Alabama judge tosses Thompson

Florida lawyer's request to leave case denied; judge opts to revoke temporary license to practice law in the state instead.

Earlier this month, outspoken Florida attorney Jack Thompson withdrew from a high-profile Alabama civil suit against several game makers and retailers. According to Game Politics, the judge today rejected Thompson's withdrawal, and instead kicked him off the case and revoked his temporary license to practice law in Alabama, to boot.

Thompson had been representing the families of two police officers and a dispatcher killed in June 2003 by then-18-year-old Devin Moore in a suit against Sony, Take-Two Interactive, Rockstar Games, Wal-Mart, and GameStop. Last month the defense put forth a pair of motions to Fayette County Circuit Judge James Moore: one asking for the case to be thrown out entirely, and another asking that Thompson be dismissed from the case for violations of legal ethics.

The defense in particular pointed to Thompson's numerous press releases and open letters on the subject of violence in games. Days before the motions were made, Thompson issued a press release characterizing Japanese electronics giant Sony's willingness to allow a game as violent as Grand Theft Auto III to be distributed in the US as "Pearl Harbor 2."

Thompson withdrew from the case, saying the defense was trying to make him the issue, but that he was stepping aside so that his clients' needs could better be served. Game Politics is reporting that Judge Moore criticized Thompson's professional conduct in an 18-page ruling, to which Thompson has responded with a letter to Alabama's Judicial Inquiry Commission questioning Judge Moore's ethics.

95 Comments

  • Jedo

    Posted Jun 6, 2008 2:11 am PT

    I expect him to shoot someone up one of these days, maybe himself...There is something severely wrong with that mind, and I just can't stop smiling.

  • themadddog54

    Posted Mar 25, 2008 11:09 pm PT

    HAHA!Jack deserved it.Judge=Best person ever!Go Frick yourself Jack!

  • samthesolidman

    Posted Jun 5, 2007 4:48 pm PT

    the problem:

    its the guns, not the games
    I think this is what jack doesn't realize

  • Cloud737

    Posted Dec 2, 2006 5:54 am PT

    Gotta love the Judge! He`s my new hero, now!
    Serves you right Thompson. Hope you have you`re whole license revoked permanently and sued for every penny. Flunk you, Thompson!

  • Hameyadea

    Posted Nov 6, 2006 10:34 am PT

    now we're talkin' alabama revoked jack's license to practice law there, 50 states left!!!

  • hart704

    Posted Aug 16, 2006 8:47 pm PT

    I have tons of M rated games. Come and arrest me too! Come on! I'm beggin' ya, Thompson! Make me famous!

  • DarknessOfFate1

    Posted Jul 31, 2006 1:07 pm PT

    I saw this ages ago and forgot to comment but man that news made my day!

  • tek-9

    Posted Jul 25, 2006 11:24 am PT

    ha! remember when he said that the sims was an evil game and outright lied saying that there was complete nudity in the game. He is just using games as a political platform. I bet he secretly playes gta when he's alone. they dont understand that games are the same as movies, tv, etc. you dont see jack pouncing on the movies out now or tv shows. people that murder other people are killers that would have killed regardless of the games they played. the guy who killed john lennon killed because in his twisted mind he thought he deserved it. in coloumbine they killed because they were outcasts who were picked on and they were sociopaths who thought about murder at a much younger age. they blamed doom and marilyn manson.
    millions of people played that game and didnt kill people.
    GTA is a great game because you can go anywhere do anything and it has the interesting but much copied premise of getting to play the bad guy. so what if its violent, you cant honestly take that seriosly. its a cartoonish game that doesnt really take itself that seriously. i dont go out and beat up old ladies and steal helicopters. if your offended then dont play it. I do think however, just the same as movies and tv, that young kids should be resricted from playing it. its obviously not meant for kids.

  • asianartist

    Posted May 11, 2006 6:49 pm PT

    LOL, gamers unite! Jack is a moron, proven in court of law.

  • asfalterisk

    Posted Nov 27, 2005 7:10 pm PT

    LOL, PWNAGE

  • Video_Game_King

    Posted Nov 21, 2005 1:22 pm PT

    Jack Thompson, questioning MORALS AND ETHICS OF ANOTHER HUMAN BEING? Look in the mirror you jackass and tell us what evil deity you see.

  • farnes

    Posted Nov 21, 2005 12:07 pm PT

    HURRAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY finally someone as awaken and gave thompson what he deserves....!!!!
    aleluia

  • B_ond

    Posted Nov 21, 2005 11:59 am PT

    "Your actions are a digrace to this court, I will see that your license is temporarily revoke your license." The judge told Jack. "You're unethical!" Jack cried with only a tone an 8 year old child having his toy taken away for misbehaving.

  • NeoJedi

    Posted Nov 21, 2005 9:39 am PT

    Now this is the best news I've heard in a long, long time. Won't be too long until he sues the judge and probably the state for supporting "evil games".

  • superkoolstud

    Posted Nov 21, 2005 8:45 am PT

    I Hate Jack Thompson and I have a T-shirt to prove it.

  • mattherman

    Posted Nov 21, 2005 8:02 am PT

    maybe thomson got the idea that people would go nuts if whatever he was hopping for happened and would go after him

  • serial007

    Posted Nov 21, 2005 7:13 am PT

    IF people stopped blaming video games and started taking care of their childern then Zealots like Thompson would go away

  • pha2er

    Posted Nov 21, 2005 5:17 am PT

    judge moores a 1337 gamer. he whooped my ass on UT once

  • hi_im_derek

    Posted Nov 20, 2005 7:03 pm PT

    HA HA HA! The best news I've heard in a LONG LONG time.

  • FF6_ROCKS

    Posted Nov 20, 2005 4:31 pm PT

    OWNED! ban jack thompson from this world.

  • gtb08

    Posted Nov 20, 2005 11:52 am PT

    hes never going to stop until someone calls him a poopy-head, thats the level of his comprehension

  • DeathStar17

    Posted Nov 20, 2005 11:32 am PT

    Haha, that's some great news.

  • danchambos

    Posted Nov 20, 2005 10:53 am PT

    Suska said to grab a cross and Holy Water. F that ima get ready like I was John Constantine with Holy Water Shotgun shells and Ima wear Night Trap around my neck when I fight him. A lil over the top with the SIMS. If anything the SIMS is a bore simulator because if enjoying my real life wasnt a chore i hafta watch digitial people get everything i could possibly want but can't and then still be upset. Just goes to show you that no matter what you get u will never truly be happy unless u like yourself. I guess Thompson found that out the hard way. No he can hate himself everyday of the week for messing up. He might even try to make himself emortal like THE HIGHLANDER! well I can tell you this. I wont defend his family if they say the movie made him do it!

    -Dan Chambos


    poor Thompson. The devil has a Little throne right next to his with only M rated games on the Television.

  • Wulfei

    Posted Nov 20, 2005 10:23 am PT

    I laugh at Jack Thompson. Now there's just 49 more states, and 6 more continents left. If he keeps getting rejected, maybe he'll realize that no one cares about his ridiculous opinions. *lol*

  • KIELW93

    Posted Nov 20, 2005 9:50 am PT

    Alabama is awesome! although I DO expect a press release from
    Thompson anyday now saying how, "the United States Judiciary Sustem is clearly corrupt and needs to be shut down and reorganized" I hope he does release something along those lines. that would furthur destroy what little remaining credibility he still has after the whole "the sims 2 is a child pornography simulator and should be re-rated AO" fiasco

  • SanAndreasfan

    Posted Nov 20, 2005 9:29 am PT

    this is awesome news....

  • Kravyn81

    Posted Nov 20, 2005 9:09 am PT

    "Pearl Harbor 2"? OMG, let's get a little perspective please. And THIS is coming from a lawyer? Aren't lawyers supposed to be, you know, smart? The only good thing about the generation of gamers is one day they'll be the new lawyers and politicians, and since they grew up with gaming they'll better understand it and won't make complete asses out of themselves with cases like this anymore.

    -K

  • Col_Kilgore

    Posted Nov 20, 2005 8:45 am PT

    Reality > Jack Thompson (n00b). Jack questioning the judge is like when some n00b that gets pwn'd at BF or CS or w/e accuses that person of haxx0ring. I can see Jack Thompson being like that angry kid in the Halo vid.

  • Yu_Poozuki

    Posted Nov 20, 2005 5:48 am PT

    Karma, Ha Ha!

  • KindredWarr

    Posted Nov 19, 2005 11:25 pm PT

    about ****ing time. And questioning the judge's ethics after an 18 page thingy on how much of a nut job Thompson is? Clearly the smart thing to do...

  • linkdragon642

    Posted Nov 19, 2005 10:08 pm PT

    Thompson issued a press release characterizing Japanese electronics giant Sony's willingness to allow a game as violent as Grand Theft Auto III to be distributed in the US as "Pearl Harbor 2."
    Duuurh.

  • macabalony

    Posted Nov 19, 2005 10:02 pm PT

    People like Mr. Thompson have no idea what they are talking about, but i am finally glad that "the man" finally understands the potential, and helpfulness of the video game industry. So finally Jack Thompson is finally shut down, for the time being.

  • MikeKAY

    Posted Nov 19, 2005 9:27 pm PT

    Proof positive that Alabama justice pwns California, heheheh…

  • jazast

    Posted Nov 19, 2005 8:23 pm PT

    i thank you judge Moore.
    you have common sense.

  • Suska

    Posted Nov 19, 2005 7:31 pm PT

    w00t!!! He got pwned!!! but he may rise again... *grabs a cross and holy water*

  • Zirowan

    Posted Nov 19, 2005 7:06 pm PT

    and so the revolution begins, we may have won this battle, but he'll be back, he's one of those mid-bosses that keep coming back to get their ass kicked, he is an unworthy opponent cuz he is blind, unseeing the reality of games, or rather seeing it as he likes to see it,

    but still, what are we fighting for?
    so we can sell violent content to our children?
    so we can have freedom of expression of what we believe in?
    what do we, gamers believe in anyway?

    personally, i just believe in leveling up and fighting bosses and escape the reality of this world corrupted by it's own leaders, idealists and ourselves
    fighting for "freedom"

    the world is as F**ked up as it is cuz of freedom, i mean democracy is good, but never learn to choose whats right, it's like reverse communism, were the egomaniac leaders are ourselves

    but who cares, as long as i have my PS2 with Dragon Quest and Final Fantasy, i don't really give a slime's ass, on second thought, burn Thompson!

  • xbx2552

    Posted Nov 19, 2005 6:42 pm PT

    Eat that Thompson!! And Read em and Weep

  • Ephemeral_Ephor

    Posted Nov 19, 2005 5:31 pm PT

    If he doesn't want to do his research properly and stop twisting the facts to suit his desires then I believe that his license should be revoked.
    Such a person who would willingly force his biased opinions on the general populace VIA dirty tactics is no better than a con artist. Now that I think about it, why go after GTA exclusively and not give even half the attention he's spending on other games that have their blood, innuendo, beatings, and gore? Is it because he "can't get any" himself so he's going after Hot Coffee because it's the most obvious example of simulated you-know-what?
    I wholeheartedly agree that his attention seeking actions should be dealt with and ignored before he does something even more stupid like suing Nintendo because Donkey Kong doesnt' wear pants.

  • Decessus

    Posted Nov 19, 2005 5:28 pm PT

    "Game Politics is reporting that Judge Moore criticized Thompson's professional conduct in an 18-page ruling, to which Thompson has responded with a letter to Alabama's Judicial Inquiry Commission questioning Judge Moore's ethics."

    This just goes to show you how incredibily over the top this guy is.

  • TheClanger

    Posted Nov 19, 2005 12:48 pm PT

    2 words : Good riddance!

  • evanem_2k1

    Posted Nov 19, 2005 10:27 am PT

    thank god, he's such a dick.

  • BigDaddyGamePro

    Posted Nov 19, 2005 10:13 am PT

    I want Jack Thompson to leave the Gaming Industry alone forever. He has no right to threaten what we as gamers all around the world enjoy doing.

  • LanceSummerhous

    Posted Nov 19, 2005 10:04 am PT

    MrHanson:
    "Most people who I know that love this game are quite immature, unintelligent, and let their children play it."

    And that's Rockstar's fault?

  • Mullitt

    Posted Nov 19, 2005 9:49 am PT

    If your not smart enough to ditinguish between games and reality.... put the controller down.... seriously. Thompson is an blithering idiot.

  • inoperativeRS

    Posted Nov 19, 2005 9:28 am PT

    "Game Politics is reporting that Judge Moore criticized Thompson's professional conduct in an 18-page ruling, to which Thompson has responded with a letter to Alabama's Judicial Inquiry Commission questioning Judge Moore's ethics."

    ROFL

  • NhojLeahcim

    Posted Nov 19, 2005 8:36 am PT

    MrHanson, it is not just youth that enjoy videogames. I am in my mid-thirties, as are most of my friends, and we all play games on the PS2, XBox and PC.

    Agreed that kids shouldn't be playing games such as GTA, but there are laws to prevent them from buying such games.

    If people like Thomson got their way, there would be draconian controls on movies, television, music and books, as well as videogames. There is very little difference between people like him and McCarthy.

  • joon_y_choi

    Posted Nov 19, 2005 8:31 am PT

    I'm sure his crusade against the judge will go GREAT...

  • Antihistamine1

    Posted Nov 19, 2005 7:05 am PT

    Ditto Hellisunreal; and let's not forget: idiot, media whore, and leech.

  • Hellisunreal

    Posted Nov 19, 2005 6:05 am PT

    finally; someone sees hime for the con he is

  • Ranger1086

    Posted Nov 19, 2005 5:57 am PT

    KA SLAM!!!!!!!! shut down jack

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