Louisiana Court Battle - Read the Important Rulings Here

Louisiana Court Battle - Read the Important Rulings Here

December 1, 2006
As GamePolitics readers know by now, Federal District Court Judge James Brady tossed out Louisiana's video game law in a Baton Rouge courtroom on Wednesday.

The statute - authored by controversial attorney Jack Thompson - was ruled unconstitutional from the bench by Judge Brady. While GP has tracked a number of failed video game laws, Louisiana's is the first we can recall that drew such an abrupt dismissal. Typically there is a delay followed by the issuance of a written permanent injunction.

In Louisiana, however, Judge Brady granted the video game industry's motion for summary judgment on the spot. You can read his brief summary judgment order here

The most significant document in this case, however, is the preliminary injunction order issued by Judge Brady on August 24th. His summary judgment order actually points the reader back to that ruling in order the understand the legal rationale. Excerpts from the preliminary injunction ruling include:
The State’s argument overlooks a line of cases holding that video games are protected free speech…

Defendants (Louisiana) contend that the legislative record contains social science evidence demonstrating that violent video games are harmful. It appears that much of the same evidence has been considered by numerous courts and in each case the connection was found to be tenuous and speculative…

The evidence that was submitted to the legislature in connection with the bill that became the statute is sparse and could hardly be called in any sense reliable…

Comments

I would have prefered a full written ruling on the permanent injuntion rather then this. But still, it's good the law was tossed even though we all saw it coming.
I particularly like the fact that the ruling again mentions that all the previous attempts in other states failed for the same reasons, yet they keep trying.
There is no evidence connecting violent video games with real world violence and Jack Thompson is a moron for thinking that there is. He is an ambulance chaser and a fraud. He needs to have his license to practice law taken away.
With the kind of publicity Jack's been getting, Doug probably knows he doesn't have to do anything. It's like fighting an undead boss that cast healing spells on it's self and the player.

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Posted 11/22/09 at 11:48pm
ZippyDSMlee: AE:they feeding you well? I am enjoying win7 and heading to bed...uhg I need to get up early and start back to cleaning/painting blahg >< need tog et stuff done befor thanksgiving....
Posted 11/22/09 at 11:41pm
Andrew Eisen: Just got home from an eight hour recording session at Capitol Records. A lot of fun but damn exhausting.
Posted 11/22/09 at 08:44pm
BearDogg-X: 10 N. O. Who Dat?
Posted 11/22/09 at 09:45am
ZippyDSMlee: JD:I think doc phill is still sout about the break up with his wife he dose not fill holes as much as make them bigger these day
Posted 11/22/09 at 12:06am
JDKJ: You should get Phil McCraken to help you spackle those banisters.
Posted 11/21/09 at 11:57pm
ZippyDSMlee: Oh in the pirate hunter article I need my song ieda heckled DS,JD,Beemon sic im !!!
Posted 11/21/09 at 11:56pm
ZippyDSMlee: JD:no I am tried from prepping the banisters for painting , worked on them from 12 to 4 and 6 to 8...after I got back from the store...got up early got ready...blah...been up all day..I need a nap...
Posted 11/21/09 at 11:42pm
JDKJ: No. You gonna stay up late tonight soldering?
Posted 11/21/09 at 11:41pm
ZippyDSMlee: JDKJ:Don't you mean Mctite?
Posted 11/21/09 at 11:33pm
JDKJ: @Zip: Neil, Bob, and Lik McTaint. The McTaint brothers. LOL!!!
Posted 11/21/09 at 09:44pm
Flamespeak: I still think military personell, killing other military personell, on a military complex should be handled by military courts.
Posted 11/21/09 at 09:43pm
Flamespeak: I could see this a mixture of the two charges rather than just one or the other.
Posted 11/21/09 at 09:43pm
Flamespeak: I think this was mainly a person who snapped, but evidence is showing he definitely had strong inlinations to islamic-extremism.
Posted 11/21/09 at 09:41pm
Flamespeak: People are trying to claim that Hasan's actions were not terrorism. I don't jump on the 'terror train' like others, however
Posted 11/21/09 at 09:38pm
mentor07825: Britain certainly does deserve it! And the French! God damn it, it was a hand ball!!!
Posted 11/21/09 at 09:34pm
ZippyDSMlee: mentor07825:Well Brittan dose deserve it....
Posted 11/21/09 at 09:33pm
ZippyDSMlee: Alyric:I don;t hasliburton having to pay back billoins... don;t you love it when the rich roll over the goverment without a care?
Posted 11/21/09 at 09:32pm
mentor07825: I say we nuke the whales, for the benefit of both mankind and the environment.
Posted 11/21/09 at 09:28pm
Austin_Lewis: I say we try Al Gore too. I always said he was in on the racket.
Posted 11/21/09 at 09:16pm
Alyric: The leaked information proves these organizations knowingly defrauded governments (i.e., taxpayers) out of billions of dollars. Yet there will probably never be a trial.
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