The "GTA cop killer" case in Alabama had its first day of court
last week, and already it may be at a halt. On the first day of the proceedings, law firm Blank Rome, representing the
defendants (Take-Two, Rockstar, Sony, Wal-Mart, and GameStop) of the trial, filed a motion to have
Jack Thompson, representing the
families of two cops killed by GTA-playing Devin Moore, thrown off the case for his out-of-court antics. The motion
claims Thompson has threatened Blank Rome's lawyers, even going so far as to accuse them of conspiracy, in various
press releases he has sent out.
According to lawyer Jim Smith, “he’s going to turn the courtroom into a circus and we can’t have it.”
Judge James Moore is reviewing the requested revocation of Thompson’s license to practice law in Alabama, taken the
stacks of press releases Blank Rome submitted as evidence into consideration. Thompson defended himself by reminded
Moore he had told Thompson “after the criminal trial to ‘have at it,’” to which Moore reportedly replied “your ‘have at
it’ and my ‘have at it’ are not the same.”
Thompson sent a response to Judge Moore, and Game Politics was able to
obtain a copy of the letter in question. In the
letter, Jack Thompson accuses Blank Rome of protecting the “pornographic sectors of the video game industry whom Mr.
Smith so ably represents at probably $500 an hour.” Thompson tells Moore in the letter that Mr. Smith “lied, to your
face.”
Blank Rome also filed a motion to have the case dismiss, as video games fall under the protection of the First
Amendment. Judge Moore is also considering that motion.
Jack Thompson’s license is currently under investigation
by the Florida Bar Association. In some of his most recent public comments he has accused Sony of
committing “another Pearl Harbor.”
One more interesting note about Mr. Thompson’s reply to Judge Moore, he actually mentions and plugs his
upcoming book, and alludes to having plugged his book on the first day of the trial as well.
[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
