Federal judge in Mississippi admits staff used AI to draft inaccurate order (apnews.com)

A federal judge in Mississippi, U.S. District Judge Henry T. Wingate, has admitted a law clerk used an AI tool (Perplexity) to draft a flawed July court order that paused enforcement of a state ban on DEI programs. The draft contained factual errors — naming nonparties, misquoting state law and citing a nonexistent case — and was posted to the public docket before proper review. After the Mississippi attorney general flagged the mistakes, Wingate replaced the order, removed the erroneous version from the docket, and later told the Administrative Office of the Courts and Senator Chuck Grassley that no sealed or privileged materials were used. He characterized the incident as clerical, acknowledged the draft wasn’t properly reviewed, and instituted safeguards requiring independent second reviews and printed case citations attached to final drafts. The episode highlights acute risks when generative AI is used in high‑stakes legal drafting: tools that synthesize public data can “hallucinate” false facts and citations, creating ethical and procedural hazards with little established accountability for judges. The Administrative Office of the Courts has formed an AI task force and issued interim guidance urging attorneys to verify AI outputs and consider disclosure. The case underscores the need for clear judiciary-wide policies, robust verification workflows, and transparency around AI-assisted legal work to protect litigants’ rights and maintain trust in the courts.