Ruling in Jack Thompson Bar Trial May Not Come Until End of Summer
Ruling in Jack Thompson Bar Trial May Not Come Until End of Summer
April 21, 2008
Last week GamePolitics broke the news that the long-awaited ruling in Jack Thompson's Florida Bar trial, originally expected today, would likely be delayed.We've now learned that Judge Dava Tunis (left), who presided over Thompson's 9-day trial late last year, has petitioned the Florida Supreme Court to grant her until August 31st to issue her report.
Judge Tunis cited several reasons for the delay, including:
-the need to wade through a 2,500 page transcript of the trial
-reviewing 76 exhibits encompassing another 1,700 pages
-dealing with 400 "pleadings, e-mails, letters and missives (including pictorials)" filed by Thompson since the trial ended in December, 2007.
-handling a full-time job on the criminal bench
Interestingly, the wording of her motion makes it appear that Judge Tunis has already reached her decision. It's the writing of the report that seems to be causing the delay.
Read Judge Tunis' motion here.
Comments
"-dealing with 400 “pleadings, e-mails, letters and missives (including pictorials)” filed by Thompson since the trial ended in December, 2007."
This is the time you could have spent with your ailing wife. Instead you send 100 angry letters a month. That's roughly 4 per day, rounding up. I shouldn't even have to explain how bad this makes you look.
"-handling a full-time job on the criminal bench"
This is something that you also need to get a hold of, Mr. Thompson. You're not the most important case here, and believe it or not, the world isn't literally standing still while she reads the near-5,000 pages of your dripe.
It sounds like she's leaning toward the disbarring.
Oh wait, I know the answer to that.
JACK THOMPSON:HEY, I'M ON YOUR ROOF, ASSHOLES!
Dava Tunis:Sir, please get off the roof.
JT:F**K YOU, YOU OLD BROAD! YOU'RE CONSPIRING AGAINST ME WITH TAKE TWO AND THE FLORIDA BAR! I'M NOT COMING DOWN!
DT:Sir, if you don't get off the roof-
JT:HURRY UP AND DECIDE WHETHER OR NOT TO DISBAR ME! BULLY IS A COLUMBINE SIMULATOR!
DT:Sir, please, I need time to make that decision. It wouldn't take me so long if you hadn't filed so many-
JT:VIDEOGAMES ARE MURDER SIMULATORS! THEY'RE OUT TO GET ME!
DT:Please get off the roof...
JT:NO!
END PART 1
Hehheh. Well I'm glad you two liked that. Aliasalpha, your script is excellent and will hereby be added to the continuity. Thank you. :)
IF anything, he just has no life.
Um... wow. Obsess much?
Some of the latter gamers are on death row, so try to find one out in the civilian population who hasn’t killed someone yet.
Oh, you mean all 21.4 million(or maybe doubled/tipple/etc that number of units sold)?
blah blah age-verification blah blah
Funny, he seems to have picked up a few other retailers I pointed out to him, but he still ignores the "cc is valid form of 'adult' id" and the "you must be 18 to purchase this game" "license" agreement(heck, BestBuy did that for my Persona 3 FES order).
Strauss is even marketing the new Grand Theft Auto IV on World Wrestling Entertainment tv shows seen by millions of kids.
... And so are R rated movies and TV shows(like say CSI), so who gives a ****?
Insert any jokes you feel about wrestling, but I don't think that is very appropriate for them or a good example to use in regards to violence.
He's now dead because a teenaged boy unwittingly trained himself to kill him on Grand Theft Auto: Vice City
Ignoring the usual training bs, but wtf is the "UN-wittingly" bit?
Maybe we should have in the pass banned kids from playing cops & robbers or cowboys & indians(oh I think someone else asked it on that other blog, and Jack replied to them & deliberately ignored it).
Same can be said about all those comic books with men in tights becoming some vigilante above the law or a morally corrupt individual/criminal trying to force everyone to their personal --sometimes illogical-- beliefs of how society should act/function...
More like the Hitler Youth, I would say.
Not surprised at this with his obsessions and past actions, but such stuff does deserve pointing out....
OK that is it, he doesn't need a restraining order, Jack Thompson needs a strait-jacket!
I sure loved the things Kincyr pointed out, and speaking of the mom bit, I ask the following yet again:
Come on Jack, where is the REAL evidence that you really cares about this violence & kids issue? Keeping it short: I sure haven't heard a squeak from you in regards to solving IN REAL LIFE bullying since that Bully case... But then again, it isn't like you had any interest to actually do something about it until R* came along.
Jack, you are the one with problems regarding morals and professional behavior; why do you think people go out of their way to associate you with "chasing massacres" and are devoting(not in the good way) attention to what you say & do? And before you answer that, keep in mind this it isn't a conspiracy involving the ECA, FBI, the Bar, the US government, the Illuminati, etc....
What Jack continually fails to realise is that credit cards are only given to individuals over 18. He has a problem with kids using credit cards? Arrest the kids for STEALING THE GODDAMN CREDIT CARDS, not playing a video game.
"dealing with 400 “pleadings, e-mails, letters and missives (including pictorials)” filed by Thompson since the trial ended in December, 2007."
This one just makes me laugh. I mean, if this was a major complaint by so many, one would think he would get a clue.
What's sad though is the amound of damage JT can make in a whole summer, especially if it is his last one as an attorney.
I understand the judge. If I have to read all the e-mails from that moron, I would need a half of a year, too.
Gift.
However, I would imagine that if JT is indeed to be disbarred, he would spam the courts & media with A TON of lawsuits, letters, faxes, emails, threats, insults, conspiracy theories, etc. The judge may be expecting this (having already gotten a taste of his wrath), and is wording her report in an airtight "slam dunk" manner.
Is Thompson still running for judge, or can we just add that to his mountain of little lies?
Jack is doomed.
Its off the wall remarks like that that keep Jack attacking gamers.
Name calling and vague threats of violence help make the point he's been looking for all this time.
If you can't play nice, then shut up before you make the rest of us look bad.
Sorry I am just finding the mental picture of JBT biting his nails to the elbow while worriedly waiting amusing. Probably wrong of me but there it is.
Being a bit more serious I would tend to agree with Dennis in that it sounds like Judge Tunis has reached her decision (though it is wrong to assume) and is spending the time (what little excess she has apparently) making sure there are a no loopholes and such that could cause the ruling to be overturned.
Or to put it another way.
That the findings are wraving rabid idiot proof. This is NOT as easy as it sounds. Not underestimate the power of human stupidity.
My heart goes out to the judge.
Judging by her past record, Judge Tunis is making sure that there is no loop hole or wiggle room that can allow JT chance to slither his way out of her final ruling. In other words, he's lost.
Are you implying that going out of your way to antagonize the person in charge of your fate is a BAD idea?
May as well be, he did seem determined to bottleneck the process.
You’re not the most important case here, and believe it or not, the world isn’t literally standing still while she reads the near-5,000 pages of your dripe.
Dripe? Is that some sort of combination of drivel and tripe?
When you say it sounds like she's already made her decision, do you mean you think you know which way she's leaning? If so, which way?
Could just be a misspelling of drip, though it would make a bit less sense. Nonetheless, I've decided that I love the word "Dripe" and am going to be using it often. It's kind of fantastic. My thanks to DavCube.
If I had to deal with the kind of day in day out dripe that this poor judge had to I'd need the time off too. I'm just hoping Jackie boy doesn't get too GTA happy before he's disbarred.
No. Apparently my spelling just sucks. Or i was thinking one word and typing another. I dunno, some sort of mental lapse.
XD
Am I reading that right, did she just say a 2,500 page transcript, 76 exhibits encompassing 1,700 pages, and 400 “pleadings, e-mails, letters and missives (including pictorials)” filed by Thompson?
...I don't know weather to laugh or to cry.
Again, I'm not a lawyer, but I wonder if it wouldn't make more sense to just redistribute the other cases off her docket, I mean seriously, it would almost be more humane to give her a month or so to just work on this.
Damn, now I actually feel bad for the guy.
this is worse that what Mike Rowe has to tackle in the Discovery Channel show "Dirty Jobs"
@brandon
oh the irony! :p
@ JT: please keep the copy of this filing by Judge Tunis. Note the language. This is how legal papers are meant to look when filed professionally. No name calling, no insinuations, and most importantly no pictures or gay porn to make your filing stand out from the rest.
Jack may kill more fax machines, but since he can't file anything without the signature of another Bar member (a fact that he constantly forgets or ignore), they'll most likely get thrown in the nearest trash can. Which means that video game companies are going to have a summer free of Jack Thompsonesques lawsuits. He'll send those letters, but Rockstar's lawyers (especially Ward) will finally be able to take a break from this guy.
1) Tunis informs both parties that John B. is guilty of violating Fl. Bar rules.
2) JT sends out rantings that insult the courts and attempt to discredit Judge Tunis
3) Judge Tunis includes these ranting into her final report and imposes sanctions that limit Thompson's 'communication' abilities
Repeat steps 2 & 3...
Ahh, the thought of JT digging himself into such a hole. We should buy him a shovel.
@GRIZZAM 512
I'd like to submit a story treatment for part 2 if I may
JT: THAT'S IT, I'M GOING TO FLY AWAY!
DT: Sir, humans can't fly
JT: FUCK YOU! I'VE READ PETER PAN, I KNOW I CAN DO ANYTHING IF I TRULY BELIEVE
DT: Peter Pan is just a story, its not real
JT: EVERYTHING IS REAL!
DT: Even the fictional things?
JT: ESPECIALLY THE FICTIONAL THINGS!
DT: Sir, that makes no sense
JT: IT DOESN'T HAVE TO, I'M JACK THOMPSON! HERE I GO!
*JT runs to the edge & launches himself into the air*
JT: I CAN FLY! I CAN FL...
DT: Could somebody please get a mop?
LMFAO!!! That was great!
Jack Thompson will most likely wiggle his way out of this one with all the time he has.
If only trials were 3 days long a la Ace Attorney.
Wow....I feel like i just got JT Dumb. It sucks we'll have to wait, but sweet sweet victory is coming.
JT: IT DOESN’T HAVE TO, I’M JACK THOMPSON! HERE I GO!"
Best JT quote of all time.
Looks like he forgot to think happy thoughts. :P
awesome!
Tunis FTW!!!!!
Hats off to Judge Tunis for her patience, after that she really really needs a long vacation after the havoc caused by JT, and poor her, since she will probably miss summer vacation because of the JT.
Given Jack's antics from the transcripts (Arguing with a judge when she overrules your objection? *Seriously*, Jack?) I'm fairly confident a Censure or Suspension is the best-case scenario, Disbarrment seems incredibly likely. And for those of you saying it won't hurt him to be disbarrd because he can retain other counsel, you have to think that pretty much any lawyer he comes to will know that their client isn't just a concerned citizen, they're a disbarred attorney. They won't touch anything Jack brings them with a ten foot pole.
I don't think anyone'd vote for this guy though.
But seriously. 400 emails in the space of 4 months? That's three A DAY. I LITERALLY change my underwear less frequently than thompson sends e-mail.
Not to mention the 4,200 pages of text. I don't think all my Textbooks this semester add up to even 2,000 pages, and she wants to read it all by summer? Sweet god that woman has a lot of work.
Do the work well, judge! I don't want this lunatic to be able to practice law in my state EVER again!
Wouldn't you submit nonstop evidence and reasoning behind why you shouldn't be disbarred? Disbarring a lawyer is like taking a Doctor's medical license away it's pretty much game over for your law career. I completely understand his submitting of 400+ emails, pleads, and other such.
As for the extended notice I would say her verdict hasn't been made till the ink is dried on the report. Look at it this way if she gives a guilty verdict JT will dig through the response for any error that can be exploited to file against if she gives a not guilty verdict the bar and the people who want him disbarred will dig through the response for any error that can be exploited. Basically she is between a hard place and a rock. Therefore she has requested additional time in order to make sure that the report she does submit is complete and with as little to no errors with in.
Seems like he's trying to add more.
"Wouldn’t you submit nonstop evidence and reasoning behind why you shouldn’t be disbarred? Disbarring a lawyer is like taking a Doctor’s medical license away it’s pretty much game over for your law career. I completely understand his submitting of 400+ emails, pleads, and other such."
Of course it'd make sense to try to do as much as possible to do something like that. DURING THE TRIAL. Not AFTER it, over the period of four months. There's a difference.
"Wouldn’t you submit nonstop evidence and reasoning behind why you shouldn’t be disbarred? Disbarring a lawyer is like taking a Doctor’s medical license away it’s pretty much game over for your law career. I completely understand his submitting of 400+ emails, pleads, and other such."
There is no need for non-stop evidence, unless for some reason you keep on discovering more and more. Thompson has no defense. He broke several Bar laws and is now paying the price. If there were evidence proving him innocent of the disciplinary charges, all he had to do was present it once. But he couldn't. His defense does not exist.
What he presented instead was a barrage of bizarre rants, insulting diatribes that had little or nothing to do with the issue at hand (his breaknig of the bar laws), and more to do with throwing insults at those who rightly brought these discipline charges against. He mentioned his 60 minutes appearance and plugged his book instead of trying to offer any kind of defense. He screamed that there were conspiracies against him, all because of his religious and social beliefs, when they do not excuse your professional behaviour (or lack thereof).
Saying that everyone else is wrong and you are the only right one is not a defense. The most unfortunate thing for this idiot is, had he merely owned up to breaking those laws, apologised and taken a short suspension or small fine at the start, he could have avoided all of this. But no, exuding hubris, Thompson could not admit that he was wrong and had behaved unprofessionally decided to try and prosecute everyone else for his behaviour.
Supplying huge amounts of relevant evidence in your defense, that's perfectly fine. Thompson however, knows that no such evidence exists, and in lieu of it bombards the bench with his inane screed in an effort to delay the inevitable or derail the process completely, thus avoiding the professional sanctions that we all know he deserves so richly.
Evidence would have had to be displayed in court so that the prosecution could analyze and deal with (either change their plans if it's valid or refute it if it's invalid evidence), and the only use for evidence after a trial is to get a retrial should some major evidence come to light. What sort of major evidence can you even think of that would possibly come up in a case like this?
At best he's continuing his harassment of people, at worst he's trying to illegally sway the judge to his side by submitting evidence without opposition.
However we all know that Jack Thompson's Faxicide spree is far from over. Please, think of the poor defenseless fax machines Jack!
The problem with Thompson sending in 400 emails is that this was part of the complaint against him to begin with (Takes hat off for the death of that poor fax machine). I highly doubt that all 400 are filled with real evidence, more than likely they are filled with his opinions and claims against those who testified against him as well as possible threats against the judge (ie I will run against you) type statements.
Ovarian cancer. It's an odd subject. Jack seems to want to blame the courts for keeping him from her. I don't know, I can't pretend I understand it. If my wife were having some kind of health crisis; I'd hire someone else to handle my defense, and only be present in court as was required.
I do believe this is a new all-time low for Thompson.
You, sir, have no shame.
Yeah, Dava. Hope you don't pass out from overwork. That would be a tru shame.
He's about to be tossed off the states bar through a decision by the Florida State Supreme Court. There [i]is no appeal[/i].
He could technically appeal to the SCOTUS. Good luck getting cert on that one.
On the other hand, with Jack unable to file motions without another lawyer's signature, and this disbarment trial in it's final months he's basically been defanged and the venom removed. Sure, he can go on Faux News and go nuts about how horrible games are, murder simulators, destroyers of all society. However, without his status as an upstanding lawyer he's no different than the crazy guy you see on the corner with his, "The End of the World is Now" sign.
@ Retro
Wow... Zelnick's mom... That's just... Wow...
If anything this confirms JT needs SERIOUS counseling. Many, MANY issues to work out there. SHEESH!
(Joke's on him when he gets to me -- I don't even have a fax machine!)
The Kotaku article didn't have a headline to itself, it was a comment made in the "The Week in Grand Theft Auto IV" article. A google search pulled it up rather quickly:
http://kotaku.com/381876/the-week-in-grand-theft-auto-iv#c5292410
No idea if it's legit or not, but if it is, that's just disgusting. :\
I smell "restraining order".
(Title)jackthompson's Friends(/Title)
jackthompson has no friends.
You can't libel a class. He has a perfect first amendment right to be an ass, even a lying one, as long as his slander remains unspecific. Norm Kent taught him a five-figure lesson on the consequences of crossing that line.
*sigh*
Jack, this is exactly the kind of idiotic stuff you're in trouble for with the bar. Will you fsking grow up and learn your lesson that ANY REASONABLE ADULT WILL NEVER EVER ACT LIKE THIS. Being a lawyer you're expected to be even better behaved, especially when it relates to a case of yours, but somehow you still are living in a mythical dream world where you're allowed to do anything to anyone because the voice in your head, whom you believe to be "God," said so. You keep going on and on about how gamers need to grow up, but it's obvious the only person who needs that advice is you. Even if you're unwilling to do it for yourself, think of your family and the damage your actions must be doing to them.
Anyway considering the plans I have coming up this fall, this August D-Day would just be icing on the cake. :D
Anyone still down for the Flowers for Dava/Muffin Basket campaign? I'll see what I can do. :P
"but, hey, your son Strauss has recently assured the world that he is "a Boy Scout, everybody knows that." I'd love to see the merit badges that Scout Troop handed out. Is there a Ted Bundy merit badge?"
And why does he keep bringing up boyscouts?
(To any boy scouts out there,keep the hell away from jack thompson apparently he has a scout fetish)
"Your son, this very moment, is doing everything he possibly can to sell as many copies of GTA IV to teen boys in the United States, a country in which your son claims you raised him to be "a Boy Scout." More like the Hitler Youth, I would say."
Did the Hitler youth have merit badges?
If so I highly dout they would have one based on a murder that was yet to be born.
Ahhhhhhhh the insanity
Jack Thompson comming on here yelling about how he isnt a perv and how were all going to burn in 3..2..1
I state this because the moment he's rendered defenseless, he'll have litigation on all sides trying to tear him apart and he'll actually need to pony up money to pay for his defense.
The man seems to think he's teflon, but I'm pretty the vultures are circling to finish him off once his license is stripped.
Just be sure there's enough popcorn for everyone... :D
I gave my Mom a link to the JT articles hear and told her to read the trial accounts, since she has worked with lawyers in the past and knows how they behave. Instead she started from the beginning of the Jack tag. Her comment: "He's insane."
This from a woman who was very concerned about the games I played when I was growing up. Even afterwards. Columbine had her very concerned that I played Doom and such games, even though I was over 18 when they came out and 24 at the time of the massacre. We had several discussions on the matter.
So it's very safe to say that she is in JT's corner that kids shouldn't play violent games. Still, she thinks he's bat-shit insane. I think that says a lot about him. If I were a kid now, you'd probably know her name, because she'd be out there discussing game ratings and the effect of games on kids. It's nice to know she wouldn't have anything to do with JT if she were, though.
Sorry, that just p^*&(d me off.
LOL, f***ing idiot. ... You can't exactly swing a broken joystick and not hit someone like that, unless you specifically looked in the jails/prisons...
Oh wait, I'm using logic, nevermind. I forgot who I was addressing... It happens.
He may as well have told her to find a place on earth where the grass is green and the sky is blue.
Good job, JT- you make it harder and harder for me to give lawyers and christians the benefit of the doubt.
That letter is pure harassment, Staruss mom should sue JT ASAP, and get restraining order quick!
I mean I thought JT was low, but not this low.
Trying to intimidate ones mother is never good, because it's low, and JT whines about "Oh, I can't be with my sick wife" c'mon man.
Yeah, spot on.
@Zerodash
Just don't go there.
If he's sanctioned, whatever sanctions he recieves are still effective during any appeal.
bad name.
Really?
I've had similar side effects except replace lawyers and christians with Humans in general
Fun Facts
Jack grew up in Cleveland Ohio(nobody grows crazy like Ohio)
Jack is 57 and has a 15yr old son(yikes)
Jacks email and phone number can be found at the following website:
http://www.floridabar.org/names.nsf/All/07D079003898F95585256A830051348B...
Where's the part in the Bible where Jesus wrote to a sinners mum? If that is genuine Jack, which seems likely, then it is the worst act of cowardice I have ever seen from him...
A close second might be his continuous milking of his wife's cancer...if she really is sick.
Last try to close, and I swear next time I will use this to CHECK my reply(for others who want to try this out/use it, just put your text with formating tags between the body statements):
http://htmlhelp.com/tools/validator/direct.html.en
I love the 'yet' at the end of that sentence, because if we are all going to kill someone at one point, it will, at the very least, sort out the housing market, because there wouldn't be anyone left to buy houses.
The man is going psychotic, it's the only possible excuse, when someone starts writing to people's mums and going into non-stop preaching and insult mode, they are over the edge, beyond the envelope and sailing on the calm, lucid seas of Psychopathy.
Hey, uh, Jack? Do insects count? If not, I fit that bill.
Ah sorry mate but you forget that in the eyes of JBT killing pixels in a game is the same as killing someone IRL. Most people do seem to understand there is a difference but not our misbegotten jackie.
The irony is strong with his letter. He who used his son for his little string had the gaul to attacked Zelnicks Mother blaiming Her for how Zelnick "Turned out" like he had some moral highground to preach from.
His letter should be kept and printed somewhere down the road in one of those "He didn't really say that" type of books. After Strauss sues jackie anyways.
Seems as such, yes. It's possible, and I agree with Shadow Darkman. Never killed anything besides a few bees and other random insects.
By the "find ONE" bit I assume by that he means just gamers, and thinks that we all have or soon will go postal.
Again, numbers prove him otherwise. I like countless others have played them with no such effect. I personally have no problem with the sort of cartoony GTA's gore, but things to the extent of Manhunt I won't play or watch.
You never said you'd come back. Welcome back!
@Zerodash
Thing is, Roxas and I have only ever killed insects in RL, so don't we fit the bill JT has distributed?
If not, I'd love to hear what game he thinks I trained on to lower the world's insect population. That would give me a real laugh.
EDIT: The lines for Zerodash were meant for Icehawk. My bad.