Las Vegas Attorney Accused of Filing AI-Generated Court Brief

Prosecutors Challenge Defense Brief in Arson Case

A Las Vegas defense attorney is facing accusations of submitting a court brief generated by artificial intelligence that includes citations to case law that does not exist, according to a motion filed by the Clark County District Attorney's Office.

Dean Kajioka, licensed to practice law since 1993, represents Robert Schwieger in a criminal case stemming from an April explosion outside Piero's Italian Cuisine. Schwieger faces charges including conspiracy to commit first-degree arson, first-degree arson, and use of explosives to damage or destroy property.

Prosecutors are asking the court to strike a 70-page reply brief filed by Kajioka and impose appropriate sanctions, claiming the document was generated by AI and not properly reviewed before submission.

Red Flags in the Filing

According to Chief Deputy District Attorney Eckley Keach, prosecutors grew suspicious when they noticed the reply brief differed substantially from the defense's original petition. The motion details several inconsistencies: different writing style, altered formatting, changed citation methods, and references to the grand jury transcript rather than earlier case filings.

Upon closer examination, prosecutors identified multiple citations to "Evans v. State, 123 Nev. 117, 159 P.3d 438 (2007)," purportedly a Nevada Supreme Court case. Searches on both Westlaw and Google returned no record of any such case. The brief not only cited this nonexistent opinion multiple times but also quoted from it and analyzed it as though it were legitimate legal precedent.

Why it matters

This case highlights a growing concern in the legal profession: attorneys using AI tools to draft court documents without adequate verification. Fabricated case citations undermine the integrity of legal proceedings and can mislead courts. If proven, this incident could result in professional sanctions and set precedent for how courts handle AI-generated legal work. The case serves as a cautionary example for legal professionals about the risks of relying on generative AI without thorough human review.

Court Action Pending

The prosecution's motion requests that the court strike the defense reply in its entirety and impose sanctions "as it deems appropriate" to discourage similar conduct. The court has not yet ruled on the allegations.

Kajioka has not responded to requests for comment on the accusations.

The incident was first reported by News 3 Las Vegas (KSNV).