The judge uncovered the fabrications last month, while reviewing—and ultimately rejecting—Youngblood’s motion to dismiss the defamation lawsuit. According to the defendant, Jakes had failed to state a claim.
Judge Stickman said Blackburn’s “attempt to withdraw as counsel in this action does not insulate him from the repercussions of his actions.” The attorney’s withdrawal “will remain under advisement until the resolution of the show cause hearing,” Stickman wrote.
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Judge: Legal Briefs Are ‘Non-Delegable’
In a statement to the Dallas Morning News, attorney Tyrone Blackburn said he purchased an AI feature that generates legal prompts and motions. But before he was able to fix the resulting errors, Youngblood requested that he leave the case. Blackburn said the AI program appealed to him because he has no paralegals or assistance, and about 60% of his current clients are pro bono.
Judge William Stickman told Blackburn that the duty to submit accurate court documents is “non-delegable,” however, and an attorney who signs a legal brief is “personally responsible for all that it contains. The same applies to artificial intelligence.”
“Whoever or whatever drafted the briefs signed and filed by Blackburn,” Stickman wrote, “it is clear that he, at the very best, acted with culpable neglect of his professional obligations. The alternative is that he acted in a conscious effort to deceive and mislead the Court.” The judge said he was “inclined to believe the latter” because Blackburn’s reply to the court contained yet more fabrications.
In June, Blackburn was arrested and charged with assault after allegedly hitting a process server with his car in New York City.
ChurchLeaders reached out to Blackburn for comment and will update this article with any reply.
