gamepolitics: Jack Thompson Ready to Drop Another Game Violence Lawsuit?

Game Politics (

gamepolitics) wrote,
@ 2006-09-23 11:18:00

Entry tags:

gta, jack thompson, lawsuits, take-two

Jack Thompson Ready to Drop Another Game Violence Lawsuit?

Jack Thompson has been teasing a planned lawsuit which he says will be announced Monday.

On Friday GP was treated to a subject-line only e-mail which read, "So, Dennis, you going to my big news conference Monday?"

Not if you don't tell me where it is, Jack.

Later, GP and GameSpot received a similar message, saying only, "Big news conference by Jack Thompson Monday. Hooah!"

Hooah, indeed. This morning the anti-game activist dropped a little more news in the comments section of GP's The Political Game column on Joystiq. Thompson wrote:

"On Monday, September 25, Thompson will journey to another state and announce, with his co-counsel, the filing of what will likely prove to be hugely significant wrongful death action against Sony and Take-Two..."

So, it's a GTA case...

"One thing Thompson will talk about at the news conference are the ways in which the industry has targeted him and his family for harm in retaliation for his appearance on 60 Minutes... One thing that is useful in what is going to occur Monday is that the prosecutor of the kid who killed in this instance actually called Thompson and asked him to bring this lawsuit..."

GP has requested clarification via e-mail, but received none. We could speculate on a few cases, but it's probably best to wait for Monday's announcement.

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(56 comments) - (Post a new comment)

	ianc14 2006-09-23 04:05 pm UTC (link)
	I cant help but think that this will make or break him, if he goes ahead with it. (Reply to this) (Thread)

	kurisu7885 2006-09-23 04:28 pm UTC (link)
	IMO, break seems most likely, especially if anyone tried to debate him, or is rude, which he won't be able to avoid by ignoring people's questions. (Reply to this) (Parent)

	Place your bets now cyn1c42 2006-09-23 04:08 pm UTC (link)
	Will JT's conduct result in him getting thrown off the case like what happened in Alabama? (Reply to this) (Thread)

	Re: Place your bets now dustin1986 2006-09-23 04:29 pm UTC (link)
	Yes. (Reply to this) (Parent)(Thread)

Re: Place your bets now -

kyouryuu, 2006-09-23 07:20 pm UTC

Re: Place your bets now -

jojostix, 2006-09-23 08:44 pm UTC

Re: Place your bets now -

nleseul, 2006-09-24 12:26 am UTC

Another exaggerated press release from Jack Thompson...

kungfu_tse
2006-09-23 04:29 pm UTC (link)

...and another blunder that will just come and go.

Remember how the Alabama case was going to make the O.J. Simpson case look like "quilting bees"? That of course resulted in him being booted off for "bizarre and childlike behavior".

Or how about the lawsuit against the Floridar Bar? You know, the one he was 100% sure he would win?

Oh yeah, and those protests in New York were spectacular.

And how about that Louisiana law? You know, the one that he knew how to make "constitutional"?

(Reply to this)

beardoggx
2006-09-23 05:02 pm UTC (link)

First off, what recent cases, other than Montreal? The Robida case?

Second off, $600 million a low amount? Please, that's almost three times the current PowerBall jackpot($203 million for tonight) and more than three times the amount of the New York Yankees payroll this year($194,663,079).

More hyperbole from a Florida attorney whose made more asinine comments since dinosaurs roamed the Earth.

This half-a-man is trult pathetic, knowing he's lost every case he's ever filed against the industry, not counting on-going cases.

(Reply to this)

	Uh... vansau 2006-09-23 05:07 pm UTC (link)
	Is it just me, or is JT's writing ability actually going downhill? Also, why would he let his opponents know what he's going to do? How is that good legal thinking? (Reply to this) (Thread)

	Re: Uh... gamepolitics 2006-09-23 05:13 pm UTC (link)
	well, I think he's trying to generate some publicity. (Reply to this) (Parent)(Thread)

(Deleted post)

Re: Uh... -

gamepolitics, 2006-09-23 05:32 pm UTC

Re: Uh... -

bm03, 2006-09-23 07:55 pm UTC

Re: Uh... -

ianc14, 2006-09-23 05:26 pm UTC

Re: Uh... -

phoenixzero, 2006-09-23 09:50 pm UTC

Re: Uh... -

kyouryuu, 2006-09-23 11:54 pm UTC

Re: Uh... -

stufff, 2006-09-23 05:51 pm UTC

	Oh Jack... viridiscervus 2006-09-23 05:33 pm UTC (link)
	Still using the 3rd person, still plugging his visit on 60 minutes... (Reply to this) (Thread)

	Re: Oh Jack... getwellgamer 2006-09-23 05:35 pm UTC (link)
	Seriously. 60 Minutes? How many years ago was that at this point? (Anyone notice how the best coverage he can get lately is Attack of the Show?) (Reply to this) (Parent)

A Comparison...

zento06
2006-09-23 05:43 pm UTC (link)

Every time Jack Thompson opens his mouth, he always seems to remind of Al Gore's character on the South Park episode "ManBearPig".

In it, Gore runs around trying to warn the public of the single greatest threat to humanity...ManBearPig, a creature who is half-man, half-bear, and half-pig. Already, you can see the similarities between the character and Jack Thompson, like their flawed and borderline retarded logic.

Later in the episode, Gore takes the kids to a cave where he believes ManBearPig might be hiding, and in the process causes the cave entrances to collapse and traps the kids in the cave. The similarities continue, where both Gore and Thompson ask other people for help, then end up screwing their "helpers" over while they come out unscathed and being able to continue spewing their nonsense.

Now, while everyone else is trying to get the kids out (keep in the mind that this is the main problem), Gore runs around telling people to forget about the kids and instead flood the cave in hopes of drowning ManBearPig. Obviously, no one listens or believes him, so Gore starts growing upset and cries and yells, "I'm super serial!" Again with the similarities, Gore and Thompson continue to ignore the main problem, and instead choose a course of action where they end up hurting people instead of helping them. And now that people are ignoring his "advice", he grows whiny and child-like.

So, deciding to take matters into his own hands again, Gore puts a dam in a nearby river, causing water to flow into the cave. Now everyone believes the kids are dead, and during the funeral they hold at the cave, Gore gives a speech: "And although ManBearPig is now dead, it came at a heavy price, and we'll never forget the names of those four little boys...Kid #1, Kid #2, Kid #3, and Kid #4." Just like Gore, Thompson always seems to hold people back from solving the real problem. And while he claims that he's helping the victims, he really doesn't care about them as long as he gets what he wants.

I know this comparison sounds confusing and you really need to see the episode in order to understand what I'm saying, but all you really need to remember is this...Jack Thompson is not helping to fix the problem, he's only hindering it. And all so he can get what he wants.

(Reply to this) (Thread)

	Re: A Comparison... brokenscope 2006-09-23 06:55 pm UTC (link)
	That was one of the most well thought out comparisons i have ever seen. (Reply to this) (Parent)(Thread)

Re: A Comparison... -

zento06, 2006-09-24 03:38 am UTC

	zantor64 2006-09-23 06:40 pm UTC (link)
	From everything I've heard about that idiot, he's just full of shit. That's my straight out opinion. (Reply to this)

anchoriteblue
2006-09-23 07:21 pm UTC (link)

yes, i thought the same thing about his writing ability. I actually said out loud while reading it "I thought this guy was a lawyer?"

Zento, that's awesome.

JT states that this kid who did the shooting called him and asked him to file the lawsuit. Of course. The kid who did the shooting wants to blame video games for what he did so he can get off on some twisted form of an insanity plea. Duh. Way to go, JT, in trying to help this kid escape the consequences of his actions so you can get more publicity now that everyone realizes you are crazy. Why can't he see that its the kids that are the problem, not the video games?

(Reply to this)

The bright side of these idiotic lawsuits...

boffo97
2006-09-23 07:30 pm UTC (link)

...is that the second one gets tossed out of court, it kills all the other ones. Criminal cases love them their precedents.

In order for this to succeed, Jack and his "colleagues" would have to prove beyond reasonable doubt that GTA *directly caused* this real life violence, and that the kid in question would have never been violent had GTA never existed.

That should be pretty well impossible.

(Reply to this)

	garbagepa1lk1d 2006-09-23 07:48 pm UTC (link)
	I can't wait until the Daily Show gets a hold of Jack. (Reply to this)

Uh?

rcagent
2006-09-23 09:22 pm UTC (link)

"One thing Thompson will talk about at the news conference are the ways in which the industry has targeted him and his family for harm in retaliation for his appearance on 60 Minutes...

I can't help but laugh and smile at that. If anyone is harming Jack's family, it's Jack himself. Must suck to go to school when your father is a crazy maniac lawyer who publically likes to make a ass of himself.

And how long as has it been on that 60 minutes thing? Like...3 or 4 years? Does Jack always have to reference that? Was that the "High" point of his career? Talk about having your head up your ass.

(Reply to this)

	cecil475 2006-09-23 09:35 pm UTC (link)
	I see Thompson is whoring himself to others again. - Warren Lewis (Reply to this)

	father_time89 2006-09-23 09:56 pm UTC (link)
	Has anyone err actually seen oh I don't know real proof that the case is going forward next year?? Don't they announce that stuff in a more official way then posting on Joystiq? (Reply to this)

	maybe... thejccalhoun 2006-09-23 10:02 pm UTC (link)
	Maybe Jack will finally open up jackandgoliath.com which he told us was coming months ago... (Reply to this)

	rsteinke 2006-09-23 10:05 pm UTC (link)
	What bothers me about this is just HOW Jack this really is. Call someone out, don't tell them when, where or how to show up, refuse to respond to them when they ASK when where or how to show up, declare yourself the winner when NOBODY SHOWS UP. It's almost TOO Jack, like Jack has been replaced with some kind of Auto-Jack, a Jack-booted-Jack-bot as it were. (Reply to this)

He doesn't take anything seriously does he?

dustin1986
2006-09-23 10:24 pm UTC (link)

He won't even make an effort to come across as "professional" anymore. He has nothing but comtempt for any video game blog or news site. It's all just a joke to him. He's just having a little fun in the most childish way. Telling people to "grow up" is one of his favorite insults. Does "Big news conference by Jack Thompson Monday. Hooah!" sound very grown up to you? He could at least pretend to have some amount of respect.

(Reply to this) (Thread)

	Re: He doesn't take anything seriously does he? bm03 2006-09-24 03:15 pm UTC (link)
	I asked him that on the Joystiq comments last week- if that sort of language/behaviour/tone/whatever was the sort of thing he sent out to mainstream news news outlets, or if it was just for us. Shockingly, what I got back was a torrent of abuse and self-important willy-waving. /b (Reply to this) (Parent)

	Ugg.. lost_watcher 2006-09-23 10:24 pm UTC (link)
	I thought he was going to cool down a bit... But nooooo... He picked right back up again. >_ (Reply to this)

	Well... scazza 2006-09-23 10:52 pm UTC (link)
	The reason why he is not mentioning the location of the conference to anyone in the game industry is because he does not wish anyone to actually provide questions that might show how much of a fraud he is. So in otherwords, FOX news and a handful of other shoddy sensationalism-loving news outlets will be in attendance. (Reply to this)

	ace_ofspade 2006-09-23 11:49 pm UTC (link)
	Its too bad he can't post here anymore. Its kind of boring and humorless without him. (Reply to this) (Thread)

	Of course... terminator44 2006-09-24 02:51 am UTC (link)
	There's always the possibility that he'll email spam you like he did to me and ianc14. That'll surely bring you a few laughs. (Reply to this) (Parent)(Thread)

Re: Of course... -

phoenixzero, 2006-09-24 06:16 am UTC

Re: Of course... -

ianc14, 2006-09-24 08:33 am UTC

	eternallegenduk 2006-09-23 11:56 pm UTC (link)
	Jack who? Wasn't he on TV or something a while ago? Loads of people made fun of him and he sued them, or something. Was that him? I thought he was dead. Jack, even the gamers don't really care what you have to say any more. Give it up, son. (Reply to this)

Spin Spin Sugar

goliathwins
2006-09-24 12:34 am UTC (link)

Yeah I'm sure if he didn't appear on 60 Minutes and stuck to just harassing and insulting an entire community and providing them with his email address and phone number in the same posts, people would have left him alone. That's the guy you want shrieking about causality, right there.

I would love to see a comparison with predominant personalities in this debate who actually are successful at what they do and aren't actively trolling. I'm sure they must be getting their share of hate mail (as any public figure in any sort of domain would) but the death threat to legitimate discussion ratio would have to be much lower. Next article, GP?

(Reply to this) (Thread)

	Re: Spin Spin Sugar gamepolitics 2006-09-24 12:41 am UTC (link)
	I've always taken a strong stand against anyone harassing JT in any way. OTOH, I'm troubled by his inclusion of personal contact info when posting inflammatory material on game web sites (Reply to this) (Parent)

Here's what I don't get

hayabusa75
2006-09-24 01:01 am UTC (link)

In the criminal trial, Judge Moore flat-out refused to hear any evidence that GTA caused Devin Moore to kill, and then they sentenced him to the needle. Why then, in the civil case against Sony, did he not approve summary judgement? The industry lawyers made the motion based on the idea that there isn't enough evidence to connect the game industry, which I thought the judge was agreed with in the criminal case.

Seems very contradictory to me, although I don't know what chance those people will have against the industry's lawyers and a shitload of unfavorable legal precedence anyway.

Oh, and good luck Charlie Brown, you just keep trying to kick that football.

(Reply to this) (Thread)

Re: Here's what I don't get

gamepolitics
2006-09-24 01:15 am UTC (link)

perhaps one of the legal eagles who read GP will weigh in on this.

But the short answer is that the standard of evidence is much higher in a criminal case.

Also, don't buy JT's position that the court somehow validated his case. It simply said it couldn't be dismissed on its face. That's a long way from proving a case.

Interesting also is that JT lauds this move by the AL judiciary while elsewhere attacking them for tossing him off the case.

(Reply to this) (Parent)(Thread)

Re: Here's what I don't get -

stormwardenace, 2006-09-24 02:40 am UTC

Re: Here's what I don't get -

hayabusa75, 2006-09-24 12:35 pm UTC

	When does it become harassment? verbinator 2006-09-24 03:23 am UTC (link)
	At what point does continually filing (unfounded) civil lawsuits of this nature become harassment or even malicious prosecution? (Reply to this) (Thread)

	Re: When does it become harassment? gamepolitics 2006-09-24 04:09 am UTC (link)
	that's a judgment call that the defendants in the suits need to make (Reply to this) (Parent)(Thread)

Re: When does it become harassment? -

verbinator, 2006-09-24 02:04 pm UTC

	khy 2006-09-24 05:04 am UTC (link)
	Bully's coming out on OCTOBER 17 and there was the school shooting recently in Quebec (where the the shooter was a fan of the Super Columbine RPG) so jack coming out again is no surprise. (Reply to this)

(56 comments) - (Post a new comment)

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