芝加哥住房管理局聘请的律师近日援引伊利诺伊州最高法院的"麦克诉安德森案"判例，试图说服法官重新考虑陪审团针对该机构的2400万美元赔偿裁决。该案涉及两名儿童在CHA持有的房产中疑似因含铅涂料而中毒的事件。
问题出在哪里？
该案件不存在。
法院记录显示，戈德堡·塞加拉律师事务所在一份庭审后动议中使用了人工智能工具ChatGPT，却未核查其生成内容，这给芝加哥住房管理局（CHA）带来了最新困扰。今年1月，陪审团经过约七周审理后裁定，CHA须向代表子女提起诉讼的两名居民支付逾2400万美元赔偿金。判决认定该机构对儿童所受伤害（包括既往及未来损害）负有责任。
该公司在6月18日的法庭文件中就这一错误致歉，称这是“职业操守的严重失误”。
戈德堡·塞加拉律师事务所的首席律师拉里·梅森（Larry Mason）在提交的文件中表示，一项详尽调查显示，一名律师公然违反该律所的人工智能使用政策，在未经核实人工智能生成内容的情况下，直接引用了虚构判例及相关描述性语句。
梅森（Mason）在一月结案陈词时因高声喧哗遭到法官训斥，他在提交的文件中指出，有“数位支持者”协助他准备动议。他还表示，调查结果显示“并无欺骗法庭的意图”，且律所其他律师均未察觉这一不当引用的存在。
法庭文件显示，高博金律师事务所（Goldberg Segalla）此后已采取全所范围的措施，就其人工智能使用政策对律师进行再培训，并建立了预防机制。该律所请求法院不要因涉事律师的失误而惩罚CHA。
针对《论坛报》的一系列提问，芝加哥住房管理局（CHA）提供了其临时首席法律官伊丽莎白·赛拉斯（Elizabeth Silas）周三致梅森（Mason）的信件副本，并表示高博金律师事务所（Goldberg Segalla）已对此事承担"全部责任"。
在信中，赛拉斯（Silas）感谢梅森（Mason）向该机构提出人工智能问题，并就错误致歉。
“如您所知，CHA要求其外部法律顾问恪守最高标准的责任与职业道德，”赛拉斯表示。“我们诚挚希望法院能意识到这一不幸失误，并认可高博金律师事务所在调查、承担责任及采取适当纠正措施过程中展现的诚意。但请注意，根据法院的调查结果与裁决，CHA可能考虑并保留采取进一步适当措施以维护自身利益的权利。”
芝加哥住房管理局（CHA）是美国第三大公共住房管理机构，为超过6.5万户家庭提供住房服务，同时作为该市最大的单一租赁住房所有者，拥有逾2.1万套公共住房单元。
住房管理局目前尚无常任负责人，由董事会主席安吉拉·赫洛克（Angela Hurlock）暂代首席执行官一职。市长布兰登·约翰逊（Brandon Johnson）已进入选拔新任首席执行官的最终阶段，其盟友、第27区议员沃尔特·伯内特（Walter Burnett）是该职位的主要候选人。
库克县巡回法院法官托马斯·库欣（Thomas Cushing）于周四召开特别听证会，要求就此事进一步说明——正如芝加哥住房管理局（CHA）法律顾问承认错误时承诺提供的那样。法官要求对错误负有责任的律师必须到场，并要求高博金律师事务所（Goldberg Segalla）向法院提交该律所关于律师使用人工智能的政策文件副本。
听证会上，涉事律师丹妮尔·马拉蒂向法官表示，她未曾料到ChatGPT会生成虚构的法律引证，也未核实案件真实性。随后，高博金律师事务所的另外三名律师——包括担任最终审核人的梅森——以及CHA公司的内部法律顾问共同审查了这份动议草案，才将其提交法院。马拉蒂因使用人工智能工具被高博金律所解雇，此前她曾是该所合伙人。该律所当时已明令禁止使用人工智能。
马拉蒂（Malaty）在听证会上表示："我认为这一切非常令人遗憾。我从未有过欺骗法庭的意图。"据悉，她目前已独立执业。
梅森向法官表示，由于他在庭审期间多次在法庭辩论中败诉，因此对审后动议采取了"非常超然"的态度，因为此案需要"一个远离我的全新视角"。
梅森表示，他未被要求核查动议中引用的全部58个案例，并对所发生之事感到"个人厌恶"和"难堪"，称这一错误"极其恶劣"。
梅森拒绝向《论坛报》发表评论。马拉蒂通过其律师拒绝置评，但在法庭上表示，自犯错以来，她已接受了约70小时有关人工智能使用及其他伦理问题的培训。
原告律师马修·西姆斯（Matthew Sims）在听证会上请求获准提交动议，要求基于“法庭欺诈”对Goldberg Segalla律师事务所和CHA公司实施制裁。法官批准了这一请求，并规定动议须于7月22日前提交。
关于审后动议辩论的下一次听证会定于7月31日举行。CHA（注：机构名保留缩写）继续对裁决提出异议，并寻求有利于己方的判决、就责任问题重新审理、就损害赔偿重新审理，或要求降低赔偿金额。
发票显示，高博金律师事务所（Goldberg Segalla）向芝加哥住房管理局（CHA）收取的法律服务费用已超过38.99万美元，涉及2024年3月至12月的服务周期。CHA向《论坛报》证实，与该问题相关的所有时间成本及费用（包括周四的听证会）均无需其承担。
这起案件于2022年1月提起诉讼，原告为莎娜·乔丹（Shanna Jordan）和摩根·柯林斯（Morgan Collins）。莎娜是现年10岁的贾米尔·柯林斯（Jah'mir Collins）的母亲，摩根则是现年6岁的阿米娅·柯林斯（Amiah Collins）的母亲。她们起诉了芝加哥住房管理局（CHA）、栖息地公司（The Habitat Co.）、东湖管理集团（East Lake Management Group）以及国际环境设计公司（Environmental Design International），指控被告方明知其居住单元含铅基涂料，却仍导致她们的子女在居住期间遭受“严重铅中毒”。该单元由芝加哥住房管理局所有，位于罗杰斯公园北马什菲尔德大道7715号。
诉讼文件指出，芝加哥住房管理局（CHA）自1992年起就知晓该物业含铅涂料，并于2000年代初因这一安全隐患遭到市政府多项法规违规处罚。
此前负责管理居民住房与社区管理局（CHA）所属物业的物业管理公司——宜居公司（The Habitat Co.）与东湖管理集团（East Lake Management Group）——被认定对儿童受伤事件不承担法律责任。但两家公司最终以远低于原索赔金额的数目与原告达成和解。
哈比塔特公司于二月起诉芝加哥住房管理局（CHA）及其两名律师，指控该机构在处理铅中毒诉讼过程中存在违约行为和法律渎职。在此前一月的裁决前几个月，哈比塔特已终止了与CHA的所有管理协议，涉及16栋建筑及约3400套公共住房单元。
诉讼文件显示，国际环境设计公司于2017年代表芝加哥住房管理局进行含铅涂料检测时发现了铅基涂料。该公司在庭审前已与原告方达成和解。
这并非芝加哥住房管理局（CHA）首次批准居民入住后却被诊断出铅中毒的住房。《芝加哥论坛报》2017年的调查发现，数十名儿童在CHA宣称安全的住宅和公寓中居住时，遭受了损害大脑的铅毒害。
住房管理局于四月成立了一个新部门，专门负责解决居民面临的环境问题及危害。该部门工作人员将首先重点处理含铅涂料危害问题，同时逐步推进新项目的建设。
ekane@chicagotribune.com
Lawyers hired by the Chicago Housing Authority recently cited Illinois Supreme Court case Mack v. Anderson in an effort to persuade a judge to reconsider a jurys $24 million verdict against the agency in a case involving the alleged poisoning of two children by lead paint in CHA-owned property.
The problem?
The case doesnt exist.
In the latest headache for CHA , law firm Goldberg Segalla used artificial intelligence, specifically ChatGPT, in a post-trial motion and neglected to check its work, court records show. A jury decided in January , after a roughly seven-week trial, that CHA must pay more than $24 million to two residents who sued on behalf of their children, finding the agency responsible for the childrens injuries, including past and future damages.
The firm apologized for the error in a June 18 court filing, calling it a serious lapse in professionalism.
An exhaustive investigation revealed that one attorney, in direct violation of Goldberg Segalla’s AI use policy, used AI technology and failed to verify the AI citation before including the case and surrounding sentence describing its fictitious holding, said Goldberg Segallas lead counsel in the case, Larry Mason, in the filing.
Mason, whom the judge admonished for shouting during closing arguments in January, noted that several contributors supported him while preparing the motion. He also said in the filing that the investigation found no intent to deceive the Court and no other attorneys at the firm were aware of the improper citation.
Goldberg Segalla has since implemented firm-wide measures to re-educate its attorneys on its AI use policy, the filing said, and established preventative measures. The firm requested that the court not punish CHA for the attorneys mistake.02
In response to a list of Tribune questions, CHA provided a copy of a letter that its interim Chief Legal Officer Elizabeth Silas sent Wednesday to Mason and said Goldberg Segalla has taken “all responsibility” in this matter.
In the letter, Silas thanked Mason for bringing the AI issue to the agency’s attention and for apologizing for the error.
“As you know, CHA expects its outside counsel to hold themselves to the highest responsible and ethical standards,” Silas said. “We sincerely hope that the Court recognizes this unfortunate error and recognizes Goldberg Segalla’s good faith actions to investigate, accept responsibility, and take proper corrective action. Please note, however, that depending on the Court’s finding and rulings, CHA may consider and reserves the right to take additional appropriate action to protect its interests.”
CHA, the third largest public housing authority in the country, serves more than 65,000 households and is the largest single owner of rental housing in the city with more than 21,000 public housing units.
The housing authority is without a permanent leader, with Board Chair Angela Hurlock serving as interim CEO. Mayor Brandon Johnson is nearing the final stages of a search for a new chief executive, with mayoral ally Ald. Walter Burnett, 27th, a frontrunner for the role.
Cook County Circuit Court Judge Thomas Cushing called a special hearing Thursday for a further explanation as CHAs counsel offered to provide when admitting to the error on the matter. He required any attorneys responsible for the mistake to be present and for Goldberg Segalla to provide the court with copies of the firms policies on the use of AI by attorneys.
At the hearing, Danielle Malaty, the attorney responsible for the mistake, told the judge she did not think ChatGPT could create fictitious legal citations and did not check to ensure the case was legitimate. Three other Goldberg Segalla attorneys then reviewed the draft motion including Mason, who served as the final reviewer as well as CHA’s in-house counsel, before it was filed with the court. Malaty was terminated from Goldberg Segalla, where she had been a partner, following her use of AI. The firm, at the time, had an AI policy that banned its use.
I find all of this very unfortunate,” Malaty said in the hearing, who has since started her own practice. “At no point did I have any intent to deceive the court.”
Mason told the judge that because of his repeated losses when arguing before the court during the trial, he was “very hands off” with the post-trial motion because the case needed a fresh perspective away from me.”
Mason said he was not expected to check all 58 cases cited in the motion and is “personally disgusted” and “embarrassed” by what happened, calling the mistake “horrific.”
Mason declined to comment to the Tribune. Malaty declined to comment through her attorney but said in court that she had engaged in about 70 hours of training related to the use of AI and other ethical issues since making the error.
Matthew Sims, an attorney for the plaintiffs, in the hearing asked for permission to file a motion for sanctions against Goldberg Segalla and CHA based on the fraud upon the court. The judge granted his request and said it must be filed by July 22.
The next hearing for post-trial motion arguments is scheduled for July 31. CHA continues to contest the ruling and is seeking a verdict in its favor, a new trial on liability or a new trial on damages or to lower the verdict.
Goldberg Segalla has billed CHA more than $389,900 for legal services, invoices dated between March 2024 through December 2024 show. CHA confirmed to the Tribune that it will not be billed for any time or expenses related to this issue, including the Thursday hearing.
The case, filed in January 2022, focused on Shanna Jordan, the mother of Jahmir Collins, now 10, and Morgan Collins, the mother of Amiah Collins, now 6, who sued CHA, The Habitat Co., East Lake Management Group and Environmental Design International, alleging that the defendants knew their unit had lead-based paint and that their children suffered severe lead poisoning while living in the unit. The unit was owned by CHA and is located at 7715 N. Marshfield Ave. in Rogers Park.
The lawsuit said that CHA had known the property had lead-based paint since 1992 and faced code violations by the city in the early 2000s because of the hazard.
Property management companies, The Habitat Co. and East Lake Management Group, who had managed the residents CHA-owned property, were found not liable for the childrens injuries. The two companies did end up settling with the plaintiffs for much smaller amounts.
Habitat then sued the CHA and two of its attorneys in February for an alleged breach of contract and legal malpractice over the agencys handling of the lead poisoning lawsuit. A few months prior to the January ruling, Habitat had terminated all of its management agreements with the CHA, which accounted for 16 buildings and approximately 3,400 units of public housing.
Environmental Design International conducted an inspection for lead-based paint in 2017 on behalf of CHA and found lead-based paint, the suit said. Environmental Design International settled with the plaintiffs prior to the trial.
This was not the first time CHA approved housing for residents who then were later diagnosed with lead poisoning. Dozens of children were found to have been poisoned by brain-damaging lead while living in homes and apartments declared safe by the Chicago Housing Authority, a Tribune investigation found in 2017 .
The housing authority created a new division in April focused on environmental concerns and hazards for residents. The divisions staff will start by focusing on lead-based paint hazards as they build out the new program.
ekane@chicagotribune.com