Alabama paid a law firm millions to defend its prisons. It used AI and turned in fake citations | Artificial intelligence (AI) | The Guardian

## Butler Snow Faces Sanctions Over Fabricated Legal Citations in Inmate Stabbing Case A prominent law firm, Butler Snow, is facing potential sanctions after a lawyer submitted **false legal citations** in a case defending the Alabama Department of Corrections. The case involves an inmate, Frankie Johnson, who alleges he was stabbed multiple times while incarcerated.

### The Case: Inmate's Claims of Repeated Stabbings Frankie Johnson, an inmate at William E. Donaldson prison near Birmingham, Alabama, claims he was subjected to repeated stabbings. He alleges: - In December 2019, he was stabbed at least nine times in his housing unit. - In March 2020, he was stabbed five times after being handcuffed to a desk by an officer.

### The Defense and the Fabricated Evidence Butler Snow, hired by Alabama to defend its prisons, reportedly used AI tools. However, the lawyer representing the firm submitted **incorrect case law** to support their defense. The specific details of the fabricated citations and the extent of the sanctions are still pending.

This case highlights the **potential risks of relying on AI without proper verification**, especially in legal contexts.