
As you probably know, Louisiana's video game law - the one written by controversial Miami attorney Jack Thompson (left) - was ruled unconstitutional by a federal district court judge last week.
Judge James Brady, who issued a temporary injunction in August which blocked the law from taking effect, granted the video game industry's motion for summary judgment on November 29th. Brady's ruling was the final nail in the controversial bill's coffin.
In the wake of the Louisiana decision,
GamePolitics has learned that the state essentially offered no defense of its own law. Deputy Attorney General
Burton Guidry, assigned to argue Louisiana's case, did not even file a motion in opposition to the video game industry's
request for summary judgment.
Nor did Guidry make any "substantive arguments" at last Wednesday's hearing in Baton Rouge, according to a reliable source.
Indeed, after the hearing Guidry told local newspaper
The Advocate:
We did everything we could to defend the law, but, as the judge said, the law was practically unenforceable as written…
Based on the way the Louisiana Attorney General's Office seemed to distance itself from the ill-fated video game law, no appeal is expected.
Comments
On a side track, where was the photo taken?
BTW, what about that "deadline" JT announced for the ESRB to re-rate Bully in lieu of "hidden content"?
lol you know you have a bad Law when even your own Lawyers dont wanna touch it.
JT: But you didn't defend it!!
AG: You said it was iron-clad, a silver bullet. Why couldn't it stand on it's own merit?
JT: But you were supposed to bambozzle the judge with charts and innuendo and out-of-context clips of games that aren't even on the market! Plus bring up studies that only look at whether kids get exited playing the game or not!
AG: Get out of my office.
JT: Quitter!
John Bruce supposedly drafted the the law itself, touting it as a constitutionally bulletproof law.
Driving force? Ok, here is my heartfelt and serious opinion:
John Bruce was the driving force, and reason, for the laws FAILURE.
See prior articles regarding the law and John Bruce's emails back and forth with the LA governor, AG, and senators as evidence. So, no, no one needs to blindly believe my opinion. See it for yourselves. :)
nightwng2000
NW2K Software
You CAN'T expect them to defend it without JT's stable of experts. You know the ones he took home to sulk with him when the AG's office didn't act in a manner that he approved of.
Waitaminit, are you serious? I've just got to read this! Link please?
I don't believe so. He withheld them because he feared the AG would do exactly what he did, namely not do anything to defend a clearly unconstitutional bill.
He wanted to avoid all involvement, so he could attempt to put 100% of the blame on the AG for "screwing it up".
If Jack thinks he can absolve himself of all blame just by pulling his "experts", he's dumber than he looks, sounds and acts. I'm calling it right now: the Posey civil trial will start the irreversible downward spiral of his career. I just hope it's not over too quickly, I want to watch him suffer, all the while yelling about how it's everyone's fault but his own.
Remember the "pull Bully or I'll have it declared a public nuisance!" stunt? He followed it up by demanding they re-rate it over the "gay sex" scenes (the main character can kiss other boys) /rolleyes
The ESRB blew him off by saying they already knew about that, which is why they put "sexual themes" on the rating sticker. But I guess JT wants "OMFG IT'S GOT TEH HOMOS!" on a giant sticker on the front...
@hayabusa75
People have been saying that X case will be irreversible downward spiral of Jack's career for years. Unfortunately if you look at reality Jack's real legal career ended years ago. Its why he crusades these days. If the Posey trial starts to go south, just like the Alabama case Jack will find a way to cut and run and do minimal damage to himself. He is very good at that.
Yep, a wise general knows when a battle cannot be won, and rather than go down in flames (and coincidentally dragging everyone with him), attempts to tactically retreat, saving as much as he can.
just like the Alabama case Jack will find a way to cut and run and do minimal damage to himself
Wait, so Jack's a Democrat? :P
Yes, I know...it just seems like Jack has fewer allies these days then he did in past years. The wheels are falling off the video game bandwagon and I just don't think it'll take much more for him to fall on his own sword. Given how ridiculous the whole Posey civil trial is, and the fact that Jack is leading the charge, I can't envision a scenario where he gets out of this gracefully.
By the way, can I borrow some of your popcorn for the next Daniel/ Brokenscope/Wolf/whoever main event?
How does that make him a democrat? What with all the "god is on my side and he will smite my enemies" crap he spouts, I thought he was conservative.
I think Jabr was just making a joke about all the "Cut 'N Run" rhetoric that the Republicans used to describe Democrats during the last election.
Glad someone in the state government decided to stop wasting tax payer money dealing with that stupid law at least. So huzzah for that little thought.