- Both are inexcusable.
- Seriously mangling a citation to something real is far different from making up stuff supposedly at a fake citation. Embarrassing but not devastating.
- Both are bad—one is worse. I wouldn’t say mangling the citation is “excusable,” but when the information behind the cite is correct, the legal argument carries the same weight. Maybe it’s like saying one is a citation misdemeanor & the other a citation felony. Neither is excusable, but one is worse
