gamepolitics: Another "Video Games Made Me Do It" Defense

Game Politics (

gamepolitics) wrote,
@ 2006-04-27 10:53:00

Entry tags:

canada, game violence, gta, rod brecht, video-games-made-me-do-it

Another "Video Games Made Me Do It" Defense

The lawyer for a Canadian teen who shot and killed a friend during a session of Grand Theft Auto has plead guilty to the crime of "Criminal Negligence Causing Death." His lawyer blames GTA.

"The video they'd been playing had similar type of unruly behavior"" said attorney Rod Brecht, who is quoted in The Star-Phoenix. "They were all playing around," Brecht continued. "Everybody was getting along. Nobody realized the gun was loaded."

The incident took placed in February, 2005, when the boy, 13 at the time, was hanging out with some friends, drinking, smoking marijuana and playing GTA. The boys found a shotgun under a bed and took turns passing it around.

According to attorney Brecht, his client held the shotgun in a menacing stance as he had seen GTA characters do. The boy then pointed the gun at 15-year-old Preston Martin and - thinking it was unloaded - pulled the trigger. Martin was killed instantly.

Brecht, who is attempting to secure a probationary sentence for his client, said the boy is haunted by nightmares and flashbacks.

GP: My bad for forgetting to mention that GP reader Indystar tipped us off on this one...

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(323 comments) - (Post a new comment)

	gatz111085 2006-04-27 06:47 pm UTC (link)
	and thus the genepool if idiocy was slightly thinned, now if the shooter would only accidently shoot himself. (Reply to this) (Thread)

	viridiscervus 2006-04-27 08:08 pm UTC (link)
	Yes, truly worthy of a Darwin Award. Why does no one blame pot, alcohol, or having a loaded gun lying around? (Reply to this) (Parent)(Thread)

(no subject) -

gatz111085, 2006-04-27 08:17 pm UTC

(no subject) -

1steelcobra, 2006-04-28 06:31 am UTC

Dude -

mjolnirjack, 2006-04-27 08:20 pm UTC

(no subject) -

zeonchar, 2006-04-28 12:14 am UTC

(no subject) -

1steelcobra, 2006-04-28 06:31 am UTC

(no subject) -

tollwutig, 2006-04-28 01:08 pm UTC

	'The VIDEO they'd been playing' tsknf 2006-04-27 06:49 pm UTC (link)
	ARRRRGGGHHH Games don't make me violent, people calling games 'videos' does... sigh another idiot who wants to use video games as a way to avoid jail. I mean seriously. What about the drugs, alchohol, and the bloody fact they had a gun lying around? And they say games are to blame? (Reply to this)

	Named the dog Jack grey_poet 2006-04-27 06:49 pm UTC (link)
	There's the ambulance, boy. Go get it, go get it! (Reply to this)

	aniki21 2006-04-27 06:50 pm UTC (link)
	Because pointing a gun at someone and pulling the trigger with the assumption that it's not loaded is obviously the game's fault. Jesus, if I found a shotgun under a bed, the first thing I'd check is if it's fucking loaded. (Reply to this) (Thread)

rol34
2006-04-28 10:09 am UTC (link)

not while you're drunk and stoned man....

wait a sec, he's not being charged with possesion of weed or alchohol, just "awwww poor baby, did the mean game make you pull the trigger on your buddy and it totally WASN'T the weed and alchohol induced stupor?"

kay. these parents are stupid AGAIN. who the HELL leaves a shot gun under the bed!?!

now I feel for the kid, he was being a total dumbass messing around with a gun but in his probable state he most likely didn't realize til he saw his buddy dead. but now he has to run the friggin videogame argument? gah! if they were watching the "Matrix" movies which is nothing BUT shooting, they wouldn't even consder it, even if the kid tried to run around the lving rooms walls and shot his friend.

(Reply to this) (Parent)

	Go figure. startropics 2006-04-27 06:51 pm UTC (link)
	"...was hanging out with some friends, drinking, smoking marijuana and playing GTA..." Of course, the marijuana and the drinking and the loaded shotgun had nothing to do with the guy shooting his friend, it was all GTA's fault. (Reply to this) (Thread)

	Re: Go figure. riffraff1138 2006-04-27 06:52 pm UTC (link)
	Your frontal lobes have been burned out by Take Two. GTA invented marijuana, alcohol, and guns. (Reply to this) (Parent)

Re: Go figure. -

rayzak2000, 2006-04-27 07:15 pm UTC

Re: Go figure. -

skemodan, 2006-04-27 07:53 pm UTC

Re: Go figure. -

beacon80, 2006-04-27 07:58 pm UTC

Re: Go figure. -

viridiscervus, 2006-04-27 08:10 pm UTC

Re: Go figure. -

sir_bissel, 2006-04-27 08:14 pm UTC

Re: Go figure. -

1steelcobra, 2006-04-28 06:36 am UTC

Re: Go figure. -

ocean_screamer, 2006-04-28 02:58 am UTC

goodrobotus
2006-04-27 06:51 pm UTC (link)

http://www.wavy.com/Global/story.asp?s=3050033
http://goliath.ecnext.com/comsite5/bin/pdinventory.pl?pdlanding=1&referid=2750&item_id=0199-1949253
http://www.wkrc.com/news/local/story.aspx?content_id=5D9BFB31-86FA-4861-B42C-7089F7C26302
http://newsfromrussia.com/fun/2002/01/11/25317.html
http://www.eosdev.com/rivers/ruthierivers.html
http://www.trinidadexpress.com/index.pl/article_news?id=123756506
http://www.wowt.com/home/headlines/907692.html
http://www.journalnow.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=WSJ/MGArticle/WSJ_BasicArticle&c=MGArticle&cid=1031784564889&path=!localnews!article&s=1037645509099

So what were these guys excuses apart from a horrible accident?

Anyway, who leaves a loaded gun laying around in a house with children in?

(Reply to this) (Thread)

	To quote Steven Colbert skemodan 2006-04-27 07:34 pm UTC (link)
	"Leaving a loaded gun in an unlocked drawer when the kids are alone WHAT ARE YOU HIGH?!" It was in response to that commercial where two kids are just sitting around smoking weed and suddenly one of them reaches into his dad's desk drawer and finds a gun then shoots his friend. (Reply to this) (Parent)(Thread)

Re: To quote Steven Colbert -

hadradi, 2006-04-27 07:44 pm UTC

Re: To quote Steven Colbert -

skemodan, 2006-04-27 08:00 pm UTC

Re: To quote Steven Colbert -

hadradi, 2006-04-27 08:25 pm UTC

Re: To quote Steven Colbert -

skemodan, 2006-04-27 08:55 pm UTC

Re: To quote Steven Colbert -

thefremen, 2006-04-27 11:35 pm UTC

Re: To quote Steven Colbert -

crtiger, 2006-04-28 12:32 am UTC

Re: To quote Steven Colbert -

jabrwock, 2006-04-27 07:55 pm UTC

Re: To quote Steven Colbert -

skemodan, 2006-04-27 08:04 pm UTC

Re: To quote Steven Colbert -

jabrwock, 2006-04-27 08:13 pm UTC

Re: To quote Steven Colbert -

skemodan, 2006-04-27 08:18 pm UTC

	He'll be out in a year, tops. startropics 2006-04-27 06:53 pm UTC (link)
	That pesky Youth Criminal Justice Act. Always letting kids get away with rape and murder. Jack, wanna be a hero in Canada? Go after the YCJA. (Reply to this) (Thread)

	Re: He'll be out in a year, tops. tsknf 2006-04-27 06:55 pm UTC (link)
	If your old enough to smoke drugs and shoot someone your old enough to stay in jail for a looong time... (Reply to this) (Parent)(Thread)

Re: He'll be out in a year, tops. -

startropics, 2006-04-27 06:58 pm UTC

Re: He'll be out in a year, tops. -

tsknf, 2006-04-27 07:02 pm UTC

Re: He'll be out in a year, tops. -

catch_33, 2006-04-27 07:12 pm UTC

Re: He'll be out in a year, tops. -

the1jeffy, 2006-04-27 08:07 pm UTC

Re: He'll be out in a year, tops. -

hadradi, 2006-04-27 07:18 pm UTC

Re: He'll be out in a year, tops. -

hadradi, 2006-04-27 07:22 pm UTC

Re: He'll be out in a year, tops. -

dachande18, 2006-04-27 08:27 pm UTC

	trencher 2006-04-27 06:53 pm UTC (link)
	Ahh it happened in Saskatoon... aka Buttfuck no where.... Dumbassville :) (Reply to this) (Thread)

	It actually happened in Winnipeg jabrwock 2006-04-27 07:29 pm UTC (link)
	Ahh it happened in Saskatoon... aka Buttfuck no where.... Dumbassville :) Hey! :) Actually, it happened in Winnipeg, but the Winnipeg newspaper needs a paid subscription to access... but it's the same story, since it was written by the Canadian Press. http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/subscriber/local/story/3466077p-4004926c.html (Reply to this) (Parent)(Thread)

Re: It actually happened in Winnipeg -

trencher, 2006-04-27 09:40 pm UTC

Re: It actually happened in Winnipeg -

jabrwock, 2006-04-27 09:45 pm UTC

Re: It actually happened in Winnipeg -

samsoneffect, 2006-04-28 02:49 am UTC

Re: It actually happened in Winnipeg -

winger_the_2nd, 2006-04-28 06:39 pm UTC

Chase the Siren Jack, go get it boy!

aceofwilds
2006-04-27 06:59 pm UTC (link)

Better chase that ambulance quick Jack! Sounds like another lawyer is trying to use your insane reasoning...but we all know you can outshine them all with pure lunacy.

The incident took placed in February, 2005, when the boy, 13 at the time, was hanging out with some friends, drinking, smoking marijuana and playing GTA. The boys found a shotgun under a bed and took turns passing it around.

I mean surely it wasn't the peer pressure, alcohol, or marijuana impairing their judgement...heavens no! The peculiar lack of gun control in the house? Naaaaah.

It's gotta be GTA. Totally. I mean the kid used the same stance as a fictional character! If that isn't legally binding right there I don't know what is.

(Reply to this) (Thread)

	Re: Chase the Siren Jack, go get it boy! nsbustin 2006-04-27 07:59 pm UTC (link)
	he wouldn't be able to practice here, we have a different criminal code and in order to practice he'd have to pass another bar exam or some sort of long drawn out process (Reply to this) (Parent)(Thread)

Re: Chase the Siren Jack, go get it boy! -

skemodan, 2006-04-27 08:20 pm UTC

jindewinter
2006-04-27 07:00 pm UTC (link)

Hmm they were getting drunk, getting high and playing with a gun and yet GTA made the kid do it because of the stance he took when he fired the gun? I must of missed that mission in GTA. Now I can see if the attorny would be going for an accidental murder charge or something like that. Not "The evil video games made my drunk and high client shoot his friend." And once again bad parenting at its finest, your kid is 13 fucking years old, drinking, getting high and playing GTA what retard was allowed to raise this kid? Also why would you keep a shotgun under the bed? and Loaded for that matter.

Brecht, who is attempting to secure a probationary sentence for his client, said the boy is haunted by nightmares and flashbacks.

Well I would hope so, he blew his friends face off. I am sickened that anytime a kid does something wrong and if it is known that anytime in his life he played GTA they use the equation
Kid + GTA = Video games made me do it

"The video they'd been playing had similar type of unruly behavior"
Another dumbass refering to them as videos.

(Reply to this) (Thread)

goodrobotus
2006-04-27 07:09 pm UTC (link)

Worse than that, the likes of Thompson are giving him an excuse to not have to face up to the responsibility of what he did, a 'Get out of Jail Free' card, as it were.

That kind of thinking will lead to an increase in these incidents, because kids will soon learn that they can say 'Computer Games made me do it!'. How long, I wonder, before people caught in Gang drive-bys etc will start trying to use this get out clause.

Thanks Jack, you've done a great job there of permitting violence.

(Reply to this) (Parent)(Thread)

(no subject) -

jindewinter, 2006-04-27 07:11 pm UTC

(no subject) -

felidae_, 2006-04-27 09:40 pm UTC

(no subject) -

redattack34, 2006-04-27 11:27 pm UTC

(no subject) -

1steelcobra, 2006-04-28 06:52 am UTC

	Nobody realized the gun was loaded... jabrwock 2006-04-27 07:01 pm UTC (link)
	I seem to recall the prosecution disputing that. Something about the boy originally claiming it was loaded with blanks... I'll have to dig around... (Reply to this) (Thread)

	Re: Nobody realized the gun was loaded... jabrwock 2006-04-27 07:03 pm UTC (link)
	nevermind, it was some equally stupid kid in the UK. (Reply to this) (Parent)(Thread)

Re: Nobody realized the gun was loaded... -

1steelcobra, 2006-04-28 06:56 am UTC

Re: Nobody realized the gun was loaded... -

toxic_offender, 2006-04-28 03:26 pm UTC

Re: Nobody realized the gun was loaded... -

shido_kusari, 2006-04-28 06:52 pm UTC

Re: Nobody realized the gun was loaded... -

1steelcobra, 2006-04-29 04:40 am UTC

	gun control jabrwock 2006-04-27 07:05 pm UTC (link)
	I wonder if the parents will be charged under our gun control laws with improper storage of a firearm? (Reply to this) (Thread)

	Re: gun control jindewinter 2006-04-27 07:09 pm UTC (link)
	Of course not, video games are to blame not the stupid ass parents who hid a loaded shotgun under the bed. (Reply to this) (Parent)(Thread)

Re: gun control -

toxic_offender, 2006-04-28 03:27 pm UTC

	Kid obviously didn't pay attention jabrwock 2006-04-27 07:10 pm UTC (link)
	The video they'd been playing had similar type of unruly behavior And if they'd truly been influenced, they'd have assumed that the gun was fully loaded, with automatic reload, and that pulling the trigger would shoot the gun, and fling the person they aimed at through the air... But since they assumed the gun was harmless, obviously they learned nothing from the game. (Reply to this)

	Question for attorney Rod Brecht... mcfly0612 2006-04-27 07:10 pm UTC (link)
	If I'm drinking and/or smoking marijuana while playing Super Mario Kart, could I then go out driving, be the cause of a horrible car wreck that resulted in at least one death, and say the "video" made me do it? (Reply to this) (Thread)

	Re: Question for attorney Rod Brecht... jindewinter 2006-04-27 07:14 pm UTC (link)
	According to his logic you could. (Reply to this) (Parent)(Thread)

Re: Question for attorney Rod Brecht... -

goodrobotus, 2006-04-27 07:16 pm UTC

Re: Question for attorney Rod Brecht... -

startropics, 2006-04-27 07:21 pm UTC

Re: Question for attorney Rod Brecht... -

shido_kusari, 2006-04-28 06:54 pm UTC

Re: Question for attorney Rod Brecht... -

mors_d, 2006-04-27 08:05 pm UTC

This Scapegoating and blame has gone on way too long

cer3bral4ssasin
2006-04-27 07:17 pm UTC (link)

WTF why can't people learn to take responsibility for their goddamn actions? Instead of saying "Rammstein, video games, and movies made me do it" why can't they own up and have some balls and say "I fucked up send me to jail"? We as a society need to learn to stop passing the buck and learn to own up to what we do wrong instead of spinning it and putting the blame on other people, places, things, etc

(Reply to this) (Thread)

Re: This Scapegoating and blame has gone on way too long

aceofwilds
2006-04-27 07:25 pm UTC (link)

WTF why can't people learn to take responsibility for their goddamn actions?

Because humanity is and always will be a flawed species. As long as we can get away with something without suffering consequences, we will.

We as a society need to learn to stop passing the buck and learn to own up to what we do wrong instead of spinning it and putting the blame on other people, places, things, etc

Of course I agree, but it will never, ever happen.

(Reply to this) (Parent)

Re: Question for attorney Rod Brecht... -

mors_d, 2006-04-27 08:01 pm UTC

Social Shift? -

hadradi, 2006-04-27 08:48 pm UTC

I Fucking Hate Defense Attorneys...

catch_33
2006-04-27 07:23 pm UTC (link)

The lawyer for a Canadian teen who shot and killed a friend during a session of Grand Theft Auto has plead guilty to the crime of "Criminal Negligence Causing Death." His lawyer blames GTA.

Figures.

"The video they'd been playing had similar type of unruly behavior"" said attorney Rod Brecht, who is quoted in The Star-Phoenix.

Vidoe? Then why are you blaming GTA? That's a video game, not a movie. Oh wait, you're a dumbass. My bad.

"They were all playing around," Brecht continued. "Everybody was getting along. Nobody realized the gun was loaded."

Of course not.

The incident took placed in February, 2005, when the boy, 13 at the time, was hanging out with some friends, drinking, smoking marijuana and playing GTA. The boys found a shotgun under a bed and took turns passing it around.

Yeah, I'm sure this had nothing to do with this at all. Nope. It was all that blasted video game's fault. What with it's ability to cloud one's judgement, slow a person's reflexes, and-Oh wait...No. It was the marijuana.

According to attorney Brecht, his client held the shotgun in a menacing stance as he had seen GTA characters do. The boy then pointed the gun at 15-year-old Preston Martin and - thinking it was unloaded - pulled the trigger. Martin was killed instantly.

If he was imitating a character from GTA, why did he point it at a person and pull the trigger knowing what would happen if he did? In the game, you have to empty the rounds into a target for the gun to no longer be loaded.

Brecht, who is attempting to secure a probationary sentence for his client, said the boy is haunted by nightmares and flashbacks.

He should be.

This Brecht guy needs a boot up his ass.

(Reply to this) (Thread)

Re: I Fucking Hate Defense Attorneys...

dog_welder
2006-04-27 09:48 pm UTC (link)

Defense attorneys provide a very necessary and needed service. Accused of a crime you didn't commit? You'll be happy that a defense attorney is there.

This particular defense attorney is a bit of a scumbag though. I know he's just trying to keep this kid out of jail, but there's no doubt the kid did it. Please it down; the kid spends a year in a juvie hall and has nightmares about this the rest of his life.

Then prosecute the parents for criminal negligence and child endangerment for leaving a LOADED SHOTGUN under a bed in the house.

(Reply to this) (Parent)(Thread)

Re: I Fucking Hate Defense Attorneys... -

dog_welder, 2006-04-27 09:48 pm UTC

Gun safety tips

dog_welder
2006-04-27 07:28 pm UTC (link)

I grew up around guns. I know how to use them as I've received training, and at one point I was rated as an expert marksman with several varieties of firearms. (And no, you can not become an expert marksman by playing a video game. Got that, Jack?) Every time I see an article like this I chalk it up to complete dumbassery, not to video games.

1) Never keep a loaded gun in the house.
2) Store ammunition in a different location than the guns.
3) Guns should be stored in a lockable gun locker, especially if there are kids in the house.
4) The NRA offers safety courses for kids (well, and adults, too). If you do have kids and keep guns in the house, these are recommended. (Kids that are taught to respect and properly handle a firearm are much less likely to misuse one.)
5) When handling a gun, assume it is loaded until you check to make sure it is not.
6) Never point a gun at another person. This rule applies to loaded and unloaded guns.
7) Never use a gun while impaired by drugs or alcohol.

I would hope that the owner of this gun is being prosecuted for criminal negligence in this case. And the kids were busy drinking and smoking marijuana? Where the hell were the parents? I'm pretty sure that this kid did not MEAN to kill his friend. This is a very tragic and very PREVENTABLE accident.

A few quick facts:

A shotgun is one of the easiest guns to load, aim and fire. Most models do not have any sort of a safety mechanism. Depending upon what it is loaded with, aim and accuracy are secondary to actually hitting a target. Doing this does not take special training, and it is not something you necessarily learn from a video game. It's a weapon that most people can figure out quickly, and some models are much simpler than others.

(Reply to this) (Thread)

	Forgot one. kurisu7885 2006-04-27 08:04 pm UTC (link)
	Never point a gun at ANYTHING unless you intend to destroy it. (Reply to this) (Parent)

Re: Gun safety tips -

gatz111085, 2006-04-27 08:20 pm UTC

NRA -

hadradi, 2006-04-27 08:32 pm UTC

Re: Gun safety tips -

terr0rflare, 2006-04-27 10:49 pm UTC

Re: Gun safety tips -

1steelcobra, 2006-04-28 07:41 am UTC

	Jack's 48th account.... cecil475 2006-04-27 07:29 pm UTC (link)
	will be here, I bet. - Warren Lewis (Reply to this) (Thread)

	Re: Jack's 48th account.... ianc14 2006-04-27 09:17 pm UTC (link)
	You where right, sadly. Says hes helping out. (Reply to this) (Parent)

	By The Way... catch_33 2006-04-27 07:30 pm UTC (link)
	I'd love to see Jack jump on this one. Seriously, this case, more than any other, is one in which the absence of the video game would not have changed the outcome. Drinking, smoking, an unlocked firearm, and some inexperienced young boys? How many times have we heard this tale minus the video game/movie/CD? Too much precedent. (Reply to this) (Thread)

Re: By The Way...

catch_33
2006-04-28 03:35 am UTC (link)

Oh man, he didn't. No, there's no way.

He did:

I'm delighted to be able to assist this defense counsel. Of course GTA helped cause the death.

*shakes head* Apparently, Jack didn't read the part about the drinking and smoking.

Granted, Jack hates games, and would love to see the whole world toss them in a big pile and burn them, but is really so stupid that he thinks this one's going to work?

A Dallas youth was acquitted of a similar offence four years ago, having utilized a video game defense.

I'm willing to bet Jack's pretty happy about this. Granted, he's mentioned before that he wants games to share the blame, not bear it fully, but that's a lie. Like I said, the destruction of all games would make him very happy, and that's what this is really all about.

I really think a prosecutor needs to indict Paul Eibeler as an accessory to all of these crimes. He's putting a dangerous instrumentality into the hands of kids. He might as well be pulling the trigger.

See, this is the stuff I'm talking about. His ability to pretend he truly believes that is astounding.

Let go of your hate Jack. It's the only way you're getting into Heaven.

(Reply to this) (Parent)

How About Deeze Apples?

philbobaggins
2006-04-27 07:32 pm UTC (link)

Aside from the obvious things that happened in the house to start with.

Isn't GTA:SA (I'm assuming for the sake of the arguement) rated -ADULTS ONLY-? That on top of the booze, weed, and loaded shotgun shouldn't give that argument a leg to stand on... Too bad that people believe that games make you sin, just like what happened with marijuana on its own. Voodoo Pharmicology, I believe it was called. I wonder what interesting catchphrase will be used for the argument that games make you sin, aside from Pixelante

(Reply to this) (Thread)

	Re: By The Way... jabrwock 2006-04-27 07:33 pm UTC (link)
	Isn't GTA:SA (I'm assuming for the sake of the arguement) rated -ADULTS ONLY-? Not the decaffeinated version. :) (Reply to this) (Parent)(Thread)

Re: By The Way... -

goodrobotus, 2006-04-27 07:43 pm UTC

Re: By The Way... -

jabrwock, 2006-04-27 07:50 pm UTC

Re: By The Way... -

philbobaggins, 2006-04-28 09:15 pm UTC

Smokin' weed, smokin' weed, doin coke, drinkin' beers

skemodan
2006-04-27 07:43 pm UTC (link)

drinkin' beers beers beers. Rollin' fatties, smokin' blunts. Who smokes the blunts? We smokes the blunts.

And so forth...

Either way, some people should not smoke marijuana. These people often have napoleon complexes and usually play a varsity sport. These individuals will often only smoke weed because its the "cool thing to do" and will seek to find any source of amusement whilst high. Sources of amusement often include: Playing GTA...because it is my sincere belief that you need to be high in order to enjoy this game in any way, re-enacting scenes from video games...because you're too stupid to know the difference between reality and a fucking video game, searching your house for your dad's shotgun, pulling the trigger on a shotgun EVEN IF YOU THINK ITS NOT LOADED!

Seriously folks! What kind of moron fires a shotgun in a house. I don't care if its unloaded and the safety is on, DON'T PULL THE TRIGGER! This is common fucking sense. Don't stare into the barrel, I don't care if your finger is nowhere near the trigger. Always point the gun down when carrying it. This is COMMON FUCKING SENSE!

These idiots have much BIGGER problems than playing video games and smoking weed. These guys were total braindead idiots.

I can't see how the video games made him do it. GTA didn't hand him a shotgun. His stance is irrelevant at that point.

And seriously, if GTA taught him how to fire a gun, you'd think it would teach kids how to handle guns safely right? Oh wait no, its a fucking video game where you can carry around a bazooka in your back pocket like it was loose change...just like in the real world.

UGH! I WANT OFF THIS PLANET! DAN WANTS OFF MOMMY!!

(Reply to this) (Thread)

	Re: Smokin' weed, smokin' weed, doin coke, drinkin' beers jabrwock 2006-04-27 07:48 pm UTC (link)
	And seriously, if GTA taught him how to fire a gun, you'd think it would teach kids how to handle guns safely right? Or at least teach him that pulling the trigger fires the gun. Duh. Anyone "brainwashed" by the game would instantly know that pulling the trigger fires the gun, no loading needed... (Reply to this) (Parent)(Thread)

Re: Smokin' weed, smokin' weed, doin coke, drinkin' beers -

skemodan, 2006-04-27 08:06 pm UTC

Re: Smokin' weed, smokin' weed, doin coke, drinkin' beers -

spudsey, 2006-04-27 08:48 pm UTC

Re: Smokin' weed, smokin' weed, doin coke, drinkin' beers -

skemodan, 2006-04-27 08:56 pm UTC

My thoughts

andrew_eisen
2006-04-27 07:43 pm UTC (link)

The game allows players to assume the role of a criminal who is rewarded for randomly shooting police officers and civilians.

Unless your definition of “rewarded” is different than mine, no, it doesn’t.

As he'd seen in the video game, his client then held the gun in a menacing fashion, pointed it toward 15-year-old Preston Martin and fired. "The video they'd been playing had similar type of unruly behaviour," said Brecht. "They were all playing around, everybody was getting along. Nobody realized the gun was loaded." Martin died immediately from a single blast to the head.

First of all, if they were mimicking the game, they would have anticipated those exact results. Second, why on Earth would anyone ever point a shotgun at someone’s head and pull the trigger without checking to see if it’s loaded?

The teen...and several other youths were drinking, smoking marijuana...

Oh.

Andrew Eisen

(Reply to this) (Thread)

Re: My thoughts

jabrwock
2006-04-27 07:46 pm UTC (link)

First of all, if they were mimicking the game, they would have anticipated those exact results.

That's what I said. :)

Second, why on Earth would anyone ever point a shotgun at someone’s head and pull the trigger without checking to see if it’s loaded? The teen...and several other youths were drinking, smoking marijuana... Oh.

Conclusion? It was OBVIOUSLY the video game's fault. Certainly not the intoxicating substances they were high/drunk on... /sarcasm

If this had happened sans the game, they would have blamed the fact that they were drunk/high, and not in control of their actions.

This is just another version of the "mitigating circumstances" excuse. Which doesn't work up here. If you are drunk and kill someone, you still killed them, and are just as guilty.

(Reply to this) (Parent)(Thread)

Re: My thoughts -

andrew_eisen, 2006-04-27 08:17 pm UTC

Re: My thoughts -

jabrwock, 2006-04-27 08:22 pm UTC

Re: My thoughts -

aloysiusblack, 2006-04-27 09:46 pm UTC

	ianc14 2006-04-27 07:44 pm UTC (link)
	"The video they'd been playing had similar type of unruly behavior" Duh, you play videos now? (Reply to this) (Thread)

	riffraff1138 2006-04-27 07:58 pm UTC (link)
	Of course! When you put a video into the VCR, which button do you push to make it go? Play! (Reply to this) (Parent)

artheleron
2006-04-27 07:48 pm UTC (link)

Ugh. I'm sorry, but the game didn't cause anything.

I live directly next to the train tracks that go through town. I routinely have several hundred train cars roaring by. I could totally jump on one like cowboys do in old western's. It would not be Clint Eastwood's fault I'm too goddamn stupid to NOT jump at several thousand tons of speeding steel.

It's not Take Two's fault these drunken, stoned, underage kids were too stupid to check if they were holding a loaded shotgun. I mean, MAYBE if the PS2 spontaniously spat the disc out, causing it to hit the trigger and discharge the firearm, I'd buy the "OMGZ, GTA did it!!" defense.

But then, it's this Defense lawyer's job to say all this. So I've got no problem, because he's not trying to profit off of a tragedy, he's just trying to keep a poor kid who made a massively boneheaded decision from being carted off to jail. Even if he does deserve it.

(Reply to this) (Thread)

	jabrwock 2006-04-27 07:53 pm UTC (link)
	Best tactic as a defense lawyer. BLAME EVERYTHING. The moon, aliens, the nazis, that small bit of fluff that floated by. Anything to get your client off... (Reply to this) (Parent)

Interesting

finn_maccumhail
2006-04-27 08:03 pm UTC (link)

I'm looking forward to hearing about how the Canadian media and politicians handle this. I'm fairly certain if it had happened in the US we'd already be seeing Jack and company on every 24 hour news program...I wonder if our northern neighbors will show a little more intelligence. Ideally they'd turn their collective wrath on the pot, booze, or guns, since any of the 3 would make a lot more sense then GTA. But we'll see.

(Reply to this) (Thread)

	Re: Interesting kurisu7885 2006-04-27 08:05 pm UTC (link)
	We;re gonna hear that scumbag claiming he's helpign with this case anyway. (Reply to this) (Parent)

Re: Interesting -

jabrwock, 2006-04-27 08:21 pm UTC

They won't handle it. -

startropics, 2006-04-28 03:38 pm UTC

(323 comments) - (Post a new comment)

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