Lofton v. Grove Farms, LLC

Brian K. Lofton and Keaton Landscaping and Pressure Washing, LLC d/b/a B&B Landscaping & Pressure Washing v. Bolin Grove Farms, LLC, et al., Cause No. 17C11:21-cv-00059-CW, Circuit Court of DeSoto County, Mississippi, order filed September 26, 2025 (Document #200, Circuit Judge Celeste E. Wilson). Charlotin's metadata misspells the caption as "Loftong." Copy of primary document: `files/sources/D-89-lofton-v-grove-farms.pdf`.

Attorney Vanessa Price, counsel for plaintiffs, filed a responsive pleading relying on 14 nonexistent or inapposite authorities generated through an AI research tool. She acknowledged the fabricated citations but blamed limited resources and claimed she had "shepardized" them, not realizing that AI-produced results can look facially legitimate while being entirely false.

Invoking its inherent authority, the court sanctioned Price for the AI hallucinations: $7,472.00 in opposing counsel's fees and costs, six hours of approved continuing legal education on artificial intelligence, a certified copy of the order sent to the Mississippi Bar for review, and a written letter to her clients explaining her reliance on AI. Separate from this, the court imposed a $37,584.91 fee award against Price and dismissed claims for unrelated discovery fraud; that amount is not an AI sanction and must not be attributed to the AI misconduct.

Never rely on unverified AI search results as authority, and do not treat a "no negative history" shepardizing result as proof a case exists. Look up each cited case in an official reporter or full-text database before filing. A solo practitioner without a large database subscription should use the bar-provided research tool (here, Fastcase) for the actual text of opinions, not a general internet AI search.