T.D. Jakes scored a courtroom victory in Texas as a federal judge sanctioned attorney Tyrone Blackburn for submitting legal documents riddled with bogus citations generated by artificial intelligence.
The case stemmed from a defamation lawsuit filed by Jakes against Duane Youngblood, who had accused the bishop of sexual misconduct in the 1980s.
Jakes denied all allegations and claimed Youngblood attempted to extort him for $6 million before going public.
Blackburn, representing Youngblood, filed court briefs that included fabricated legal references and misquoted prior rulings. The judge found the errors egregious and deliberate.
“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 court wrote.
Blackburn acknowledged using generative AI to draft the filings and apologized, blaming his unfamiliarity with the technology. But the court wasn’t buying it.
“The Court holds that Blackburn engaged in sanctionable conduct. 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.”
Jakes’ legal team requested over $76,000 in attorneys’ fees, but the judge instead imposed a $5,000 fine on Blackburn, citing deterrence as the goal.
Blackburn must pay the fine in monthly installments. The court also revoked his pro hac vice status, barring him from practicing in the district.
Any future request to appear in court must include a copy of the sanction order.
This isn’t Blackburn’s only legal headache. In a separate federal case, Fat Joe is being sued for $20 million by his former hypeman, Terrance Dixon, who accuses the rapper of underpayment and coercing him into “thousands of sex acts.”
Fat Joe’s attorney, Joe Tacopina, blasted Blackburn for filing “bogus” pleadings in that case as well, citing the same AI-generated citation issues.
Tacopina called Blackburn’s conduct part of a broader trend of “flagrant disregard of his duties,” referencing both the Jakes and Fat Joe lawsuits.
As for Blackburn, he recently told a judge that Fat Joe’s lawyer’s blistering attacks have caused him severe distress that required hospitalization.
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