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[deadeye]

Jack Thompson Disbarred

Jack Thompson, a controversial crusader against violence in games, will be permanently disbarred as of October 25, reports GamePolitics.

In handing down its decision, the Florida Supreme Court cited Thompson's extensive history of public misconduct, along with recommendations from Judge Dava Tunis, the official who presided over Thompson's 2007 ethics trial.

Along with disbarring Thompson, the official court order also demands monetary restitution of $43,675.

In response, Thompson has filed a request with the U.S. District Court seeking an emergency stay of the Florida Supreme Court's decision, as well as publishing a press release that claims the Court's decision is "in retaliation for Thompson’s Tyndale House book Out of Harm’s Way, published in 2005, which blew the whistle on the Florida Supreme Court’s earlier efforts in the 1990’s to literally pathologize his faith-based and successful activism against the American entertainment industry."

Truly a cause for celebration

[Hideous]

This is gonna be a great birthday present!

Well, two days late, but still.

[Renton]

Right on my birthday, too

[deadeye]

Who else thinks that this will be just a minor setback in JT's crusade?  I'm willing to bet he's going to use the resulting media coverage to his advantage somehow.

[moi]

Maybe he'll go on a shooting rampage? maybe someone will blame video games?

[ChevyRay]

Maybe he'll go on a shooting rampage? maybe someone will blame video games?

:D

But seriously, can anybody explain to me what the hell that article is saying? I don't speak Law.

[kyn]

I kind of feel bad for him.

[deadeye]

But seriously, can anybody explain to me what the hell that article is saying? I don't speak Law.

Jack gets disbarred for being a crazypants and all around general douchebag, then responds by claiming he's a victim of prejudice because God told him he has to save the country from the evils of rap music and video games.

Uh, sort of.  Close enough.

[Cerogravian]

This demands a beercheer!

...Even though yeah, it'll probably just be a minor setback for him, it's very good that the supreme court not only realises but also reacts to his douchebaggery, and his crazy pants as well.

[lordmetroid]

He was disbarred cause he found out that some of the court officers such as judges and so on hadn't even taken the oath of office and hence is fraudulently acting as judges.

The judges can't have such a troublemaker around so they disbarred him. His crusade against video games is repugnant but on this issue he actually is right.

[narasu]

I'm OK.

[dmoonfire]

He was also disbarred for acting like a bad lawyer, not following the rules of engagement (i.e. talking to the opponent's customers directly instead of through the lawyer), constantly raising issues, overwhelming judges with piecemeal information even when asked not to, violating court orders, and basically being a dick as a lawyer.

The legal thing above basically just lists what behavior that resulted in the recommendation for permanent disbarment (as opposed to the temporary of the original request) and that he is not allowed to file anything on his behalf to avoid this. That is important since he's been sending things nearly constantly back to the judge but no other Florida lawyer in their right mind would file those papers for him, so they are being circular bin'd.

[jstckr]

I kind of feel bad for him.

So do I. Can't really join in on the cynical "haha!" chants.

[moi]

Also he liked to present his court documents with lots of violent an pornographic images inserted in the text for no valid reason.

[Craig Stern]

I'm in law school, allow me to translate: he can no longer practice law in Florida, and cannot reapply to practice law in Florida at some later date. The opinion explains why: he kept wasting the court's time and resources with motions and filings that had no substance to them, he violated a court order, he lied in his filings, and he went out of his way to intimidate, harass, and publicly embarrass the people he was opposing in his lawsuits.

Simpler translation: he was a dickhead, so now he doesn't get to be a lawyer anymore.

The moral: if you're a lawyer, play nice with your state supreme court, because they have the power to disbar your ass pretty much at will.



Oh snap, I just noticed this:

Judgment is entered for The Florida Bar, 651 East Jefferson Street,
Tallahassee, Florida 32399-2300, for recovery of costs from John Bruce Thompson
in the amount of $43,675.35, for which sum let execution issue.

The judges ordered him to pay the Florida Bar's cost of going to court and getting him disbarred. Ouch.

[Melly]

I kind of feel bad for him.

So do I. Can't really join in on the cynical "haha!" chants.

I can.

And I do it with pride.

Something horrible like the Virginia Tech shooting happens, and what does he do? Mocks the memory of the victims and the suffering of their families by using the event in his own personal crusade to enhance his impotent law-penis among the soccer-moms.

Jack Thompson can go to hell.

[Dragonmaw]

I'm honestly sad he was disbarred.  His court filings were a source of constant entertainment for me.  Say what you will about the man, but I always found him to be a harmless kook.  In much the same way that a church figure might complain about how rock music is made to encourage devil worship, his statements are blatantly false and anyone with a modicum of intelligence realize that he's batshit insane.

That being said, his disbarrment was necessary, if sad.  One has to move past the culture critics to gain widespread acceptance of your medium.  But can you seriously look me in the face and tell me that Jack Thompson has had any effect on gaming in culture other than making himself (and by extension, Fox news) into a laughingstock?

Fare thee well, Jack.  You believed in what you thought was right and fought for it.  Even if you were on the wrong side and chose incredibly funny ways to do your fight.

[Μarkham]

I find it hard to feel sorry for someone who promises to donate $10,000 to a charity if someone creates the wacky game you describe and then claim that it was all a joke when someone actually does it.  I find it even more difficult since Jack Thompson attempted to have the Penny Arcade guys arrested after they donated the $10,000 that Jack wouldn't.

[Dreamerdude26]

I'm so happy. Although there will be others that will come and take his place, we can at least bask in his demise on this day.

[Garthy]

Good 'ol JT hasn't shown much respect for past judgments. I can't see him getting this one and saying: "Hey, now that I think about it, I have been acting like an ass. I really should chill a bit." He'll probably do his usual, file documents he's not entitled to file, make a public spectacle of himself, and cry "Help! Help! I'm being repressed!" when they're thrown out. He'll attack the people responsible for enforcing the judgments, question their authority to pass judgment on him, and make enough noise to make sure the media keeps lapping it up. In time he'll probably pick it all up again via a proxy.

So never fear, his antics are far from over.