The defamation case that T.D. Jakes filed against Duane Youngblood took a turn when the defendant’s attorney committed what a judge called “clear ethical violations of the highest order.” Tyrone Blackburn, a New York-based attorney representing Youngblood, presented court documents that included made-up quotations and caselaw—likely the result of artificial intelligence (AI).
U.S. District Judge William Stickman ordered Blackburn to pay more than $76,000 to Jakes to cover legal fees that Jakes incurred as a result of the fabricated material.
Jakes, founder of The Potter’s House in Dallas, sued Youngblood last fall, one day after Jakes suffered a health emergency while preaching. Youngblood, a convicted sex offender and former Pennsylvania pastor, alleged that Jakes had groomed him and made sexual advances on him decades ago, when Youngblood was a teenager.
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Jakes, who strongly denied the accusation, sued Youngblood for $6 million to “set the record straight” and restore his reputation. “Youngblood’s intentional and malicious lies have taken a substantial emotional and physical toll on Bishop Jakes,” the defamation lawsuit stated.
Jakes, 68, has also claimed that AI bots contributed to false rumors that he attended sex parties thrown by disgraced rapper Sean “Diddy” Combs.
Tyrone Blackburn Sanctioned for Using AI in Jakes Case
In the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania, Judge Stickman had harsh words for Tyrone Blackburn, who has asked to withdraw as attorney for defendant Duane Youngblood. “In addition to including non-existent quotations,” wrote Stickman, Blackburn’s legal briefs “repeatedly misrepresent case law.”
Even worse, according to the judge, Blackburn’s reply to the court included yet more fabrications. “In other words,” Stickman wrote, “when accused of a serious ethical violation, attorney Blackburn chose to double down. This is very troubling.”
