Florida Bar to investigate Jack Thompson?
by Conrad Quilty-Harper 
{ Oct 20th 2005 at 8:00AM }
Apparently when Jack Thompson messed with Penny Arcade cartoonist "Gabe", he failed to take into account the site's loyal readers. In one 60+ page thread on the PA forums—which can be found here—readers were sharing their faxes, emails and phone calls to the Florida Bar which called for an investigation into Jack Thompson's practices.
Ars Technica got in touch with the Florida Bar and found that "according to a spokesperson, the letters and faxes have been received and forwarded to the disciplinary committee."
According to a Wikipedia article on the matter, the Florida Bar has "received an overwhelming amount of complaints in the last several days about the issue, and is calling an emergency meeting to deal with the issue." Hopefully Jack's time in the spotlight will be coming to an end very soon.
[Update: Penny-Arcade thread link now working.]
[Thanks, minime283]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
OTAM @ Dec 18th 2005 9:42PM
Xbox360 coming out over the horizon AND Jack Thompson getting what he truly deserves.
This can't be reality,I must be still sleeping,this is too good.
Wyldern @ Dec 18th 2005 9:42PM
*thanks the PA forum members*
Ross Castro (RCagent) @ Dec 18th 2005 9:42PM
Jack Thompson, in the words of the Super Smash Brothers Melee announcer....
...FAILURE...
jc @ Dec 18th 2005 9:42PM
While it is unlikely that he will get anything more than a slap on the wrist, this is still good news.
I hope this causes him to think twice before he starts harassing decent people.
Give it up Jack... or else.
;)
Gimbal @ Dec 18th 2005 9:42PM
I lack the necessary quantity of coffee to express myself more eloquently at the moment, but I think everyone knows how I feel when I say:
lol pwnt!!!1
guises @ Dec 18th 2005 9:42PM
"the letters and faxes have been received and forwarded to the disciplinary committee. == "we don't care about you, now go away."
i think ya'll are being a little optimistic.
SickNic @ Dec 18th 2005 9:42PM
I wonder if he is going to sue the Florida Bar for criminal harrassment!
I can't help but smile at this news. The guy should retire anyways...
LaughingTarget @ Dec 18th 2005 9:42PM
If the Florida Bar were a Mortal Kombat character, its fatality move would be "Dis-barment". Ooh, I even brought in a violent, society degregating game into it. I rule.
Keddren @ Dec 18th 2005 9:42PM
FYI: that 50+ page thread (which is now 60+ pages) is still up at the PA forums. There's actually two threads, one in the Games and Tech subforum, the other in Social Entropy.
Right now, the PA forums are taking a massive hit as people flood in to watch this news unfold.
san @ Dec 18th 2005 9:42PM
He won't even get a slap on the wrist. I can't imagine what he did challenges his privilege to practice law in Florida. It's smarmy, probably unethical . . . But legally unethical?
You guys are, and have been, debating Thompson at the ankles when you should be debating him at the mouth. Come on. Name-calling? Death threats? Sure, he has the ear of power people right now. Well, you go get them to listen to you, too. Synergize people. Synergize.
jack thompson @ Dec 18th 2005 9:42PM
John B. Thompson, Attorney at Law
1172 South Dixie Hwy., Suite 111
Coral Gables, Florida 33146
305-666-4366
October 20, 2005
Alan B. Bookman
President
The Florida Bar
Tallahassee, Florida Via e-mail
Entire Board of Governors
The Florida Bar
C/o John Harkness and to Governors Directly
The Florida Bar
Tallahassee, Florida Via e-mails
Re: Targeting of Jack Thompson for Criminal Harassment by Gamers
Dear Mr. Bookman and All Governors of The Florida Bar:
As you know, eighteen years ago I commenced efforts against the entertainment industrys illegal distribution of adult entertainment to minors. That fledgling effort resulted in the first decency fines ever levied by the FCC.
The broadcasters struck back with Bar complaints. One happy result of that is that The Bars insurance carrier had to pay me money damages for The Bars having taken the bait offered by the SLAPP bar complainants. SLAPP is the acronym for strategic litigation against public participation. Filing such a complaint violates certain federal civil rights statutes and state laws as well.
As you also know, the Philadelphia law firm of Blank Rome, which is lead lawyer and chief lobbyist registered in the US House of Representatives and in the US Senate for Take-Two Interactive, has chosen to use the SLAPP approach in our wrongful death case in Alabama by asking the Alabama state judge to kick me off that case because 1) I have been so effective in telling the American people about the reckless activity of their clients, Take-Two and Sony, through 60 Minutes and Readers Digest that they cant now get a fair trial, and 2) I have a colorful history of pornographers filing SLAPP bar complaints against me, which indicates I am unfit to practice law.
Interesting logic, but remember: this is Blank Rome talking. Blank Rome has a very long history of opposition research through partners such as Barbara Comstock, who was called by the Washington Post a one-woman wrecking crew for her brilliance in character assassination on behalf of her clients.
Blank Romes Comstock is the US Congressman Dan Burton staffer who was doing his work for him when he was clandestinely keeping a mistress on his federal payroll staff in violation of federal law.
Blank Rome also has been recently caught up in the scandal of securing Department of Homeland Security contracts for its clients allegedly because of its massive campaign contributions to former DHS Secretary Tom Ridge, Bush-Cheney, and the RNC. This has been covered in the mainstream media. Blank Rome is clearly the most powerful law firm, right now, in America, because of its tight personal and financial relationships with Jeb and George Bush. Blank Rome likes to make stuff up to run over people who are in the way of their clients. Pretty standard stuff, really. But dont you love the fact that a bunch of family values Republican loyalists to George Bush are representing Take-Two/Rockstar and fraudulently smearing a conservative Christian Republican who has got Rockstar on the run? But this is wha the GOP has become: the lap dog for corporate America, the parents who provide the partys base be damned.
I hear today, then, from the Internet-based enthusiast video game press that gamers are going to file or have filed new SLAPP Bar complaints against me. Heres why:
An outfit in Seattle called Think Geek is marketing a t-shirt emblazoned across the front of which are the words I Hate Jack Thompson. That kind of tells us where they are on the subject of me.
The parent company is an outfit called Penny Arcade. In the last several days, the folks at Think Geek provided, improperly, Penny Arcade with my email address, which had not been widely circulated (I had to get rid of the last one because of death threats and the like). Some idiot at Penny Arcade foolishly emailed me and told me, in effect, of the amusement that comes from going after me, and then he foolishly explained on the Penny Arcade site how they were going to do it.
Penny Arcade put out a news story that was wholly false, and the purpose of it, of course, was to generate the sort of Internet-based gamers harassment of me that has caused me to coin the useful phrase pixelante. Blank Rome is just a highly-paid pixelante. I was not getting this harassment at my new e-mail address until Penny Arcade did this.
The result of Penny Arcades intentional targeting of me is that I almost immediately started receiving emailed and phoned death threats, many of them referencing Penny Arcade. Penny Arcade has every right to express their warped bizarre opinions, but they dont have the right to use the Internet to orchestrate criminal harassment of me, which is precisely what they did.
I asked to speak with their attorney, which I did yesterday, and this guy is a perfect fit with Penny Arcade, because his position is that this is all my fault.
I have written the Police Chief in Seattle and asked that their department investigate this matter, as I believe this constitutes a criminal act by Penny Arcade. Penny Arcade has thus ramped up the harassment, and now there is a campaign among gamers to go to The Florida Bar to discipline me for trying to protect myself and my family, as well as my right, under the First Amendment to try to get the video game industry to start acting like something other than a bunch of sociopaths.
I was on CNNs Anderson Cooper 360 two nights ago because there is now a new game out in which pro footballers send prostitutes to the other teams players hotel rooms. Quaint stuff. I think I have a right to complain about that, which CNN wanted me to do when they contacted me. Anderson Cooper was more negative about it than I was. I am making progress.
But I especially appreciated the computer-generated call last night that said We are coming to get you, Mr. Thompson. This is from the Penny Arcade faithful. That is precisely what Penny Arcade wanted, and I have received similar computer-generated calls threatening me.
I am quite certain that lawyer Daniel Horowitz would advise me to take such threats seriously, arent you?
Several weeks ago some gamer idiot (sorry to be redundant) managed to email me thousands of death threats from a blast e-mail service based in Ireland using the following e-mail address: georgewbush@whitehouse.gov. The Secret Service shut that pixelante right down. Its probably too much to expect the Secret Service to shut Blank Rome down. Thats a joke, by the way.
Now, let me be clear. Any Bar complaint coming from these morons arising out of the above incident is baseless and itself constitutes a violation of a specific federal civil rights statute.
If The Bar proceeds with any of these, it does so at its own peril. The Bar paid me once. I am certainly willing it pay me again, along with others.
Regards, Jack Thompson
Kyle Evans @ Dec 18th 2005 9:42PM
*yawn* I love tryhard-douchebags like you, Jack.
Dave @ Dec 18th 2005 9:42PM
Dear Mr. Thompson,
I think that you really need to take into account the fact that there are people within all levels of society that enjoy videogames. While I didn't take notice of you when you merely advocated a system checking the legal age of purchasers, but I do take notice when you insult everyone who simply enjoys videogames.
Mr Thompson, we are in all aspects of life. Some of us drive your cabs and prepare your food, some of us manage corporations you work with and for every day. Forgive the Durdenesque reference (not that I think you'd understand it anyway).
I'd advise you to learn a little bit more about those you hate so very much. You're insulting a far broader spectrum of people than you can possibly imagine, about a topic you seem to know VERY little about.
Dave @ Dec 18th 2005 9:42PM
Heh, clearly you care enough to actually WRITE a response back to the BAR... feeling a little bit of heat?
Gimbal @ Dec 18th 2005 9:42PM
Holy crap! Jack threatening everyone with a bunch of legal horsecrap. Who'd have guessed it would come to this? lol
jc @ Dec 18th 2005 9:42PM
Jack, with all of the injustices in the world... why do you feel the need to attack video games and the people that enjoy them?
No offense, but you really don't sound the type to judge other people's mental conditions. Maybe if you made your opinions known without slanting issues, or adding god and religion to the issue you might actually gain some support.
You almost have a point, but you blow everything out of proportion and sensationalize issues to make your popular. What game are you playing Jack?
Chiablo @ Dec 18th 2005 9:42PM
Penny-Arcade is not Think Geek's "parent company." Rather, Think Geek is a merchandise distrbutor for Penny-Arcade.
In fact, Think Geek is owned by the same company that hosts slashdot and a number of other sites, but penny-arcade is not numbered among them:
http://www.thinkgeek.com/about-us/
Unlike Jack, I don't randomly spew out nonsence without doing research first.
SickNic @ Dec 18th 2005 9:42PM
Here is the link to that Penny-Arcade thread:
http://www.penny-arcade.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=201930&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0&sid=0512bf058422134164cba7878c5f653c
djSyndrome @ Dec 18th 2005 9:42PM
Bringing up Horowitz is just ascinine - the man just lost his *wife*, for Christ's sake. Leave him alone. Way to go, Jack.
White Rose Duelist @ Dec 18th 2005 9:42PM
Waitwaitwaitwaitwait... are you threatening the Bar Association, Jack? Is that really wise while they are investigating you for disciplinary violations?
catma @ Dec 18th 2005 9:42PM
Jack,
I don't think you realize what you are fighting here. Most if not all gamers agree that games such as GTA should not be sold to minors, at least from people I have talked to. Almost every store I have visited in the past 4 years has carded me when I tried to buy an M rated game. These games don't train killers, no matter how much you will it to be true.
Personally I think there should be a law preventing the sales of M rated games to minor but go by the ESRB rating not one like that in California which is much to broad in scope.
However, Mr. Thompson in the past few days of reading memos and faxes you have sent to everyone but intended recipient, I have noticed you hate the people who play video games not video games themselves. The spectrum of those who play video games is growing and broadening every day from the local college hippie to those who own businesses to parents to probably even a few politicians at this point. You have, to put it in historical terms, "awaken the sleeping giant."
A time has come where it would be better to compromise then to be all out belligerent. Gamers would agree, I am sure, whole heartedly to a law that restricted M games to those 17 going by the ESRB rating, if you would back up and take a look at what you are saying which is out right insane at times and just take up another cause like internet pornography and its easy accessabliity to minors. Your beliefs are yours, because I cannot change yours. You, of course, will never change mine.
Will you take this seriously, probably not. I have made my views heard and will now commence in simply standing back and watching the events unfold. However I warn you now Mr. Thompson the second that you try and restrict games from kids as well as adults will be the day you rue for the rest of your life because you will reckon with a power you cannot possibly imagine.
I hope you come to terms with yourself sometime soon Mr. Thompson and realize that games do not train people to kill.
32_Footsteps @ Dec 18th 2005 9:42PM
Of course, if he wants to take it to a court of law, it's quite easy to prove that the stories written about Jack here and in other places are 100% true. I noticed for all his threats that Jack has never carried through with his numerous threatened lawsuits, probably cognisant of this fact. Not that it will stop him, of course.
Coyote @ Dec 18th 2005 9:42PM
Not to be snide. But when the people that reply to blogs, and post on fourms make more sense (and are more eloquent in their phrasing) than the one that actually should show some skill in the written language (i.e. a person in legal office). It shows just how sad and disoriented our culture is. Its also disheartening that the media would rather listen to him because he uses buzz words like "moron" and idiot-gamers" oh and "pixelante" (wait thats not even word...). The knee-jerk reactionary tactics that he uses just cater to the most basic of all those that pay attention to the news. Unfortunately thats what most of this country consists of.
Heres a novel idea. Hold parents accountable for what their children do. End of story.
Oh and never underestimate the PA community, Im sure Gabe and Tycho could start their own "Fight Clubesque" cult (not that one hasnt already started whether they wanted it or not).
Hahahhaa @ Dec 18th 2005 9:42PM
Jack Thompson is a lunatic. A deranged, reactionary fool who also happens to have a book to sell. Mind you, it would be nice to see one of these pious religion fuelled pro-censorship types get humiliated rather than merely laughed at.
Oh, and jack, your god's an asshole. Sue me.
I love the way he keeps biting. bitey bitey bitey.
CoffeeJedi @ Dec 18th 2005 9:42PM
Let's play everyone's favorite new game: Catch Jack Thompson in a Lie!
"An outfit in Seattle called Think Geek is marketing a t-shirt emblazoned across the front of which are the words I Hate Jack Thompson....The parent company is an outfit called Penny Arcade."
-Other than providing a place to sell their shirts, the two companies have nothing to do with each other. However. this statement is probably more due to your utter stupidity and lack of investigative ability than it is an outright lie.
"Some idiot at Penny Arcade foolishly emailed me and told me, in effect, of the amusement that comes from going after me, and then he foolishly explained on the Penny Arcade site how they were going to do it."
-Again, another lie. Gabe simply informed you that the PA charity, Child's Play, raised money in serveral orders of magnitude greater than your "promise" that you regnegged on.
"Penny Arcade put out a news story that was wholly false"
-Well, false in the sense that you had no intention what-so-ever of paying the $10,000. But we actually took you to be a man of your word, and you broke that trust. So they reported YOUR lie as truth, because you announced it as such.
" they dont have the right to use the Internet to orchestrate criminal harassment of me, which is precisely what they did."
-Actually, Gabe told everyone NOT to harrass you. Stop lying Jack.
"because his position is that this is all my fault."
-Well, this isn't a lie per se, but this whole thing IS your fault. You didn't need to call Gabe back about the donation.
Want to try again Jacky-boy? You're losing it here.
Hahahhaa @ Dec 18th 2005 9:42PM
One more thing. Maybe I don't understand American law..(I'm in the UK)..But why are people complaining about Wacko Thompson to a BAR???
Joe Kovell @ Dec 18th 2005 9:42PM
Mr. Thompson
I find that your ability to ignore reasonable arguments to your stands inexcusable to an individual of your profession. Your constant use of the straw man tactic is so blatant that I find it difficult to even consider what reasonable arguments you do have. I am VERY concerned about the influence of violent videogames on children who should not be playing them, however, your crusade against the videogame industry does nothing to help the problem.
I am sorry that many "gamers" have responded to your tactics in a threatening way, but you have failed on many occasions to be the better man. In fact, any response I have seen that has been entirely reasonable has been ignored or mocked. Such responses, although unfortunate and inappropriate, should be expected under the circumstances.
For the good of the children you claim to protect, your own future as a public figure, and the videogame industry, reevaluate these tactics before you burn every remaining bridge available in this matter.
-Joseph Kovell
Your proposal was an insult to our police force, our country, and to those who could have used that money for the greater good.
Chiablo @ Dec 18th 2005 9:42PM
To #24:
You made my day.
And just in case you weren't joking, check here for an explanation of what the BAR association is: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bar_association
san @ Dec 18th 2005 9:42PM
I don't agree with most of Thompson's arguments about video games. But he's right about the death threats and other harassment. It's illegal, certainly. But more than that, it's unethical and does absolutely nothing to advance the debate or promote resolution. Indeed it grossly obfuscates the real issues. The video game contigent is to a great degree wallowing in a morass of futile rage.
The first step in resolving this is going to be realizing that there is some material that parents, and even society as a whole, does not want in the hands of children at their own discretion. Really, the growth of this whole mess has been in great part related to resisting this notion of intervention in the area of youth video gaming.
paralipsis @ Dec 18th 2005 9:42PM
Jack
So your pride was hurt by Gabe's email. As a Christian, should you not have learned to turn the other cheek? This whole situation has been brought about because you could not control your anger.
You were caught in a lie, and like any prideful individual, your response was to shoot the messenger. Your anger has backfired because the individual you targeted is respected and liked by the community you have repeatedly alienated with your insults and untruths. I am sorry to hear you have recieved death threats over this issue (if that is in fact true), as that is completely uncalled for no matter how stupid your actions may have been.
That said, I hope you are disbarred, and that you fade into obscurity.
Kajex @ Dec 18th 2005 9:42PM
Jack,
You speak as if the law was totally on your side. You speak as if you are above the law. I commend you for enflating an ego as large as you have, and then watching it deflate the moment you come across a series of difficulties in your "crusade" that do everything to show how much of an insane fool you are. What is this really about, then? People doing as you ask so that a charity can get money, only for you to deny them that money?
And before you go slinging that crap that it was all a joke, and that the story was false and should be removed, let me just say, Jack, that we all know it's not. We all know that you denied charity to those who need it most. We all know that you made an extreme promise that dozens of people participated in upholding so you could be true to your word and fork over the cash to the charity of choice. We all know that you think it's somehow hilarious, calling it satire.
Well, let me tell you something then, lawyer man Thompson.
Holding money hostage, so that your demands are met, and then taking it away the moment someone has done what you've asked? PROMISING that money to others?
That... is NOT satire.
Your sick sense of humor is not funny to those who need the money, whom are possibly in pain and sick or poor or hungry. If you had ANY sliver of compassion in your heart, you would have kept your end of the bargain, and you would have done what you said you would do.
And guess what, Jacko? You're starting to reap what you've sowed. You're about to pay the piper you've been messing with. Just because you THINK you uphold the law with your tireless attacks doesn't mean that you're above it. Because of you, many people hold enmity towards you. You have challenged and insulted the integrity of millions of gamers around the world, have used tactics that have failed miserably. You, sir, are going the way of the dodo.
You sir, are the man that was beaten down in discussions by comic artists, public web-forums, and a 14-year old kid. You are the man who has garnered the discontent and enmity of gamers worldwide. You're the man whose attacks, while vicious, are blind and hit nothing. You are a liar. A Fraud. A Cheat. A fool. A pompous, pig-headed, money-mongering, lawsuit-happy, anti-gaming, gamer-hated, humorless, tasteless, groundless, factless, tactless, heartless, helpless, HOPELESS excuse for a lawyer on this planet.
The real reason why you tried to get Tycho and Gabe arrested? You don't like the fact that there are people out there who think differently than you do, and you don't like the fact that you can insult gamers, and that they can insult you, too. You don't like the fact that there are gamers out there who give a damn about others, and are willing to pay $10,000 OUT OF THEIR OWN POCKET BECAUSE YOU DIDN'T WANT TO!!!
You know what?
I'm tired of ignoring Jack. I'm tired of not be able to do anything about it. I'm tired of the fact that there are still people taking him seriously. There's a whole boatload of information on Jack Thompson on wikipedia. All a person needs to do is paste a link to it, and send it to all the "important" people, and let them see the kind of fool that he is.
So let's have it, Jack. Let me insult the heck out of you, and then have you come and arrest me for expressing my opinions. Maybe you didn't know this, but the 1st Amendment of the Consitution applies to EVERYBODY, not just you. But hey, you're above the law. My e-mail is Kajex_Firedrake@yahoo.com. Go ahead and reply. I've already kicked up alot of dirt on your arguments- that, or I just happened to find alot of it on the topics you talked about all the same. I'm not afraid of the boogey-man. And as a result, I'm not afraid of you.
Ruari @ Dec 18th 2005 9:42PM
Why does Joystiq not head a campaign to ignore him? Honestly... if you did that he'd fall out of the lime-light and just be a regular jerk again :). I think everyone dislikes him, not because he thinks some games can be bad but because he is obviously doing it to further his career and gain the moolah.
Paul Cosgrove @ Dec 18th 2005 9:42PM
Mr. Thompson,
Your above letter does nothing to address the fact that what you've done is very obviously ethically questionable.
Calling the police on Penny Arcade is a clear sign of attempted intimidation, a theory which is lent more weight by the fact that you apparently publicised the action by sending the fax to Penny Arcade themselves and several gaming news outlets (although ironically the Seattle PD has denied recieving the fax).
I'm sure all the photoshopping that gamers have done of your image is deeply concerning to you, and in some strange bizzaro-world may be considered harrassment, but I'm sure you'd have a hard time convincing any rational people that it constitutes any kind of "harrassment", at least on a level even comparable to your own continued antagonizations towards both Penny Arcade specifically and the gaming community in general.
The only thing Penny Arcade have done is to highlight that they raised $500,000 for charity through Child's Play, and then donated a further $10,000 on your behalf when you didn't have the balls to go through with your "satirical" donation.
All your talk of illegitimate "SLAPP" orders against you by Blank Rome is interesting, but it does little to address the fact that several thousand people worldwide have felt it necessary to contact the Florida Bar Association to complain about your attempted character defamation against, apparently, every single person who has ever played a videogame. Claiming it's all an elaborate conspiracy orchestrated by Penny Arcade is ludicrous as well; there are simply too many media outlets covering the issue to plausibly claim a single point of ignition for the complaints - unless you include yourself.
From your continued use of slander and libel against Penny Arcade, game companies and gamers (comparing Douglas Lowenstein to both Adolf Hitler and Saddam Hussein), to your consistent threats of legal action (all of which are groundless and obviously intended solely to be abusive to the recipient), regardless of your opinion of the people making these complaints you are obviously *not* the best representative for either the pro-censorship lobby (evidenced by the NIMF distancing itself from you, despite your essentially identical goals) or the legal profession - and since lawyers in general already suffer from a poor public image as ambitious, unscrupulous and often satanic, the fact that you're seen as making things worse you're surely doing something wrong.
All of which is to say nothing of your poor command the English language, your laughably shallow "investigations" into videogames and the industry that produces them (evidenced by your incredulously misinformed comment regarding the NFL and "Blitz" from Midway), your bizarre claims about your detractors (claiming Penny Arcade and ThinkGeek are co-owned and your insistence on drawing parallels between gamers and drug abusers) or your aggressively abusive personality in general.
Mr. Thompson, you have achieved nothing but to cause the entire gaming community to rise in a single body against you. While your core goal of preventing the sale of violent games to minors is one that I, and many gamers, agree with, your method of achieving this ends, by harrassment, libel and threatening even those on your side, does nothing to encourage the games development, publishing and retail industries or gamers to come together and create a mutually agreeable system to prevent the sale of games to minors.
Even still, ultimately the decision will fall to parents - if they continue to buy violent games on behalf of their children, no amount of carding people will prevent that. It's entirely unreasonable to expect the games industry to police the use of games once they've passed the point of sale - if we were to pursue that course of action and litigation, the gun, alcohol and tobacco industries would also have to take responsibility for the uses to which their products are put after they are in the hands of private citizens.
I'd like to think you'd be able to calmly and rationally read my opinion and respond in a calm and rational manner, but from previous examples of your correspondence I'm not holding out much hope for a reasoned debate involving yourself.
Looking forward to your kneejerk reaction,
Paul Cosgrove
Belfast, N. Ireland, 2005
aniki@anime-ni.co.uk
LSSLAVE @ Dec 18th 2005 9:42PM
I will flat out say it now
Gamers should file a class action suit against Jack Thompson. Dont stand alone, dont be stupid, band together under a banner and make him pay for what he has done.
3 of MANY things he has done;
Violation of human rights, Degredation and Discrimination, Slander
There are many more things he has done
We need someone to take up the banner, everyone to unite. If he is going to take us to court over untruths then we are going to take him to court over his crimes.
It is entirely within legal reason for us to file this class-action suit. All we need to do is be mature and group together, no pettiness, no namecalling. Take Jack Thompson to court over his injustices to the gaming populace, and if we win, put salt in his wound by donating every last cent to a game-related charity 'Compliments of Jack Thompson'.
Kajex @ Dec 18th 2005 9:42PM
Lemme add this in, too.
There's a word to describe actions in which a person or group of persons use the government, intimidation, slander, insults, and threats just to get people to think the same way you do.
You know what that word is called?
Facism.
Now go ahead and do your worst, you 2nd rate, 3rd world Hitler.
Paul Cosgrove @ Dec 18th 2005 9:42PM
I don't think it's wise to start sending actual harrassment Jack's way - not to his some address, at any rate. It's different if you want to send complaints to his bosses or even his place of business, but if you start sending crap to him at home you're entering an entirely different game that could very easily result in real, legitimate legal action against you.
I'd highly recommend that post with Jack's address be deleted.
Spytap @ Dec 18th 2005 9:42PM
You would think a man who was complaining about being contacted by the video game community, would not post his contact information on a video game community website...
Joe Kovell @ Dec 18th 2005 9:42PM
Let's not (spam him, that is.) I would rather give Mr. Thompson less fuel to argue about. He already has enough hate mail to last a life time anyway. Instead I look forward to seeing this self-destructive series play out until Jack has no one else to blame. I have not and will never never e-mailed Mr. Thompson (unless responding to a message emailed to me,) and encourage others to do the same. If you want to actively aid his downfall, write a coherent and well thought out letter to 60 minutes and Readers Digest. Inform them that their good name is being harmed by this man.
Joseph Kovell
e-mail the_palantir@yahoo.com
XenoCorpse @ Dec 18th 2005 9:42PM
Now guys- be careful. Using the mail for threats is a federal crime. Don't be stupid and deep-six our chance to make Jack Thompson fade out of view. The goal here is to show people what kind of asshole he is, and NOT to threaten or harass him.
Now, check this out: "Several weeks ago some gamer idiot (sorry to be redundant)"
He couldn't even write to the Florida Bar Association without stooping to insulting us. He does this in EVERYTHING he writes or says. It's like some sort of knee-jerk (emphasis on the JERK) reaction: He can't resist slandering or libelling the entire gamer community every chance he gets. He's not just going after the producers, he's going after the consumers.
This means we have a genuine opportunity for a class-action lawsuit.
He goes on TV and uses his every opportunity to make people see us as bad. He screams about defamation of character, but he's the one doing it to us. How many of us are having problems dealing with people because they look down their noses at us once they find out we're gamers? "Jack Thompson says you're all on drugs." or "Jack Thompson proved you're all brain-dead." could be common things we hear. He's making it difficult for us to live our lives, make a living, and go unaccosted in the world.
So let us ALL sue the bastard!
I don't care about his money. I just want an agreement to cease and desist from further slander or libel against the members of the gaming community. That's fair, isn't it?
It's one thing to say "gamers are all assholes." and quite another to say "gamers are all on drugs." or "gamers are all liars." but that's what he's doing. Calling us names is his right, but saying we do things that we don't do is, indeed, something for which he can be sued.
So let us find all the interviews with him, all the printed, documented cases where he commits such libel/slander, and let us find a kickass attorney within the gaming community (there HAS to be one) who is willing to do something historic.
We have power. We have numbers. We can take this turkey down without being rude, violent weasels like he is. We don't have to stoop to his level.
paralipsis @ Dec 18th 2005 9:42PM
I second Paul Cosgrove's setiment. Let's not stoop to the level of personal harassment. The post with what may be Jack's home address should be deleted.
Spytap @ Dec 18th 2005 9:42PM
Yeah, I think it may be best to take down the above listing. No need make his lies come true. Let him stand on his own accusations, instead of giving him some merit for those lies.
RJ @ Dec 18th 2005 9:42PM
This story is getting hyped to death and way overblown. I am an attorney, although not in Florida.
There is no support for the supposed "emergency meeting." This is just wishful thinking. (The Wikipedia article cites to the Ars Technica article for this, but the Ars Technica article doesn't say actually say any such thing.)
Attorney disciplinary complaints happen all the time. This will eventually get referred to a committee made up of attorneys who will determine whether Jack has violated an ethical rule of the Florida bar, which are technically called the "Florida Rules of Professional Conduct." You can find out more information here:
http://www.floridabar.org/tfb/TFBETOpin.nsf/EthicsIndex?OpenForm
To "convict" him, the Bar Association will have to find that he violated a specific ethical rule. Unfortunately, being a general pompous asshole doesn't count.
Ross @ Dec 18th 2005 9:42PM
This news makes me happy.
This news makes me very happy.
Hopfully Mister Thompson will learn from this, and maybe relize that screwing the gaming comunity in hte fashion he has been is a BAD idea.
Hopfully, but I'm not betting money on it.
XenoCorpse @ Dec 18th 2005 9:42PM
Sorry LSSLAVE- You beat me to it! Class-Action all the way!
You mah boy Jack, you mah boy! @ Dec 18th 2005 9:42PM
Yeah, please delete my last post. I guess I was just too excited that I found out his address. I hope no one was dumb enough to send just some random crap to his house.
LSSLAVE @ Dec 18th 2005 9:42PM
Actually, legally Jack Thompson has broken the rules. He has blackmailed Penny-Arcade
Right there he broke the law, not to mention OTHER crimes he has commited and injustices he has done
He may not be disbarred, but between the review for it and if we class-action he will be in alot of heat
If we get the press coverage he has recieved with our class-action we will be able to point out the TRUTHS of what this man is doing, and the lies he is spreading.
He takes on giants, and then the nobodies of society take him on.
All we need is our voice, someone who can rally the gamers of the world!
Paul Cosgrove @ Dec 18th 2005 9:42PM
Re: RJ (Comment #42)
Would this not count?
http://www.floridabar.org/tfb/TFBETOpin.nsf/ca2dcdaa853ef7b885256728004f87db/5ec1351f71d656cd85256b2f006ca910?OpenDocument
"An attorney may not threaten criminal prosecution solely to gain advantage in a civil matter or for purposes of harassment."
He's threatened plenty of lawsuits several times, and I'd say they could be portrayed as intended as harrassment...
I may be misreading or misinterpreting that item, though.
Joe Kovell @ Dec 18th 2005 9:42PM
Of course I'm not a lawyer, but I don't know of any precedent to such a class-action. But I could be completely wrong here. It seems odd to me that someone could get sued for name-calling such a large section of the population. That would be similar to someone being sued by an entire race for stating a racial stereotype. Sure it is racist, but I don't think an entire race could claim they were financially harmed in such a way as to demand compensation. Your thoughts on this RJ
Joseph Kovell
Spytap @ Dec 18th 2005 9:42PM
In a short five minute scanning, I can definitely see a few ethics violations rules that may apply. Bear in mind IANAL
RULE 4-8.4 MISCONDUCT
(c) engage in conduct involving dishonesty, fraud, deceit, or misrepresentation;
Many kinds of illegal conduct reflect adversely on fitness to practice law, such as offenses involving fraud and the offense of willful failure to file an income tax return. However, some kinds of offense carry no such implication. Traditionally, the distinction was drawn in terms of offenses involving "moral turpitude." That concept can be construed to include offenses concerning some matters of personal morality, such as adultery and comparable offenses, that have no specific connection to fitness for the practice of law. Although a lawyer is personally answerable to the entire criminal law, a lawyer should be professionally answerable only for offenses that indicate lack of those characteristics relevant to law practice.
RELEVANT PART HERE:
Offenses involving violence, dishonesty, or breach of trust or serious interference with the administration of justice are in that category. A pattern of repeated offenses, even ones of minor significance when considered separately, can indicate indifference to legal obligation.
You mah boy Jack, you mah boy! @ Dec 18th 2005 9:42PM
Yeah, please delete my last post. I guess I was just too excited that I found out his address. I hope no one was dumb enough to send just some random crap to his house.