Jack Thompson Responds to Take Two Suit

interactive_civilian writes "Jack Thompson has personally replied to ArsTechnica regarding their coverage of the lawsuit from TakeTwo. Really, it's best for Jack to speak for himself: 'I have been praying, literally, that Take-Two and its lawyers would do something so stupid, so arrogant, so dumb, even dumber than what they have to date done, that such a misstep would enable me to destroy Take-Two. With the filing of this SLAPP lawsuit last week, my prayers are finally answered. This lawsuit, filed in US District Court for the Southern District of Florida, is, without a doubt, the single dumbest thing I have ever seen any lawyers do in my thirty years of practicing law--while in continuous good standing to do so with The Florida Bar, I might add, the shock radio and video game industry's efforts notwithstanding.'"

Comments

Re:Define Good Standing

[spribyl]

According to this it was Alabama not Florida.

http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20051122-5613 .html

In Florida they are still working on it. Though, I don't think his status is still good standing.
http://gamepolitics.com/2007/02/03/jack-thompson-f aces-florida-bar-disciplinary-hearing/

Re:Define Good Standing

[bockelboy]

Yup. Here's a good quote from wikipedia:

In February 2007, the Florida Bar filed disbarment proceedings against Thompson over allegations of professional misconduct. The action was the result of separate grievances filed by people claiming that Thompson made defamatory, false statements and attempted to humiliate, embarrass, harass or intimidate them.

Thompson also sued the state bar in April 2006. After a few press releases, he dropped the suit in May 2006. For the most part this is how his cases go. There are a few big releases about "SUEING TAKE-TWO FOR $234 million," then the case is dropped within a month or two.

Also of note is that he did a similar campaign against Janet Reno. Yes, that Janet Reno. From wikipedia:

Thompson gave Reno a letter at a campaign event requesting that she check a box to indicate whether she was homosexual, bisexual, or heterosexual. Thompson said that Reno then put her hand on his shoulder and responded, "I'm only interested in virile men. That's why I'm not attracted to you." He filed a police report accusing her of battery for touching him.

Even more:

In 1990, after his election loss, Thompson began a campaign against the efforts of Switchboard of Miami, a social services group of which Reno was a board member. Thompson charged that the group placed "homosexual-education tapes" in public schools. Switchboard responded by getting the Florida Supreme Court to order that he submit to a psychiatric examination. Thompson did so and passed, and since then has stated on more than one occasion that he is "the only officially certified sane lawyer in the entire state of Florida."

Yup - his antics are so ridiculous that they made him take a sanity test.

Re:WTF?

[rGauntlet]

Go read this: http://money.cnn.com/news/newsfeeds/articles/djf50 0/200703161506DOWJONESDJONLINE000868_FORTUNE5.htm

Seems that a few investors (Comprising ~46% of the stock) think they can do better.. We'll find out on Friday if they wanna risk it.

Re:Hoax?

[twistedsymphony]

Crap... forgot the link: http://www.vgcats.com/jack.php

Re:Hoax?

[Anonymous Coward]

The language is perfectly fitting with his character. He frequently writes letters like that, and I've actually heard clips from him before. This is 100% Jack Thompson. He's not just a nut because of his viewpoints... he's frequently called a nut precisely for things like this.

Re:March 23, 2007

[Vaibhav_Locke]

Actually he's referring to the fact that the CEO will be resigning, idk any details but the investors have decided to take over the board, mainly because of all the bad publicity they have been receiving (thanks in no small part to jacky). The CEO however was convicted of backdating stock options, something that has nothing to do with Jack or the video game industry at all.

Written by God?

[n9uxu8]

Didn't David write the psalms? You know...singing and praying to God? You'd think he could at least get that right...

In continuous good standing with the Florida Bar?

[Bogtha]

This lawsuit, filed in US District Court for the Southern District of Florida, is, without a doubt, the single dumbest thing I have ever seen any lawyers do in my thirty years of practicing law--while in continuous good standing to do so with The Florida Bar, I might add, the shock radio and video game industry's efforts notwithstanding.

Would that be the same Florida Bar that he has sued (unsuccessfully) twice, which he alleges is unconstitutional, engaged in a vendetta against him, and is made up of criminal racketeers? The Florida Bar that is in the process of disbarring him?

I guess his idea of "continuous good standing" and mine differ somewhat.

Re:Good standing?

[tinkerghost]

Good Standing is actually a technical term for professionals, as a lawyer it has a specific meaning:

• He has a certified law degree.
• He has passed the State Bar Exam.
• he has paid his annual dues.
• He has not been expelled or suspended from the State Bar.

That's it. Once you are in, you are in Good Standing unless you loose your license or forget to pay your dues & allow it to lapse. So like Jack, you can be in the process of being disbarred for baritry while at the same time legitimately claim to be in good standard.

Re:Question

[Orleron]

"Sheister"

Re:Question

[nuzak]

> Does anybody know the term for a "pseudo-lawyer" that's comparable to "quack" being used to describe a fake doctor?

Shyster. But he's not so much a fake or decietful lawyer so much as he is a garden-variety barking lunatic.

Re:Question

[dant]

Pettifogger is pretty good. It doesn't have the "unqualified" connotation that quack does, but you get "underhanded" in exchange.