The Electric DMCA Slide Into The Ridiculous Zone

What Video Game Must The Florida Bar Have Played To Want To Disbar Jack Thompson?

from the what-goes-around-comes-around dept

Mon, Feb 5th 2007 10:00am — Carlo Longino

Well, it's been a little while since blame-the-video-game lawyer Jack Thompson has been in the news, but a gaming news site has turned up some interesting news: Thompson's facing a disciplinary hearing from the Florida Bar, and could lose his license to practice law (via Destructoid). Three of the five complaints against him stem from his involvement in case in Alabama, where he was the lawyer for the families of two police officers and a dispatcher who were killed by an 18-year-old. Thompson, of course, blamed the Grand Theft Auto video game, and tried to further his pet cause by representing the families in a suit against several companies in the game industry. However, the judge in that case tossed Thompson from it and suspended his visiting license to practice law in Alabama. Thompson responded by accusing the judge of accepting bribes, and being part of a vast game-industry-driven conspiracy against him. Now, Thompson says he's got nothing to fear because the hearing in front of the Florida Supreme Court won't happen, since he's sued the Bar. While he won't share any details of the lawsuit, there's a good chance it mimics an earlier suit against them, which a judge rejected by noting it had nothing but "wild accusations of a vast conspiracy against him that the Bar is unfairly proceeding against him." While Thompson certainly has every right to voice his opinion on video-game violence (and make an ass of himself in the process), it seems pretty obvious that he's been allowed far too much leeway in the courts and with law enforcement, so some sort of rebuke or censure would certainly seem to be in order.

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23 Comments

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Jacks Follower, 5 Feb 2007 @ 10:11am

Devils all of you. YOU MUST CONFORM TO HIS PURITAN WAYS. DEATH BE TO THE FOLLOWERS OF GTA AND THE LIKE!!!!

seriously, can't you see Jack's doing a great service to this nation? he's trying to remove the filth that has crept into our society. 20 years ago, america was the greatest place on earth. now we have gang violence, crime and whatnot is at all time highs!!! this must be stopped.

begin with the evils.
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Buzz, 5 Feb 2007 @ 10:34am

small amount of truth
I personally am a believer that violent/sex-based video games do have subtle effect on one's attitude/personality... but I cannot see myself going so far as to blame a video games for someone's criminal actions. If video games truly are the reason for someone's stupidity then they need mental help. Killing the game industry won't help anything. Movies are just as much to blame. Why hasn't Hollywood been taken down yet?
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bigSteve, 5 Feb 2007 @ 10:41am

Re:
Ha ha... Everything's caused by video games, idiots.

The problem isn't just jack, it's the sue happy lawyers wiling to represent any raving lunatic.

The fact is, Jack should have been thrown out of court years ago. What no one ever comments on is the money it costs the public to incessantly listen to his ravings (and the ravings of other sue happy morons). He's wasting the court's time and taxpayer's money. I would love to see a judge take a stupid case like this and fine Jack (or any lawyer like him) $50,000 personally for wasting court resources. A precedent would be set and lawyers all over the world would think twice about taking a case about a hot cup of coffee you spilled on yourself while driving.
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Sanguine Dream, 5 Feb 2007 @ 10:43am

Finally...
It would seem that he has finally pushed someone too far with his wild accusations. Kinda sad sense if he had been calm and respectful about it he could have gotten plenty of attention as an opponent to violent games. Granted many people think he is wrong but I think we would have been more willing to listen to him is he had presneted his argument more calmly and openminded. But instead he chose to be a sensationalist that cried video game violence is the cause of crime. Instead of going for the respectable approach he wanted attention. While I don't agree with his viewpoint I would have had no problem listening to him if he wasn't so outrageus.
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billy, 5 Feb 2007 @ 11:02am

haha
http://www.thinkgeek.com/pennyarcade/gamer/7a15/
I really do.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Thompson_%28attorney%29

He's just too crazy to take seriously.
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ixat, 5 Feb 2007 @ 11:36am

Yeah, but
Does anyone think its weird that he gets singled out, but other frivelous lawsuits are upheld by the courts? It's inconsisten. Isn't it?
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Jeff, 5 Feb 2007 @ 11:37am

LOL
I hooked up my PS2 after having let it sit in a closet for about 6 months and played San Andreas. I shot like a million hookers after having sex with them in an alleyway and killed a lot of mexicans and blacks and blew up cars and boats and planes and helicopters in honor of this marvelous occasion. I hope Jack Thompson gets t-boned at an intersection. Driver-side.
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BananaFish, 5 Feb 2007 @ 11:38am

oh COME ON now
F'n Jack....
If i knew where he lived, i'd run him down in my U.S. Army tank stolen from the local base and beat him senseless with my melee weapon of choice until his dead body faded away. I'd then go eat some pizza to restore my health to full, come back with a flame-thrower, scorching any witnesses to my crime. By this time, everyone from the local police to the CIA to the military would be on my ass so i'd have to jack a car and have it repainted. That would take care of everything.

Yeah, that's what i would do.
Games don't change me, Jack.
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Suzerain, 5 Feb 2007 @ 11:41am

Re: Re:
Its called sanctions and every court across the nation has it. If you file a frivilous lawsuti, the other side can seek sanctions against you which would include court costs and the attorney fees they incurred defending the lawsuit.

So, the precedent has been set. Attorneys are careful in the clients they represent because of these kind of issues. Pursuing a claim known to be frivilous is a violation of our ethics code and can lead to disbarment.
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Anonymous Coward, 5 Feb 2007 @ 12:06pm

I actually thank God for Jack Thompson, and am honestly grateful that he's prosecuting these cases. If he wasn't, someone competent might be.
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Betaflame, 5 Feb 2007 @ 12:29pm

Re:
If there was someone competent out there who wanted Jack's job they could take it from him pretty easily. The only reason Whacko Jacko goes for games is because no one else is doing it so he doesn't have to compete with anyone.
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erct657, 5 Feb 2007 @ 12:31pm

what a loser
Honestly, how does someone think that a video game could cause violent personalities. All video games nowadays are tame compared to the movies of today. How many video games look like Saw III or The Hills Have Eyes? Most video game stores place voluntary restrictions on selling M-rated games, which is the "cause" of this, to minors. Most don't even sell Ao games because they are that sexually perverse.

In the Wikipedia article about him, he publicly stated that the Qur'an tells Muslims to kill all infidels. The Qur'an does not specifically state this but if it did, then Thompson should be one of the first infidels to be killed via gravity gun or plasma rifle.

Please note this is a personal opinion and is not completely reflective of my attitude toward Muslims or moronic lawyers who should be prosecuting more important things like oil companies or companies that dump waste or other environmental issues.
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A random gamer, 5 Feb 2007 @ 12:48pm

Read this article if you think Jack is bad
http://www.wired.com/news/culture/0,72619-0.html?tw=rss.index
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Obsidian, 5 Feb 2007 @ 12:50pm

"In the Wikipedia article about him, he publicly stated that the Qur'an tells Muslims to kill all infidels. The Qur'an does not specifically state this..."

Not only does the Qur'an not say that, but Thompson is also wrong because the Bible DOES proscribe death for non-believers. Check out Deuteronomy 13:6-15 for example, which CLEARLY says to murder those who believe differently.
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SimonTek, 5 Feb 2007 @ 12:54pm

Now I want to play GTA, but I will play Super Mario 2, cause I am too lazy to look for the disc.
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chris (profile), 5 Feb 2007 @ 2:10pm

Re: small amount of truth
Movies are just as much to blame. Why hasn't Hollywood been taken down yet?
hollywood is a well entranched industry with plenty of precedents and high priced lawyers.

the video game undustry is worth tens of billions annually and is lacking in a landmark precedent... meaning that there are big bucks out there that are just begging for a frivolous lawsuit to come claim them.

jack thompson is an ambulance chaser, plain and simple.
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justme, 5 Feb 2007 @ 3:08pm

I hate this...
I really do. The Game industry, and movie, and music industry get blamed for everything. What ever happen to Parental control? Are some parents such bad role models to where they allow their children to sit all day on games, evening on the computer, and weekends downloading bootleg music? Parent's wake up, soon the law, and the State will be knocking at your door because little JR spent to much time playing games, and your butt was turned in for neglect. Quite frankly I think you deserve to be behind bars.

I have thought of a way to stop these lawsuits of blame. Use their own evidence against them in Court. They say it was the games, pay attention to the time the kid was on the game, and if the content was age appropriate. If not throw the lawsuit out, and charge the parents. etc. Case closed.
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me myself and I, 6 Feb 2007 @ 12:37am

Ahh my favorite idiot strikes again
I love how he is an absolute moron. As a lawyer you think he would be aware of accountability. I seriously doubt that a video game ever put a gun in anyone's hand and said "Go ahead, shoot them".

I do have to agree with an earlier poster though. If it wasn't him trying this, it would end up being someone competent.
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ScytheNoire, 6 Feb 2007 @ 2:24am

What about adults rights?
I get so annoyed by people always talking about violent video games that are aimed at children, when in fact, they are made for adults, who grew up playing kids games and have moved onto more adult themed games.

Just like when we were kids watching Goonies and Adventures in Babysitting, now we watch Kill Bill and Crank. And just like we played Mario Bros. and Frogger, now we play Grand Theft Auto and FEAR.
Movies and video games are the two closests associated industries. Both tell stories, use audio and visuals, and can contain anything from violence, to sex, to course language. The only difference is one is interactive and one is not.

Take Rocky the movie for example, or watching UFC. I watch those, and I get pumped up, and can feel that. I want to box, I want to fight.
But, when I play a game like FEAR or GTA or Mortal Kombat, I don't want to fight afterwards, because I had that interactive experience already, I satisfied my primal desires to mimic what I saw.
Only those with mental disabilities will want to mimic an interactive story, a game, because they have that mental disability and cannot disassociate fantasy with reality. But then they have the same chance of mimicing a movie or tv show.

Truth is that movies like Private Ryan, or games that show the consequences of combat and war, are less likely to make someone want to go through that for real. Unrealistic movies and games, without consequences for violence, are more likely to decensor someone.

But regardless, this content is FOR ADULTS, NOT CHILDREN. Get that through your heads. Children are not allowed to buy this content. So maybe parents should start being parents. Start watching what your kids are doing, start using parental controls, and stop infringing on my adult rights!
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This guy who thinks your stupid, 7 Feb 2007 @ 4:22pm

Re:
for the previous jack follower, HAHA so what the hell happend during the prohabition times then?
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Jake Nesbitt, 20 Mar 2007 @ 1:22pm

Re:
well well another church going person who cant take there nose out of everybodys buisness. if you hate video games dont play them. united kingdom scientific surveys dispelled the notion that violent videogames cause violence. you are all a bunch of busy bodies and need to stop slandering the video game industry
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mike, 20 Apr 2007 @ 10:17am

video games caused every major evil
Yes its true....EVERY EVIL THING EVER was caused by video games...from the extinction of the dinosaurs 65mil years ago to ww2....

Don't believe me? thinking "hey, but computers have only been around for the past few years!!"...well it's all part of the EVIL CONSPIRACY!!! evil i tells ya...EEEVVVIIILLLLLL......

Yes take two and their other devil-worshipping baby eating friends simply made a game called "grand theft...forget what just happened"....which when people played it instantly (automagically) made them forget that video games even existed, let alone told them to go out and kill stuff!!!!

I say jack thompson should be elevated to the status of god-king (something he's been after for a while) and let him have CCTV in all of our homes (and in our pants to be sure we don't touch ourselves in a sinful way like they show in "grand theft abuse-yourself and go to hell kids, its cool" (GTAYAGTHK).....
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someone, 20 Apr 2007 @ 10:23am

hmmm
Its TRUE! OMG computer games DO make you go insane.....

Once about two weeks ago i was playing this violent game called "Microsoft Word" where you have to viciously stamp huge black letters in syntax-correct order onto an innocent white background!!! Then I felt compelled to go out and brand people with various letters of the alphabet on their pasty white faces!

And the less said about my experiences with the Cells from Excel the better!
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