Pras Denied New Trial Due To Lawyer’s Use of AI

Pras, a member of the Fugees, was denied a new trial after his lawyer’s use of generative AI in crafting the closing argument was deemed insufficient grounds for overturning his conviction. In April, Pras was found guilty on multiple charges, including conspiracy to defraud the U.S., witness tampering, and acting as an unregistered agent of a foreign government. His involvement in a failed plot to help Malaysian businessman Jho Low and the Chinese government influence U.S. officials, such as Barack Obama and Donald Trump, led to his conviction. Pras sought a retrial, arguing that his defense was compromised by his attorney’s reliance on AI, which even mistakenly included lyrics from a song by Diddy instead of his own. However, Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly rejected the request, explaining her reasoning in a 77-page ruling. Pras now faces a potential 20-year prison sentence.

Source: BET