October 3, 2007
Yesteday, GamePolitics reported that game-hatin' attorney Jack Thompson invoked Monica Lewinsky and Animal House in a claim that Judge Alberto Jordan was a big meanie for spanking Thompson over adding gay porn to the court docket.Thompson went as far as to request that Judge Jordan remove himself from the controversial attorney's lawsuit against the Florida Bar.
Jordan, apparently having reached his saturation point with Thompson's antics, responded with an order directing that Thompson be referred to the court's Ad Hoc Committee on Attorney Admissions, Peer Review, and Attorney Grievance. The Judge had previously given Thompson until Friday to show why he shouldn't be sent before the committee, but 14 increasingly bizarre filings from Thompson in less than a week apparently caused His Honor to rethink the deadline. From Judge Jordan's order:
Rather than accept responsibility for his actions, Mr. Thompson blames the court for failing to recognize that these [gay porn] materials were already available to children on the internet on other websites...
Thompson, of course, had an entertaining - if legally questionable - response handy: He wants to add Judge Jordan as a defendant in the case. Um, that would be the same case in which Judge Jordan is also the judge. Don't think about it too hard; your brain might explode. From Thompson's motion:
There is no question that this court, like any federal judge, enjoys immunity for the performance of its purely judicial duties... But what the court has foolishly, recklessly, tortiously, and illegally done in filing what amounts to an ethics complaint against Thompson, and fraudulently so, is expose itself to personal liability...
Therefore, since this court has now insinuated itself into an expanded use of “discipline” to try to silence and punish Thompson for clearly First Amendment speech... Thompson informs this court of his intent to include Adalberto Jordan as a named defendant herein...
GP: More than anything else, this sounds like an off-the-wall tactic designed to force Judge Jordan to recuse himself from the case, thereby delaying the inevitable showdown between Thompson and the Florida Bar. We asked Thompson about that via e-mail, but received no response.
UPDATE (Oct. 5): Judge Jordan has now issued a stay on his order that Thompson go straight to the ad hoc disciplinary committee. The judge wrote that he will decide following next Tuesday's show cause hearing.
Thompson sees this as a big win, although we're not sure why.
Comments
Other than the mime on which it fell?
1) Did he seriously just reference his relationship with the Bar to argue his skill in the practice of law.
2) "Good standing" just means he's paid his dues to the Bar.
3) He really did talk about the Bar as if he's considered an upstanding, professional with their support?
4) I think maybe he's considering his First Amendment right to mean he can say anything he feels supports his case, whether or not it would be protected saying it any other way.
5) I really think this is the straw. Hell, the camel has been in traction for the last few months.
Oh yeah, and did I mention I can't believe he's supporting himself by saying he has a good relationship with the bar?
-Mike Schwinger
Well done and well called. Often interesting when the higher authority one uses in vain comes back to bite them in the.... anyways
As the saying goes.
If you cannot dazzle them with brillance; baffle them with Bullshit. Jack is using an old highschool debate team delaying (and derailing) tact. Pitiful. This is what 31 years of law teaches?
Might I call for a show of support and respect for Judge Jordan? He has weathered Jacks storm of BS and came out this his robes nice and pressed :) I stand impressed. Salute
From lying to the nation about VT, to exploting his son with unlawful "stings", these recent incidents in this man's "career" has nothing do with law or First Amendment issues, he is merely trying to feed off of the nations fears and create an issue when there is none to begin with. It is despicable.
I encourage all Florida residents to write to their legislators about this man and how much money he is costing us, the tax payers, in frivilous lawsuits, motions, and general waste of Florida courts time that can be focused on real issues effecting the state and the nation.
He practically pioneered the practice of massacre-chasing, although that certainly isn't anything to be proud of.
But his days as an attorney are numbered. As a lawyer, he is the very epitome of FAILURE. His career should be used as an example in textbooks as what not to do.
Once he gets disbarred (it is a forgone conclusion at this point), he'll still be a massacre-chasing internet troll, but hopefully he'll be marginalized and ignored. The best way to get rid of a troll is not to feed it, after all.
Who in their right mind would represent him, he'd be a jinx on their career, and that's not to say Judges will just toss out his cases.
Sure if you are delusional or holier than thou. Which is pretty much Jack Thompson. Honestly I think it more trying to "muddy the water", a delaying tact. Desperate times call for desperate (and often silly) measures.
Actually Jack has does this before. Try to goad the judge then claim he is prejudiced. I wonder if JT has a master plan.... you know like a B movie villian. Have every Judge disqualified so there are none left to oppose his assession so he can make his own laws and all must obey him.
As to the nitwit above who asks about my running for judge (you seem a little obsessed with jack thompson), the election is in November 2008, moron.
So, are you going door to door now, bragging about distributing gay porn?
Or are you going to cry about a conspiracy of lesbians when you lose?
I totally get where you're coming from on this -- this won't be the cause of his disbarment. But at this point he has so many charges piling up against him I really think it's inevitable (and this isn't wishful thinking).
And you're right. A normal attorney would have taken a "Show Cause" and written a 3-page response. Maybe the judge doesn't agree with the reasoning and orders Jack not to do it again and that's the end of it. But Jack flies off the handle, insults the judge, insults the other attorney (again), compares himself to Paul Revere, calls himself a God warrior, and then throws a tantrum about how HIS First Amendment rights are being violated by the mean ol' judge. (And does this over the course of not one, but FOURTEEN filings.) Yep, that's a paddlin'.
Please, sue me! I don't even live in the US!
You have my support. :P
He kind of sees himself as a modern day Leonidas, believing that having a 'strong moral belief' and being outnumbered in opinion by hundreds to one is somehow more of a weapon than things like facts, common sense and intelligence. From a historical view. Jacks' belief tate 'right will win in the end' are honorable enough, the problem is that Jack's idea of what is 'right' is more about him than about the law or about the children, so right may well win in the end, the problem is that won't be as convenient for Thompson as he thinks it will be, because Right is not synonymous with 'What Jack Thompson thinks is right'.
While Jack retaining his license is a distinct possibility (to my knowledge, any given state Bar doesn't like disbarring member lawyers if it can be avoided with a lesser disciplinary action), the thing if it is that Jack's currently done enough that the Bar could likely disbar him if they wish to.
Given Jack's propensity for suing them every time they try to discipline him for his various misbehaviors, the Bar's likely considering ridding themselves of a lawyer that can't behave, and doesn't know when to accept a slap on the wrist.
Thanks for clearing that up, what I meant by "I'm no lawyer..." was that I wasn't willing to analyse the legalese you were willing to & just assume Jack knew something I didn't & that maybe there was a method to his [(libel lawyer's edit) - method]. I get the impression he has acted rashly here, his only out might be to back down & humbly admit he misunderstood, but I think that's as likely as Bill O'reilly doing same. Could this be the end for him?
Dennis, I've been wondering though. Have you ever thought about contacting the Florida Bar to get insight on their side of the Thompson story? I always wondered what were there thoughts, feelings, and reactions (particularly, how loud they groan) when the complaints about Thompson first started flooding in, ever since the "Hot Coffee" scandal.
But yeah, this seems like a tactic of 'gumming up' the legal process and retain his license just a little longer.
Is there any way the Florida Bar / the Courts could stop this? Isn't this what the main problem with our legal system? It's abused, bloated and such that getting anything meaningful done takes months, if not years?
GP: I believe that everyone there is wise to his tactics and that the legal community has had it with him. I anticipate that he will be disbarred by year's end.
Since when does free speech apply to court filings? Maybe I should post some gay porn on the servers at work and claim free speech when they fire me!
Sweetie, when you get your law degree and have practiced law for 31 continuous years in good standing with The Florida Bar, as I have, I 'll be interested in your legal opinions.
Jack Thompson, Attorney and You're Not
PS: Hooah!
GP: what are the odds of making it to 32 years of good standing?
Correct me if I am wrong but hasn't Jack always been one of those people who have said that Violent Video Games are a form of pornography and thus are not protected by free speech? So wouldn't that mean that by his thought process that those gay porn pics he gave to the judge are not protected by free speech? Or is this another case of "It is ok if I do it"?
I thought Jack was a lawyer? He should know the judge cannot be both the defendant and judge in this case. Yet I suspect he thinks this is another brilliant legal ploy of his to get the Judge thrown off the case for conflict of interest. Like I said yesterday, one more shovel full of dirt out of the hole that is already too deep to get out of. Anyone think he will lose his license before the year is done?
And you're saying WE'RE the ones who can't distinguish fantasy from reality?
Instead it's a litany of failure and childish temper tantrums.
This guy is self destructing faster than Britanny Spears.
I might not have a fancy lawyerin' degree like you got from that box of Cracker Jax, but I am able to read and comprehend the english language pretty well. From what the judge wrote, and from I do know about our legal system, I'd say you're screwed.
The strategy of "I'll sue anyone who doesn't agree with me on 1st Amendment grounds" strategy isn't going to work.
You're not going to be an attorney for much longer.
Oh, I'm in a position in which I'm pretty screwed. I do something even dumber that will ensure that I'm screwed.
It honestly defies all logic.
You know, I'm getting a little Thompson fatigue myself, but this... (words elude me)
I used to think this was funny. Now it's just pathetic and tedious.
That is the sound Jack will be making when that big ole dude in prison gets hold of him from behind.
I mean if everyone who opposed Jacko wasn't corrupt and inept that would mean that Jacko himself was. We all know that's umpossible!
Its the only way you'll retain the teaspoon full of dignity that you have left.
You've destroyed your career now. Give up. Its gone from funny to completely tragic.
So what is it, Jack? Are you the only one that has First Amendment rights? I notice that video game corporations can't advertise M rated games on shows with older audiences for fear that children can access them. Yet, you can submit gay porn to the public record (which is not protected by the First Amendment) and that's OK?
It almost sounds like Jack is doing our job for us. Think about it. IF he wins this struggle, we win. If you can submit gay porn to the public record, then nothing can stop you from advertising or selling violent video games. We can use this as evidence against anti-game laws (you know how people like to compare selling violent games to selling porn). Eventually, Sony, Nintendo, and Microsoft will allow AO rated games on their consoles as public opinion and precedent has swung the other way.
Go, Jack, GO!
What an idiot, though. NOW he's attempting to have the Judge declared a defendant in the very case he’s presiding over? WTF, mate? It's obvious that he wants the Judge to recluse himself and this is just another means to that end. But, why? The only reason the Judge is angry at Jack is because he Jack has been making a mockery out of the court. Spamming the court with filings that are completely meaningless. Attempting to subpoena President Bush and his brother. Challenging the Judge. Can they submit events that happened during and in the trial as evidence against Thompson? If so, the grave for Thompson's career looks to be about 14 feet deep, now.
Okay... more that a little creeped out now.
"Sweetie, when you get your law degree and have practiced law for 31 continuous years in good standing with The Florida Bar, as I have, I ‘ll be interested in your legal opinions."
What's your idea of 'good standing'? Getting paid by your clients? Otherwise, you've been in deep shit for the past decade. I hardly call it 'good standing' when that same bar is calling you insane.
And for the love of God, quit calling Dennis 'sweetie.' What are you trying to do, make pedophiles come to your aid in court?