Lawsuit-Happy Inmate Files For Restraining Order Against 'Grand Theft Auto'

from the and-how-would-that-work? dept

Tue, Apr 22nd 2008 5:28pm — Mike Masnick

A well known prison inmate who has a long history of filing totally ridiculous lawsuits has struck again. Reader William writes in to let us know that the Jonathan Lee Riches has filed for a restraining order against the game "Grand Theft Auto" and its maker Take Two Interactive. No, it's not clear how one gets a restraining order against a video game, but the filing incoherently claims that Take Two and the game put him in prison and later complains that the content in the game "offends me." If only that were a crime. Anyway, while this is an amusing story from an inmate who files way too many such lawsuits, it does show how our courts often have to waste time on these types of bogus claims.

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Filed Under: grand theft auto, jonathan lee riches, pro se lawsuits, restraining order

14 Comments

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Anonymous Coward, 22 Apr 2008 @ 5:51pm

Right about that last part
IF it goes past the filing anyways. You can file for a lawsuit against bananas, but that's like applying for a loan. You can still get turned down.

Unlike a loan, this tends to have worse consequences though what else they can do to him is unclear to me.
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Charming Charlie, 22 Apr 2008 @ 7:08pm

Silly as it seems, especially to non-American countries, this kind of story gives me a spat of pride for our justice system which, despite inequities in some areas, is one of the most just in the history of the world. Even prisoners are allowed access to the court's time.
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- Anonymous Coward, 22 Apr 2008 @ 7:47pm
  
  Re:
  our justice system which, despite inequities in some areas, is one of the most just in the history of the world.
  
  what ?
  this is sarcasm - right ?
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- Anonymous Coward, 22 Apr 2008 @ 11:37pm
  
  Re:
  Guantanemo.
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Of This, 22 Apr 2008 @ 7:37pm

Whats T. Point
Who cares? seriously.
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erik L, 22 Apr 2008 @ 8:02pm

"our justice system which, despite inequities in some areas, is one of the most just in the history of the world.

what ?
this is sarcasm - right ?"

i sincerely hope so for CCs sake
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Anonymous Coward, 22 Apr 2008 @ 8:17pm

Best argument for .....
....sentences "at hard labor". Give them plenty of real work to do so they have neither the time or energy for this kind of garbage.
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trollificus, 22 Apr 2008 @ 11:41pm

Historical perspective
erik L and the AC obviously have a much clearer idea of the flaws (numerous and profound as they are) of our legal system than they do of what has constituted "justice" throughout human history.

I know you're trying to be cynical, guys, but you're coming off naive.
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Anonymous Coward, 23 Apr 2008 @ 5:10am

awww. For a moment I thought someone finally threw Jack Thompson in prison.
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Brandon, 23 Apr 2008 @ 7:54am

If only there were some way for him to avoid playing Grand Theft Auto in prison. The poor guy. I really feel for him!
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Anonymous Coward, 23 Apr 2008 @ 12:29pm

Oh man, this story cracked me up.
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BoBBoB, 23 Apr 2008 @ 1:25pm

For a minute, I expected to read that he was suing because he thought the game used his likeness without his permission.

Take Two's rebuttal: "hey, we just did what the cops do and relied on racial profiles."
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- Rusty Shackleford, 23 Apr 2008 @ 8:37pm
  
  Re:
  Thats exactly what I though!
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Smitty, 23 Apr 2008 @ 4:12pm

lawsuit
Two words: vexatious litigant
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