Wisconsin prosecutor sanctioned for undisclosed AI use and false citations in court filings
A Wisconsin judge sanctioned Kenosha District Attorney Xavier Solis for failing to disclose the use of AI-assisted tools in court filings that contained hallucinated and false citations. The judge dismissed 74 criminal charges against two men, finding citation errors in the prosecution's paperwork.
What happened
Kenosha County District Attorney Xavier Solis used AI-assisted tools to draft court filings in a criminal case against Cornelius Garrett and Christain Garrett without explicit disclosure to the court.
The filings contained hallucinated and false citations, which Judge David Hughes identified in his ruling.
Reported impact
Judge Hughes dismissed 74 criminal charges against the two defendants, including 38 felonies related to burglaries and property damage.
Solis acknowledged the citation error and stated his office would review and reinforce internal practices to ensure verification of citations in future filings.
Index analysis
The defendants were charged in 2023, and the case was dismissed in February 2026 following defense motions and the judge's discovery of the citation errors.
Hughes noted that the citation errors resulted from the use of AI-assisted tools without proper disclosure and verification.
Governance controls
The judge sanctioned the district attorney's office for failing to disclose AI usage in court filings.
Solis stated that his office takes accuracy, candor, and disclosure obligations seriously and has reviewed procedures to ensure clarity and reliability.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.