Latest news with #Huntsville-based
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Yahoo
Huntsville lawyers facing court hearing over use of ChatGPT-created citations in federal prison lawsuit
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WHNT) — Attorneys for a Huntsville law firm working for the state of Alabama admitted in federal court Monday that one of their firm partners used ChatGPT to find case citations to strengthen their arguments – but the citations were made up, apparently invented by the AI tool. The story was first reported by and the case continues to unfold. It stems from a lawsuit filed by an Alabama prison inmate, Frankie Johnson, who alleges that state prison personnel failed to protect him, and he was attacked and stabbed multiple times on three different occasions. The issue the sides were arguing over was the timing of the defendant's efforts to question Johnson under oath. The false ChatGPT citations, used in two separate court filings by the lawyers arguing for the deposition, were caught and pointed out by Johnson's attorneys. The lawyers for the Huntsville-based law firm Butler Snow have apologized and said they didn't mean to mislead the court. U.S. District Court Judge Anna Manasco has set a Wednesday morning hearing in Birmingham to consider sanctions against lawyers in the case. The Butler Snow firm does a tremendous amount of business with the State of Alabama on ongoing prison lawsuits — including lawsuits brought by the U.S. Department of Justice. Butler Snow's lead attorney in those cases, William Lunsford, is listed as having been paid $42 million by the state — since fiscal 2020, according to state records. In court filings, Lunsford said he didn't provide the false citations, that was firm partner Matthew Reeves, who works with Lunsford on the prison lawsuits. Lunsford said in court filings that the mistake was unacceptable and is being reviewed. 'To begin this declaration, I am personally and professionally sorry for what has occurred,' Lunsford said in an affidavit filed with the federal court. 'These events do not reflect the nature or quality of work that I have worked for decades to ensure that every client receives. I apologize to the Court, to all parties, to opposing counsel and to the State of Alabama for the terrible decisions that led to an erroneous filing. We will ensure that this never occurs again.' On Monday, Lunsford and two other lawyers – whose names are on the documents with the false citations – submitted descriptions of their roles to the court. Reeves said he takes full responsibility and regrets the lapse in judgment and diligence. In his affidavit, Reeves said that in reviewing planned court filings by another lawyer in the case, he saw that some of the arguments needed case citations, so he went to ChatGPT, the AI program. 'I knew generally about ChatGPT,' he wrote in the affidavit. 'I performed a search to identify supporting case law for the proposition that discovery may proceed even during the pendency of other discovery issues, as to the Motion for Leave, and that general or boilerplate objections are not effective, as to the Motion to Compel. 'My search immediately identified purportedly applicable citations for those points of law. In my haste to finalize the motions and get them filed, I failed to verify the case citations returned by ChatGPT through independent review in Westlaw or PACER before including them in the Motion for Leave and Motion to Compel. I have now confirmed that the citations in the string cite on Paragraph 2 of the Motion for Leave after the citation to Rule 30(a)(2)(B) are inaccurate or do not exist.' Butler Snow Firm Partner Matthew Reeves He goes on to say that in the second court filing, the motion to compel, the citations are inaccurate and fail to support the argument. Johnson's lawyers, Jamilla Mensah and M. Wesley Smithart, notified the court about the false citations. They cited four examples and urged the court to take action. 'Defendant's complete fabrication of case law is suggestive of an abuse of the utilization of generative artificial intelligence and should be taken very seriously by this court,' the filing argued. 'As one district court articulated, 'the use of artificial intelligence must be accompanied by the application of actual intelligence in its execution.' 'Simply put, Defense counsel failed to substantiate—with any legitimate case law—that Defendant should be granted leave to depose Mr. Johnson on June 3, 2025.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Rep. Dale Strong provides Washington Update at Athens State University
ATHENS, Ala. (WHNT) — Rep. Dale Strong stopped in Athens Monday to provide an update on what he's been doing in Washington, D.C. Strong said he hopes to focus resources at the southern border, saying equipment is needed to keep people safe from fentanyl. Alabama announces new lock feature for EBT cards He will also prioritize defense spending. He said he believes North Alabama contractors are ready to support military needs. 'It's cost-effective to do business here,' Strong said. 'I think that growth will continue in our community.' The congressman said, following a visit from FBI Director Kash Patel, some House Republicans are showing support for expanding the number of federal workers and members of the military on Redstone Arsenal. Hundreds of FBI jobs are on their way to Huntsville, and Strong said bringing Space Command to the Arsenal could create as many as 3,000 jobs directly and indirectly supporting operations. 'They're going to bring forward the secretary of the Air Force this week or next week,' Strong said. 'That right there also starts the process to bring the US Secretary of the Air Force, which will then bring a recommendation for Space Command.'Strong received a warm reception from those who attended Monday's program, but several protesters stood outside the ticketed event. 'Not everybody can afford that, especially prices are insane right now,' said Melanie Kolowski, a member of the Purple People Resistance of Alabama. Since March, several Huntsville-based groups have organized a series of protests, asking Strong for a town hall and more transparent communication. 'The message is just come talk to the constituency,' Kolowski said. 'Remember, you know, what you were elected to do.' While protesters have said the community is not getting an opportunity to speak with their congressman, Strong said his message is popular. 'I'm very, very accessible to the people,' Strong said. 'You look at some of those outside, I understand they're frustrated. Every time there's been any communication, they hate Donald Trump. They hate Elon Musk. They're also reeling from they've lost every seat from the courthouse to the state house to Washington. And so, you know, most of them are trying to get their game together.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Daily Mail
26-04-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
East Coast hidden gem once named 'best place to live' sees locals selling their homes in droves
Huntsville, Alabama, once crowned the 'Best Place to Live' in the US, is seeing a surge in home listings as residents react to rising property values, congestion and rising cost of living. The city, known for its blend of Southern charm, affordability and booming job market, topped US News & World Report's 2022 rankings, but its appeal has waned as its rapid growth has fueled new frustrations for residents. 'We are the Star of Alabama for a reason,' Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle said in 2022 after the city earned the top-ranked post. 'As more people discover what makes us the South's best-kept secret, we take pride in our diverse community's strength and authenticity. Great things are happening in Huntsville!' Yet, those same attractions are now pushing locals out. 'Rising concerns about career prospects, housing affordability and increased cost of goods and services are reflected in this year's rankings,' Erika Giovanetti of US News & World Report said, noting the prominent city's decline in recent years. 'While quality of life remains the top priority for many Americans, a city's value and job market are becoming increasingly important.' Huntsville fell from its top-ranked spot in 2022 to a meager number seven in 2025 on the US News 'Best Places to Live' list. The 2024-2025 Best Places to Live were determined based on a methodology that takes into account the city's job market, value, quality of life and desirability, according to US News & World Report. The shift in rankings appears to be having a tangible impact on the local housing market, as reflected in recent sales and inventory data. 'Sales are up 8.7 percent and inventory has jumped 46.3 percent,' Huntsville-based Realtor Matt Curtis told The trend mirrors a broader statewide shift, according to the Alabama Association of Realtors. 'The Alabama residential real estate market continues to acclimate to a more traditional mortgage rate environment,' economist David Hughes, of Alabama Realtors, said. 'Despite broader national economic uncertainties, specific indicators within Alabama suggest a strengthening housing market that is poised for growth.' A March 2025 report from Matt Curtis Real Estate found home values in Huntsville rose nearly 15 percent in a year, pushing first-time buyers and long-time residents to the brink. 'Over-inflated home pricing and one bedroom apartments for 2000 a month - please enlighten me how this doesn't suck?' one Reddit user claiming to be a Huntsville-native wrote. 'Locals are getting priced out of their homes while our state minimum wage hasn't changed.' 'I get the traffic complaints. It's for sure worse than it used to be,' another user said. 'Some people will rightly say that it's still not even remotely bad traffic compared to most cities, but that doesn't take away from the fact that it's worse now than it used to be.' Another added, 'It truly sucks now. Ready to head to the beach for good.' In the Huntsville market, which includes all of Madison County, home sales rose to 608 in March from 528 in February and 536 a year earlier, with 740 pending sales. While, median home prices climbed to $327,000 - up from $318,000 the month before, according to Listings also surged, with 2,530 homes on the market in March compared to 1,814 the year prior. Homes now sit an average of 58 days - up from 46. 'The number of days on the market is close to where it was pre-pandemic,' Ben Wales of Gateway Alabama Realty Group said.
Yahoo
11-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Decatur looks to spend $1.79 million drugmaker settlement on opioid recovery support
Apr. 11—The city of Decatur has so far received $1.79 million in opioid settlement money from pharmaceutical companies, and the state attorney general recently advised that it must be spent on opioid recovery services. Endo Health Solutions, Endo Pharmaceuticals, Purdue Pharma and McKesson Corp. are among the companies involved in the settlements. With state Attorney General Steve Marshall's instructions on how the money must be spent in hand, the Decatur City Council is considering proposals from Partnership for a Drug-Free Community, a Huntsville-based nonprofit. City Chief Financial Officer Kyle Demeester said he, Mayor Tab Bowling and City Attorney Herman Marks recently participated in an online video conference with Marshall, who told leaders of cities how the money could be spent. "It's very much tied to the (opioid) crisis," Demeester said of the settlement money. "We don't have a lot of options." Partnership for a Drug-Free Community won a request for proposal through the state to provide opioid-related recovery support services for Madison, Marshal, Limestone and Morgan counties. Recently retired Director Cheryl Russell and new Director Kim Lamar presented the proposal on behalf of Partnership for a Drug-Free Community at Monday's council meeting. The nonprofit already has agreements with Huntsville, Madison and Ardmore. It also has plans to meet with other north Alabama city officials. Russell said they met four times with Decatur officials to decide "what a relationship with Partnership would look like." They presented two options, both of which would be on a four-year contract. The first option is at a lower cost of $467,678 because the services would be provided out of its Huntsville office at 2608 Artie St. The second option is for $1.7 million, with the services provided out of a fully staffed office in Decatur. Bowling said they discussed in the meetings starting with an office in Decatur, but decided they prefer beginning with the option of providing services out of the Huntsville office. "We thought we would crawl before we walk," Bowling said. Russell said they know they would be more effective if they are in the city, but that comes with a lot of additional expenses required to have an office. She said they have eight employees in its Artie Street office, which gives Partnership the current capacity to help Decatur. Lamar said Partnership is a recovery resource at no cost for a person struggling with addiction, or a family member or friend of the addiction. "If they call us, we immediately start helping that person," Lamar said. She said they would do an assessment as soon as possible. This could include doing assessments by teleconference, if necessary. "If someone needs help, you can't wait until tomorrow because they're going to change their minds," Lamar said. "It's very important to act quickly." They then send an assessment to three certified agencies in the state and to the client, she said. "We have peer support who immediately becomes involved and walks that person through the process," Lamar said. She said it's unfortunate that there are very few ways to get treatment in Alabama, "so a big portion of what we do is daily motivation. We also provide other things to meet family needs like food and shelter." Lamar said the Partnership provides family support and, once they know they have a bed, provides transportation when necessary to a treatment facility. There would be limited scholarships available to access treatment. The nonprofit also provides fentanyl test strips, Narcan training and public information training. According to the proposal, Partnership will provide an administrator, a certified recovery specialist, case manager and certified licensed clinical assessor and community volunteers. Ladner said the council will review the proposals and would likely have more questions at a future meeting. — or 256-340-2432
Yahoo
10-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
‘A lifeline': Alabama legislators pass bill locally-owned pharmacies say will keep them in business
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WHNT) — Locally owned Alabama pharmacies have been closing their doors at a rapid rate, but a bill that passed the state legislature Tuesday will change how they are reimbursed, aiming to keep more independent pharmacies open. Huntsville-based Star Discount Pharmacy Director Trent McLemore said he would not have expected to see this day six months ago, and he believes this bill will create a more fair system. Congressman Mike Rogers says Space Command relocation announcement could come in April 'It is literally a lifeline for independent pharmacies, for small businesses, which is what really matters,' McLemore said. He said local pharmacies have been getting paid less than their larger, corporate counterparts. SB 252, called the Community Pharmacy Relief Act, will put new regulations on Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs). PBMs are the middlemen who work between pharmacies and insurance companies. They decide how much money a pharmacy will be reimbursed for filling a prescription. The legislation directs PBMs to take 100% of the rebate money they get from drug makers in connection with Alabama contracts and pay the money to Alabama health insurance providers. The money will be used to make sure independent pharmacists are paid a $10.64 dispensing fee. The measure still needs Gov. Kay Ivey's signature to become said that while pharmacies will be paid more, patients will not see cost increases. 'Your co-pays will not go up when this starts,' McLemore said. 'Your premiums won't go up, and ultimately, you'll have more options as soon as the governor signs this.' Patients should now pay the same co-pay at any in-network pharmacy. 'No longer will it be, 'Well, I'm sorry. We can only fill here twice, and you have to get a mail order, or I can only fill for 30 days versus 90 days, or the co-pay is way higher at an independent,'' McLemore said. 'Those will all be on an equal playing field.' McLemore said that when the cost of getting a prescription filled is not a determining factor anymore, he believes competition will be driven by customer service. 'It makes it about patient care instead of about dollars again,' McLemore said. Letters addressed to Alabama House members contained pornographic images: ALEA He said the passage of the bill is a win for David against Goliath. 'Being able to know that we won't get paid below our cost is a lifesaving grace for a lot of independent pharmacies,' McLemore said. More than 100 Alabama pharmacies have closed in the past four years, state figures show. The Alabama Legislature has also called for a multi-year study looking into how PBMs are operating in the state and identify any practices that are decreasing positive competition between pharmacies. McLemore said he hopes the study will inspire more legislation down the line, like expanding access to specialty pharmacy drugs. 'Specialty pharmacy accounts for about half of PBM profits right now,' McLemore said. 'Those are your very expensive items. These are the drugs you see on TV commercials, and they cost tens of thousands of dollars.' Specialty pharmacy drugs are excluded from the current legislation. Pharmacies will begin receiving reimbursements on October 1. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
