and Ridgeway from the case, and ordered each them to pay $1,000 fines for failing to review legal citations in the court filings.

In a separate case, Aycock fined an attorney over $20,000 and ordered to take a continuing legal education course on AI hallucinations for flawed court filings.

The case is Withers v. City of Aberdeen, N.D. Miss., No. 24-cv-218, order 6/8/26.