Oklahoma Judge Admits Using ChatGPT for Court Order That Cited Two Nonexistent Cases
Published · updated · curated by AI Is Going Just Great
Source: molawyersmedia.com ↗
"the careless use of generative artificial intelligence … damages the integrity and credibility of the legal system." — Oklahoma Supreme Court
Stephens County Associate District Judge Lawrence Wheeler told the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation that he used ChatGPT to research a 2025 child paternity order — and that at least two of the case citations it produced, Cummings v. Cimarron Elevator Co. and Hawkins v. Linhart, do not exist. Wheeler vacated the order in March after the opposing attorney flagged the phantom citations to the Oklahoma Supreme Court. Criminal charges were reviewed and declined; judicial discipline remains possible.
The OSBI's inquiry didn't stop at the fake citations. Investigators also examined allegations that Wheeler offered to amend the order in exchange for dismissal of the Supreme Court writ, and that he eavesdropped on jury deliberations. Oklahoma's Supreme Court had warned in March that AI use in its courts must comply with legal and ethical standards, and reprimanded an attorney for AI-generated fabrications in May. Wheeler, first elected in 2022 and unopposed in 2026, is no longer assigned to the paternity case.