--- title: "Startup’s Plans for Robot Lawyer Nixed After CEO Threatened With Jail" description: "DoNotPay CEO Joshua Browder has announced that his robot lawyer's first live case has been postponed, alleging that prosecutors have threatened to jail him." date: "2023-01-25" modified: "2023-01-25" authors: - name: "Maggie Harrison Dupré" job_title: "Senior Staff Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/mharrison" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/startup-robot-lawyer-jixed-jail-ceo" categories: - "Artificial Intelligence" tags: - "ai" - "courts" - "donotpay" - "the digest" --- # Startup’s Plans for Robot Lawyer Nixed After CEO Threatened With Jail ![DoNotPay CEO Joshua Browder has announced that his robot lawyer's first live case has been postponed, alleging that prosecutors have threatened to jail him.]() *\Image: Getty Images/Futurism\* ## Big Twist It looks like AI startup DoNotPay's "robot lawyer" — specifically, an [AI-powered earpiece]() designed to coach defendants through court hearings about things like parking tickets and bill negotiations — won't be taking the floor [next month]() after all. In a major twist, company CEO Joshua Browder has now announced that the case has been pushed back, alleging that prosecutors threatened him with jail time should he bring his robolawyer to a physical court. "Good morning!" he [tweeted]() earlier this morning. "Bad news: after receiving threats from State Bar prosecutors, it seems likely they will put me in jail for 6 months if I follow through with bringing a robot lawyer into a physical courtroom." "DoNotPay," he continued, "is postponing our court case." ## No Drama While it's known that the bot was set to argue a parking ticket, the specifics of the case, for legal reasons, are mostly under wraps. Regardless, this case is — or was, jury's still (literally) out — a turning point for DoNotPay's [major VC backers](), and was to be the first robot-powered case of its kind. Its success or lack thereof was to have some major implications, for the AI marketplace and its investors as well as for the broader legal landscape. It's also unclear what charges prosecutors are allegedly threatening to throw at Browder. But again, this all involves ongoing litigation, so details are bound to be murky. *Futurism* has reached out to Browder for comment but has not heard back. For the time being, Browder says his company will focus primarily on consumer rights cases like "lowering medical bills, canceling subscriptions, disputing credit reports, among other things," rather than "non-consumer rights legal products (e.g defamation demand letters, divorce agreements and others)," which the entrepreneur called a "[distraction]()." "I think it's very important for companies to stay focused," Browder [continued]() in the thread. "Unlike courtroom drama, \[consumer rights\] cases can be handled online, are simple and are underserved." **READ MORE:** *[If You Let This Startup's "Robot Lawyer" Represent You in the Supreme Court, It'll Give You $1 Million]()* ## Author At Futurism, I've reported extensively on the rise of AI as a cultural and business force shaping the media industry, and more broadly how those dynamics are changing how we all consume and share information and relate to one another. I'm also fascinated by public health policy and ethics, the role of emerging tech in politics and governance — and the powerful people and forces at those intersections — climate change, and the environment. My investigation on Sports Illustrated's use of AI-generated authors with fictional biographies won a 2024 Mirror Award for "Best Story on Media Coverage of Artificial Intelligence in Journalism and the Media" from Syracuse University's SI Newhouse School, I contributed to Niemen Lab's 2025 Predictions for Journalism series, and I've discussed my work for Futurism during appearances on NPR, CNN, the BBC, the CBC, and more. I grew up in rural Pennsylvania and attended the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where I played Division I field hockey for the Minutewomen as a midfielder. Since then, I've lived in New Orleans, Louisiana and Manhattan, New York. I spend my free time running, reading, perusing archival fashion, and searching for the world’s best negroni. I also have a debonair tuxedo cat, Westley, who's named after "The Princess Bride." ### Author social links [Bluesky]()