California Appoints ChatGPT as Acting Judge Due to Judicial Staff Crisis

LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles Superior Court appointed ChatGPT as acting judge for Department 42 Monday, marking the first time artificial intelligence will preside over criminal cases in California.

Chief Judge Samantha Jessner announced the unprecedented appointment during an emergency meeting of the court’s administrative committee. The decision addresses severe staffing shortages that have delayed over 2,000 cases statewide.

“We face an extraordinary crisis requiring extraordinary solutions,” Judge Jessner told reporters at the Stanley Mosk Courthouse. “ChatGPT will handle preliminary hearings and sentencing until we recruit additional judges.”

Court Administrator David Yamasaki installed specialized terminals in Department 42 to facilitate the AI judge’s operations. Defendants will address their arguments directly to ChatGPT through voice recognition software.

“The system can process legal briefs instantly and access California penal code in real-time,” Yamasaki explained during a technical demonstration.

Governor Gavin Newsom defended the pilot program during his weekly press conference. “California leads innovation in every sector, including justice delivery,” Newsom said.