How AI Tools Wrecked T.D. Jakes' Opponent's Legal Strategy In $6M Battle

Dallas Judge Sanctions Attorney for Fake AI Citations

T.D. Jakes secured a legal win in Dallas after a federal judge sanctioned attorney Tyrone Blackburn for submitting court documents filled with fake legal citations generated by artificial intelligence.










The ruling came in a defamation case Jakes filed against Duane Youngblood, who had accused the bishop of sexual misconduct dating back to the 1980s. Jakes denied the claims and said Youngblood tried to extort him for $6 million before going public. The court found Blackburn's conduct during litigation to be unacceptable.

AI-Generated Briefs Triggered Court Penalty

Blackburn, who represented Youngblood, filed legal briefs that included made-up case law and misquoted rulings. The court said the filings were not only inaccurate but also misleading.




"Blackburn doubled-down. His reply brief contained the same problems as his initial brief. Rather than take responsibility for his misconduct, apologize, and voluntarily withdraw his brief, Blackburn pointed the finger at Plaintiff's counsel, wrongly accusing them of doing exactly what he did twice-using AI to craft an inaccurate brief," the judge wrote.




Blackburn admitted to using generative AI to draft the filings and apologized, saying he didn't fully understand the technology. The court rejected that explanation.




"The Court holds that Blackburn engaged in sanctionable conduct under Rule 11. At best, he knowingly and repeatedly submitted legal documents that he neither prepared nor reviewed to ensure their accuracy... It is inexcusable to skirt this duty by relying on AI to draft a brief. Blackburn did so and, when accused, did so again."

Judge Imposes $5K Fine and Revokes Court Privileges

Jakes' legal team asked the court to award over $76,000 in attorney fees, but the judge instead fined Blackburn $5,000, emphasizing deterrence over compensation.




"The main purpose of Rule 11 is to deter, not to compensate. Indeed, district courts should consider a wide range of alternative possible sanctions for violation of the rule."




The court ordered Blackburn to pay the fine in installments and revoked his pro hac vice status, which allowed him to practice in the district temporarily. Any future requests to appear in court must include the sanction order.




"Due to his misconduct and violations of court rules, Blackburn's pro hac vice status is REVOKED... Any future... motion to appear pro hac vice filed by Blackburn... must include a copy of this order."

Blackburn Also Under Fire in Fat Joe Lawsuit

This isn't Blackburn's only legal trouble. He's also representing Terrance Dixon in a $20 million lawsuit against Fat Joe, alleging underpayment and coercion into "thousands of sex acts."




Fat Joe's attorney, Joe Tacopina, criticized Blackburn's filings in that case as well, calling them "bogus" and citing the same issues with AI-generated content.




Tacopina said Blackburn's actions show a "flagrant disregard of his duties," referencing both the Jakes and Fat Joe lawsuits.




The ruling against Blackburn was issued in late June, marking a rare instance of a federal court penalizing a lawyer for misusing artificial intelligence in official court filings.







































via: https://allhiphop.com/newsbreak/how-ai-tools-wrecked-t-d-jakes-opponents-legal-strategy-in-6-million-battle/