Another enemy is gone...

Bye, Bye, Jack Thompson!

Published on June 24, 2008 By GeneralEtrius In PC Gaming

A recent declaration by the Florida Bar (the top lawyers and judges) says that Jack Thompson will not be allowed to practice law in Florida for the next 10 years.

For those of you who don't know. Jack Thompson has been fighting to end video games ever since the Video Game Violence Hearings in 1994 that established the organization that families with gamers in them have a love/hate relationship with, the ESRB (Parents love, kids hate)

Thompson has tried countless times to get various video games banned, and a few times, ban video games themselves. He has never gotten his way, and has actually gotten himself in trouble with these cases. H has no reasoning or sense when he attacks video games, but he nevers gives up. Because of this, he has been declared an emeny of the games industry. I know of a few more that should be on that list (EA, Tilted Mill, and the people who decided that The Force Unleashed will not go to the PC), but let's stay on topic.

In his cases, Jack has insulted judges and juries, presented evidence that have swayed opinion towards his opponents, and done other stupid stuff. During his camapign against Bully, Jack asked the judge to play the game so he could see why Jack was opposing it. The judge found nothing wrong with the game, and even found it fun, so he threw the case out of court.

So you may be thinking, "Well he can just go to another state." The Florida Bar said that if he did that, he would not be allowed to practice law for the rest of his life. Jack grew quite angry when he heard this statement, saying "I am being punished for trying to save lives". You sir, are being punished to save lives.

So thats it. Jack Thompson is for the most part gone. Hopefully, he'll learn to stop doing what he's doing in the next 10 years. Better yet, he may kick the bucket before those 10 years are up (he's in his 60's, I think).

Bye, Jack Thompson! We won't miss you!

Comments (Page 1)

Mystikmind

on Jun 24, 2008

Hhahaha thats funny, not the story, but the fact that i did not understand why that guy was opposing video games untill i got to the part where you mentioned his age! then i immediately understood why!!

Chip5541

on Jun 25, 2008

I beleive he is actually in his early 50's (51 I think I read somewhere) and he also got in trouble for sending a judge gay porn saying this is what is in the game Bully. As much as I think Jack is full of crap I am concerned that the next nut that takes up his 'cause" may be more compitent and that could be bad for all us gamers.

Chaos Manager

on Jun 25, 2008

Wacko Jacko's been crusading against everything from Rock & Roll to Porn to Video Games over the years.

He's not had his license officially revoked yet. The judge who presided over his disbarment hearing recommended a 10 year disbarment. Her formal report is due in September (I think) to the Florida Supreme Court. They'll then take the formal action.

I can say that it can't happen to a more deserved fellow.

Good Riddance, J. B. Thompson!

Martok

on Jun 25, 2008

First off, I admit I'll miss his antics, if only for their sheer entertainment value.

As much as I think Jack is full of crap I am concerned that the next nut that takes up his 'cause" may be more compitent and that could be bad for all us gamers.

Well said, Chip5541. While I detest Thompson and his tactics, at least he was doing the anti-gaming bloc more harm than good while he was their most visible presence. Now the possibility exists that he could be replaced by someone who might actually be effective in restricting/banning games.

As I've previously stated both here and elsewhere: Better the devil you know, than the devil you don't.

GeneralEtrius

on Jun 25, 2008

As much as I think Jack is full of crap I am concerned that the next nut that takes up his 'cause" may be more compitent and that could be bad for all us gamers.

No one really supports Jack anymore. He had some support during those hearings against video game violence (his major political ally back then was Hillary CLinton), but now, he was basically alone. The reason that his attacks on video games were funny was because you knew he was going to screw up. So, as for another guy that takes up Jack's "cause", that probably won't happen. Gaming is huge now. Trying to end gaming nowadays would be like trying to bulldoze New York.

rayadrel

on Jun 25, 2008

Jack will be back! And he'll slaughter you all! There are no tanks in Bagdhad airport, etc.

Sir_On_The_Edge

on Jun 25, 2008

Awesome news!

GeneralEtrius

on Jun 25, 2008

Jack will be back! And he'll slaughter you all!

What, you support him? You'd better not.

Xrati

on Jun 26, 2008

Naw! That's just the name of the next violent game to be released soon. "Jacks Back" and it will be the most violent court case video game ever published! Not only that, I have some of Jacks' swamp land in Florida to sell you!!!

GeneralEtrius

on Jun 26, 2008

Did you all hear, in Postal 3, a game that Jack's against, you'll have an oppertunity to kill Uwe Boll. Now, all we have to do is ask the devs to put Jack in as a killable target!

WolSHaman

on Jun 26, 2008

You sir, are being punished to save lives.

Now that's taking it a bit far. Clearly you didn't listen to him, we have to ban these games, otherwise our gamer children will become pro-killers omg!!!! Except sports games, because as everyone knows, you can become a pro at sports just by playing video games in the same way playing halo teaches you to kill. Thanks to video games, I'm a pro golfer!

USAF-Prometheus

on Jun 26, 2008

wasnt there a character in one of the GTA games that was bassically him, who you had to go kill or threaten or sommin to that effect?

GeneralEtrius

on Jun 26, 2008

wasnt there a character in one of the GTA games that was bassically him, who you had to go kill or threaten or sommin to that effect?

I don't know, though I bet someone does. I don't play GTA. Not really my thing.

Chip5541

on Jun 29, 2008

it was a custom mod that someone made.

On October 17, 2005 Krahulik and Holkins donated $10,000 to the ESA foundation in the name of Jack Thompson.[47] Earlier, Thompson himself had promised to donate $10,000 if a video game was created meeting certain criteria (See: A Modest Video Game Proposal),[48] but after a vaguely similar (in spirit) mod to the game Grand Theft Auto was pointed out to already exist, Thompson called his challenge satire and refused to donate the money,[49] because these games were not going to be manufactured, distributed or sold like retail games, as his Modest Proposal stated. His refusal was met with disdain, given that multiple games were created or in the process of being created under Thompson's criteria. Krahulik and Holkins donated the money in his place, with a check containing the memo: "For Jack Thompson, Because Jack Thompson Won't".

As far as being unlikely that someone would take his place I would point out that I am sure no one would have thought tobacco would be in the situation it is in now and that was big business. Even prohibition (1920 - 1933) would have been unthinkable but happened.

FearlessDefiance

on Jun 29, 2008

It's pretty obvious that games don't make people go crazy and kill other people. This crap has been happening since the start of the human species, it just was never able to have the coverage it has now thanks to the world wide media. People go and kill other people and then get caught and say "oh the game made me do it, I'm not a bad person, knock 25 years off my sentence cause the game made me do it so it's not my fault!!"

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