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Jack Thompson Walks Out On Hearing
Erik J writes "Apparently Jack had heard enough.
The Florida Bar asked for an 'enhanced disbarment' in the disciplinary hearing of Jack Thompson, held earlier this afternoon. The recommendation means Thompson would be disbarred and prohibited from applying to practice law again for ten years, according to 11th Judicial Circuit of Florida spokesperson Eunice Sigler.
Thompson's disciplinary hearing apparently ended in the attorney walking out of the courtroom after saying the judge did not have the authority to hear his case."
I am a lawyer, but this isn't legal advice. If this even *could* apply to you, you would already be a lawyer . . .
Ten years is unusual. I'm not even sure I've ever *heard* of "enhanced disbarment" before.
By its nature, disbarment is permanent. In many (most?) states, an attorney can petition to be considered for lifting of disbarment after five years--but has a heavy burden; he must show that he is no longer a danger if allowed to practice. The fact that he is a danger was established prior to disbarment; disputing it would end the possibility of showing the needed change.
Ten years, however . . . and that does *not* mean he gets the license back then, only that that is the earliest date at which he *could* request it and attempt to show fitness . . .
hawk, esq.
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No matter how badly things go for you in court, no matter how much you dislike the ruling, no matter how unjust you feel you've been treated... NEVER insult a judge or be less than totally respectful for the process.
And don't ever tell a judge they "don't have the authority". You'll be in a higher court soon. Judges don't like people being disrepectful of other judges, not even when the judge in question is wrong. Especailly when your own motives and reasons are (properly) called into question.
Necessity is the plea for every infringement of human freedom. It is the argument of tyrants; it is the creed of slaves.
Jack Thompson: "Because I took on Bar complainant, Al Cardenas, the Howard Stern Show is off terrestrial radio and his influence diminished."
Really, Jack? I thought it was because Sirius offered Stern a free hand with content and over $100 million per year on a 5-year contract.
The first rule of litigation is, "Don't p*** off the judge."
Seriously.
hawk, esq.
disbarring a lawyer is a long complicated procedure. Indeed this was his disbarrment hearing that he walked out on.
In a prepared statement left with the court he called the florida bar association Fascists. While the final ruling isn't due until September(long process remember) I can't imagine a judge being called incompetent is going to help him any.
i thought once I was found, but it was only a dream.
I'll be brief: I'm unapologetically ready and eager to gag and demean someone who himself crusades to do precisely the same of both to others.
Jack Thompson was even involved in the 80's daycare scare (the "ritual satanic abuse") that ruined dozens of lives. For that alone, he is not simply strident, objectionable, or obstreperous, but really and truly evil. Schadenfreude may be shameful, but today I nonetheless feel the joy.
Done with slashdot, done with nerds, getting a life.
Your post can be summed up as "don't pull a Reiser."
http://blindscribblings.com - Tasty pop-culture in conceptual fashion.
Tunis has basically handed the charge to the FL Supreme Court, who will rule on it on Sep 2. They may strike one or more charges, but he's got 27 racked up against him, so it hardly matters.
It would take a wormhole opened into bizarro world for them to actually overturn the recommendation. The worst they might do within the realm of probability is disqualify Tunis and make Jack do it all over again.
My guess is Thompson's behavior will be such that they may actually pass down a harsher judgment.
Done with slashdot, done with nerds, getting a life.
Yes, if only someone would invent parental controls.
In particular, what if games came with an age group flag when they were installed, and operating system users could also have an age limit specified, so that applications with a "18+" flag would not launch of a user configured as "13."
You know that was such a good idea that every console maker decided to implement it as well as Microsoft with Windows Vista.
It's really a non argument.
I get your point however a colostomy isn't actually the removal of the anus. I can't find what that procedure is called but the colostomy just changes the location for the function of the anus. No removal actually occurs from what I can tell.
this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom. -- Lincoln, Gettysburg Address
Well, they do have a few convicted felons. G. Gordon Liddy, Ollie North...
They want to disbar him because he is an embarrassment and he's abusing the position of a law practitioner. He is also a menace to the society because of he is a lawyer, one of the several occupations whose words hold sway in courts of public opinion as well, and yet he has been saying stuff which clear does not represent the opinion(s) held by most of the other lawyers in Florida.
Exactly. I'm a member of the Florida Bar, and when I took my oath (presumably the same one Thompson took) I was consciously binding myself to a certain standard of behavior, and agreeing to limitations as to what I can say and how I can behave. If I ever find those limits too restrictive I can resign from the Bar. What Thompson wants is to be able to use the tools available to him as a licensed attorney, but not follow the restrictions he agreed to when being given those tools.
Well, they do have a few convicted felons. G. Gordon Liddy, Ollie North...
North's conviction was overturned, so technically he's not a convicted felon. Of course he's an amoral, deceitful, arrogant swine who admitted under oath to breaking the law, but he's not technically a felon.
Given that Fox News is a big practical joke on the Americans, Rupert will hire whoever he needs to keep it running. All Australians should be proud of him. Keeping that many people fooled for so long is a sign of true mastery. Just wait till they start reporting the Al Queda / Drop Bear connection or that beer shortages cause global warming.
It's called a Total Pelvic Exenteration, and it's probably the nastiest operation a woman can undergo.
It's only for women though. I assisted on several in my former career, not a fun thing the help with, I can tell you.
A learning experience is one of those things that say, 'You know that thing you just did? Don't do that.' - D. Adams
Not the ACB's fault. It's the South Australian Attorney-general that's preventing it. To implement the R18+ rating for games requires all the state and federal attorney-generals to agree, and he's the one bass-ackwards idiot saying no.
The loyalty oath issue is interesting. The loyalty oath in Florida used to contain the language "that I am not a member of the Communist Party; that I have not and will not lend my aid, support, advice, counsel or influence to the Communist Party". This was a big deal during the Red Scare era in the 1950s. It's not an oath of office; all state employees were required to sign it.
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that language to be an unconstitutional restriction on free speech and association in 1961. So the legislature took out the "Communist party" part. The shortened oath is still required of all state employees and candidates.
Florida law says that any state employee refusing to sign the oath shall be discharged. It's not clear there's any penalty for an employee who, through some omission of the state, was never asked to sign it.
Florida judges are mostly elected, and normally the loyalty oath is required as part of the paperwork for getting on the ballot. But it seems that Judge Tunis was appointed (by Gov. Jeb Bush) to fill a vacancy created when the Legislature increased the number of judgeships. For most state employees, it's the responsibility of the employee's superior to make sure that the loyalty oath is signed. But for elected positions, there's no "superior", so it's not clear who's supposed to get this done. Which is probably how she became a judge without signing the loyalty oath first. Anyway, Judge Tunis did sign the oath at a later date.
Uh, actually all three major consoles in this current generation (Xbox 360, PS3 and Wii) have parental controls built-in. The console can read the rating on the disc and you can set a maximum allowed rating. So yes, they do have the tools necessary to enforce what games their children play, and no, they don't have the right to prevent the rest of us from playing what we want.
I like to think of online DRM as something akin to a college -- you pay for lessons until you learn something.
Consoles have parental controls as well:
Here is handy instructions for each one:
http://www.usatoday.com/tech/columnist/kimkomando/2006-12-28-parental-controls-consoles_x.htm
Why, yes I have been touched by His noodly appendage. And I plan to sue.