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Jack Thompson To Face Contempt Charge
Gamasutra has the story (by way of the currently-down GamePolitics) that Jack Thompson could be facing a contempt charge over his antics during the Bully fiasco. From the article: "According to the report, the contempt of court request could find Thompson facing jail time, though it is more likely that 'fines, judicial admonishment or censure' would result from this most recent turn of events. The report also notes that attorneys representing the Philadelphia law firm Blank-Rome have filed a 'Petition for Order to Show Cause,' which requires Thompson to illustrate to a judge why he should not be held in contempt."
I know people have the right to freedom of speech, but I wish he'd use his right to remain silent for once!
This guy has some issues. Problably from playing too many games as a kid.
"The past was erased, the erasure was forgotten, the lie became truth." ~1984 George Orwell
In an email to GamePolitics, Thompson has responded to this request, writing, "You want to play hardball...? You want to try to throw me in jail? You have no idea what you are unleashing in doing this. You're at the brink..."
Jesus.
The report also notes that attorneys representing the Philadelphia law firm Blank-Rome have filed a 'Petition for Order to Show Cause,' which requires Thompson to illustrate to a judge why he should not be held in contempt."
But can someone more legally inclined tell me why his response shouldn't be "because I'm innocent until proven guilty"?
It sounds like they've issued a petition to force Thompson to show he did no wrong.
"It is a miracle that curiosity survives formal education." -Albert Einstein
Huzzah for the overcrowded US Prison System! JT is certain to have his hoop stretched to an uncomfortable size 9 by someone who was imprisoned for Grand Theft Auto!
You see 'em? They're EVERYWHERE!
I want Joe Pesci to play Thompson in the upcoming movie, "Game Wars".
Can you imagine Pesci saying, "You want to play hardball...? You want to try to throw me in jail? You have no idea what you are unleashing in doing this. You're at the brink..."
That he is the most brilliant guerrila marketeer the world has ever seen. A crazed laywer making claims about things he knows nothing about, all in the name of protecting the children. Its like trying to get the KKK to vocally vote for your opposition!
"You don't know the history of barratry! I do! You're just being glib!"
Since "jump the couch" is taken by Hollywood UFO-cultists, I hereby declare that Jack Thompson has officially "thrown the chair".
Never before have I advocated a severe beating for another person until I discovered who Jack Thompson was.
Tell him about the red hot gay action to be had in Bully.
The court is waiting for the Mad Hatter to return from his tea break and the Red Queen is still sharpening her axe to take his head it off.
...but it was banned due to violent content.
Rockstar releases this: http://www.joystiq.com/2006/10/22/boy-on-boy-kiss
Jack goes to jail for making a ruckuss about 'Bully'
Rockstar bribes warden of Jail, installs cameras and arranges 'special accomodations' for dear ol' Jack.
Jack gets to spend some quality time with some new friends (Read: Bullies)
Rockstar includes some great vid captures of Jack in their new game
.... Needs some hot coffee.
This is my opinion. To make sure you don't steal it, it's covered by the DMCA.
Not. Jacks. Job. Thank you very fucking much. Bye.
From Wikipedia:
"In sending documents to opponents, Thompson would frequently attach a photocopy of his driver's license, with a photo of Batman pasted over his own, just to make sure they knew who they were dealing with."
That's "Mr. Soulless Automaton" to you, Bub.
His guerilla maketing campaign for Bully has been nothing short of brilliant. Thanks to Jack, Bully has been at the top of the headlines for weeks and weeks prior to its release.
Well done, I say.
None of them can see the clouds; The polished wings don't care.
...I've been waiting for one, thinking that someone would at least make a simple mod using Jack Thompson graphics to beat upon. Heck, after looking at his quoted e-mail, maybe he should be the main character!
;)
Seriously, a Jack Thompson game would be hilarious. It could have characters like judges, geeks, thinkofthechildren, something to really disturb others by showing "the truth of it all"
RTFA. This wasn't the judge telling Jack the Dripper to show cause that he shouldn't be thrown in the slammer for contempt. This was Take-Two Games's lawyers filing a motion to ASK the judge to do that. IMHO, it's a bit tacky, but then this *is* Jack Thompson they're asking it about, so he's not in any position to take the high road here.
Bill Stewart
New Fast-Compression-only CPR http://preview.tinyurl.com/dy575ks
Does he think Blank-Rome is some kind of hick law firm in a backwater town? I seriously doubt they are underestimating what Thompson can "unleash" at any given time. How many different ways does everyone have to tell this guy to STFU?
"I forgot my mantra."
RTFA. This isn't the judge telling Thompson to prove he's not in contempt, it's Take-Two's lawyers filing a motion to ask the judge to do that. A vituperative rant at Take-Two (not at the judge) would be perfectly appropriate at this point, if it were anyone other than Jack, but what we got instead was a wimpy quasi-threatening vituperative rant instead of a better-thought-out rant along the lines of "See, Judge, this just shows what bullies those eeeevilllll gamerrrrzzzz are!" Plaintiffs and defendants can contemn each other all they want, as long as they don't contemn the judge or the court.
Bill Stewart
New Fast-Compression-only CPR http://preview.tinyurl.com/dy575ks
(I wanted to write "no, he's just snarling like the shark he jumped" or something along those lines, but you can only twist a metaphor so far, given that sharks don't actually snarl....)
Bill Stewart
New Fast-Compression-only CPR http://preview.tinyurl.com/dy575ks
Jack Thompson must have had some severely traumatizing experience with video games as a child.
Maybe he had a brother that played too much pacman, chowed down on some pills and then ate his mother.
"You want to play hardball...? You want to try to throw me in jail? You have no idea what you are unleashing in doing this. You're at the brink..."
That's pretty contemptible remark there, bully boy. You know, the judge didn't even make his last ruling with prejudice. I think that the next time you are struck down, you won't even be appealing to him anymore. Sure, you'll be able make all the noise you want, but he won't hear you!
One really shouldn't be playing brinksmanship when he has so many holes in case. But really, on the hole, I think this judge is feeling pretty good. Eh hole? Hahahah. Yeah Jack, I'm flaming you. Burn in hell.
This is the greatest thing I have ever read on slashdot. I have been waiting for years to see him get what's coming to him.
Why is it that merely reading a single headline can bring a BIG smile to my face. I don't hate this man, but I seriously believe that he is nothing more than a publicity whore.
If anyone is interested, here is an open letter I wrote to Jack Thompson a few months ago. It pretty much sums up my opinion on this man. Yes, I know it's MySpace, but I'm cheap and it's free.
If we give him a peanut and ignore him will he go away?
I emailed Jack once to tell him he is a moron. He replied back with his resume. He is clearly not a credible threat to anything but himself. If you'd like to email him, send a note to his ironic email:
jackpeace@comcast.net
Thompson continued, "Who you think I am? I kill all you f***in' assholes. I take you all to f***in' hell! You need an army you hear! An army to kill me!"
Jack Thompson makes for a curiously good study of the psychology of other such "crusaders for the children", and there have been many in history. Starting with Meletus, who prosecuted Socrates for being ""a doer of evil, who corrupts the youth; and who does not believe in the gods of the state, but has other new divinities of his own" we can trace multiple examples of those who sought to place themselves in a position of youth advocate, if only to bolster their own narrow ideology of what young people should be taught. Religion has certainly always played a large hand in such crusades, as shown by some of the more spectacular witch trials in which supposedly afflicted children were the primary evidence and witnesses for prosecution. In the last century, we see striking examples in the early days of rock and roll in which a young Ronald Reagan is found wondering "are these people just showing their individuality, or is it possible that there is a plot involved?"
Along this vein of standing against that which is popular among youth yet deemed subversive by older, establishment types, their value can be found in actually helping to further that which they stand against. Jack Thompson doesn't like violent video games. Thus, his cause and his rallying cry against them only serve to bring more attention to those games by society in general and youth in particular who find yet another way to piss off their parents.
Taken from http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Jack_Thompson_(attorn ey)
Sweet, sweet justice.
Don't throw the justice tag around so lightly! Why would putting Jack Thompson in jail be just? How would it help undo the damage he has done? It is perhaps ironic that his use of the legal system has come back to bite him, but it is in no way just.
Really, the justice system is grossly misnamed. A sincere public apology followed by twenty years of advocating on the side of the games industry AGAINST such bullshit would probably be just, but that will never happen.
And actually tried to play "E.T." on the 2600 when he was a kid.
Atari! What hath thou wrought?!
Just because you can mod me down, doesn't mean you're right. Shoes for industry!
Jack Thompson should serve out any contempt of court sentence as a prisoner at a CIA detention facility in Uzbekistan with a "return not required" sign around his neck.
Tech Public Policy stuff
RTFP. Jack disobeyed a court order, and Take-Two's lawyers are pointing it out to the judge and telling the judge to ask him why he did what he did.
Yank his license to practice law? From past history I'd assume that JT will become combative, rather than apologize... so can they please pull it then?
You don't have to hate the man to hate the ignorance which he represents.
I'd love to see this forever immortalized as a legal judgement in caselaw as "JACK THOMPSON PWNED!!"
I admit to having some egg on my face in that regard, but that's not even the best of it, IMHO. His response to being held in contempt of court was to tell the judge and the court that they had no idea on how to interpret law. He also said that the motion was "slithering in bad faith goo".
It's like this guy is on a different page of reality to the rest of us, the page where lawyers defend assault charges by punching the judge in the face.
"It does not do to leave a live dragon out of your calculations, if you live near him." - Tolkien
Man, what a day! First, Amazon gets bitch-slapped by IBM with a ridiculous patent violation similar to the one that they used to enforce their own ridiculous patents, and now Jack Thompson shows contempt for the court system, and is subsequently held in contempt of court? I can almost taste the sweetness.
I can understand that you feel children shouldn't be playing games like GTA and maybe Bully, I don't know what's in it yet besides bullies and boys kissing. But two things...
It doesn't matter if you're trying to put a criminal in jail or sue the family who broke his leg while he tried to break in, you don't get to take over the court. If Jack Thompson can't make a case without threatening, making blind accusations, and harrassing, then he should very well be held in contempt.
Also, it's not Take Two's fault that children are playing these games any more than it is the movie industries fault that children are watching R-rated movies or pornography. It doesn't matter how much you bubble up a kid, if you don't educate him and monitor his TV/internet/video game/whatever time, it's not anyone's fault but yours if he learns about killing and thinks it's a good idea.
But seriously, Jack Thompson is a mad man. I once thought that maybe there was some essence of good in him, that perhaps there was something more behind him than just video game hating and that he was trying to better our community. But then I did some research and found out he'll disregard your thoughts, intelligence, comments, and presence the moment he finds out you're affiliated to video games at the slightest. He will not only pass off what you're saying as insignificant, he'll insult and threaten you for it as well. Just look up some of his encounters with some writers, or my favorites, with VGCats and Penny Arcade.
What with the way we've heard him conduct himself in court proceedings, I was expecting him to be all up in arms about it like some crazy religious preacher man. Hm, maybe he was having a good day. Whatever, I think the next game I write will be a GTA play-alike with a Hot Convent mod which will unlock all manner of delicious sex acts, graphically depicting them in detail whenever Father Emilio - the main character - gets jiggy with the pious hot babes.
On a serious note, it was probably not a good idea to give him yet more media exposure. And, to veer this ramble back onto something resembling the topic, IMHO it's a good thing that Take-Two Interactive have called for this. Judging by the following quote (and pretty much anything else he's ever uttered) this guy really needs bringing down a peg or six.
"Three eyes are better than one" -- Lieutenant Columbo
You seem to enjoy saying RTFA. From Jack:
I dont know if that legally applies, but that sounds like fightin' words to me.
"you know who the fuck I am? I'm the mawfuckin Thompsonnaut!" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Juggernaut_Bitch! !
disclaimer: I've been known to store numbers in my ass for which to dig out when quantities are required.
If someone was enterprising at Take 2, they would procure a "leaked" memo thanking Jack Thompson for manipulating the court system for free PR. Jack Thompson would of course deny it, but that would just make it look more legitimate. Result: he would be discredited forever. Take 2 would be applauded for such a crazy viral marketing campaign. :)
You know.. ehm..
i nk/
From http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=br
2. brink
An alternate form of alcohol consumption which places alcohol directly into the blood stream, thus requiring only a minimal amount of alcohol consumption to become drunk. A common form of brinking is done using a device, preferably a water bottle, some lube and a brave third party. The third party simply places the lubed-up water bottle full of alcohol into the brinkers anus and squeezes, causing a plethora of alcohol to enter the bloodstream and allowing the brinker to become rather drunk in the process.
"Yo Andrew, if your not doing anything tonight, do you wanna brink?"
Ah the beautiful irony.. I'd love to see what all the moronic parents who believe Thompson's thinking think of him after he flips and it's all over the news...
:p
He maybe needs to relieve some stress by playing a bit of GTA. I'm gonna have to call myself Jack Thompson in the online play on GTA 4
which is totally what she said
Great comback, Janet!
Love many, trust a few, do harm to none.
I'm pretty sure he has good intentions. He just took all this videogame-violence-thing a bit too far. And he became basically mad in the process, without he recognizing it. Happens to a lot of people.