April 25, 2007 -
Controversial Miami attorney Jack Thompson has named Gawker Media, parent company of the popular game blog Kotaku, in a lawsuit before a federal court in Florida.Thompson's ire was apparently raised by Kotaku reader comments which the attorney maintains are threatening. He also alleges in the complaint that Kotaku and Gawker declined to remove the posts in question. Those messages were posted in response to Kotaku's coverage of Thompson's claims that video games prompted last week's Virginia Tech massacre.
The Gawker suit is actually an amendment to an action Thompson filed on March 13th against the Florida bar. On April 11th he amended it to include the members of the Florida Supreme Court. And now Gawker joins the list of defendants.
This morning a Gawker attorney e-mailed Thompson, citing the case of Zeran vs. AOL and writing:
It is clear from the context of these comments that they are hyperbole, and not an incitement to violence, imminent or otherwise.
Earlier in the week Thompson reported Kotaku to the Denver Field Office of the FBI as well as the Denver Police Department. This morning he contacted the U.S. Attorney's Office in New York, where Gawker is headquartered. It is unknown what type of response, if any, he received from those agencies. He also complained about the matter to Levi Strauss, Inc., a Kotaku advertiser.
Kotaku editor Brian Crecente declined to comment on the lawsuit. The judge in the case, Paul C. Huck, threw out an earlier Thompson suit against the Florida Bar in December, citing at the time what he referred to as Thompson's "wild accusations of a vast conspiracy."
Read the complaint here. Related Kotaku coverage of the FBI report here. Kotaku discusses the lawsuit in a brief posting here.
UPDATE: The Law of the Game legal blog has an analysis of Thompson's complaint. Attorney Mark Methenitis concludes:
While many of [Thompson's] claims are relatively novel, they also seem to be relatively poorly constructed as a way to include a blog he particularly dislikes.
Comments
Only a matter of time before any authority will ignore him completely.
~Sol~
I recommend the gaming populous in America, as a whole, get together and file a class-action suit against him as an individual, on the basis of defamation of character, slander, harassment and libel. He's not just going after companies, he's going after the entire gaming population of America, and the world! He's actively trying to make the world think gamers are cold-blooded killers, eager to shoot each other in the face, who don't know anything about everything, and has gone on record to call gamers as a whole, some rather disgusting slurs, with sexual overtones at times.
Wouldn't it be possible to file a lawsuit on that basis?
"Specifically, an Internet web site at www.kotaku.com, within mere minutes
of Thompson’s appearance on the Fox News Channel, posted a call to action by its
“editor” Brian Crecente, who is a video game industry apologists as to its excesses, its
illegalities, and its Stalinist tactics."
Wow Stalinist tactics, never would of guessed
I'm still amazed his Fla. Bar page says he's in good standing with the Bar...
once again climb onto The Bar’s psychoanalysis couch so that he could be evaluated by
the Florida Lawyer’s Assistance Program! There they went again down that bunny trail
of harassment, having learned nothing because it wanted to learn nothing."
Is that proper legal talk?
entertainment consumption"
B-U-L-L
organized a campaign to stalk actor George Clooney, for example, learning nothing from
the stalking of Princess Diana."
What the....?
Probably this, regarding Clooney:
http://gawker.com/news/george-clooney/so-does-this-mean-george-clooney-w...
Nightwng2000
NW2K Software
But why is Jacky suddenly using such unprofessional language. Lots of exclamation points and wird bits in this legal document.
Jack himself has stated his son is emberrassed that JT is his father, and his son tries not to mention that's he's JT's son. Jack doesn't seem bothered by it though.
@Gil
He's always been somewhat unprofessional and incoherent, but it does seem a little more prevalent lately.
He made it to "good standing with the Florida bar" before he said something utterly ridiculous.
Ya, nice to know he put the ENTIRE quote in there.
Does anyone know if JT is still facing possible disbarment from the Folrida Bar, or was that settled in the T2 settlement?
"It appears, but it is not absolutely certain, that this kid got
Thompson’s e-mail address from Kotaku.com. What a surprise."
or maybe, just maybe jack, he got your email from one of the many places that you have it posted as a mater of public record, such as at the bottom of each and every one of these complaints
I just read the complaint, and I was wondering, is it really necessary for him to state that he is "at least 18 years of age" after stating he is a U.S. citizen? Or do you think he feels compelled to add that because so many people would consider such an outlandish and rediculous claim immature and childish?
I think Jacko needs to get whatever *competent* lawyer rewrote his T2 countersuit to go over this. I'm just surprised he's not filing it in Floridqa again. It just... boggles the mind that this guy can turn in crap like this, honestly think people will take him seriously, and *still* call himself a lawyer.
Oh, well. The more he defecates all over his own credibility, the sooner he'll fall out of the public eye.
As I understand it, the T2 settlement dropped the Contempt of Court charges, but the Florida Bar situation is a completely different animal. It's still ongoing, which is probably why he's tacking this 'WAH THE MEAN KIDS SAID BAD THINGS ABOUT ME' idiocy onto the suit against the Bar.
From: http://www.floridabar.org/names.nsf/MEStatus?OpenForm
“Members of The Florida Bar in good standing shall mean only those persons licensed to practice law in Florida who have paid annual membership fees or dues for the current year and who are not retired, resigned, delinquent, inactive, or suspended members.”
Andrew Eisen
I honestly think that within five years he will have attempted an act of violence against someone affiliated with video games. I'm certainly not hoping for it, but Jack has been acting even more unhinged than usual lately. I think it's entirely possible that he'll become physically dangerous some time soon.
His legal ramblings have been getting, well.. stranger and stranger the last few years. Not that i'm a fan of the man or anything, but, it's starting to look disturbingly like dementia.
He's of an age where ahltzimers starts to take hold, if he has it. Symptoms are the only way to tell, besides an autopsy.
Ignoring my distaste of the man, that's not something I'd wish on anyone.
He's really losing his grip, he's turned into that caracature of a Sue-happy American. I'm genuinely beginning to wonder if he is truly ignorant to just how ridiculous he is, I used to think he did it as some kind of act, that he was some kind of showman, but watching him flail around like this after being shot down by mainstream news, well... It's a bit embarassing.
“Jack Thompson Vs. World”
Anyone else thinking of Boyd Cooper from Psychonauts?
~Otaku-Man
I own Psychonauts but I got stuck at the fish boss? Is that the infamous Milk Man level?
Damn you Cho for bringing him back! >_
*sigh* Jackie is censorship personified. Its like he had a soul exchange with Joseph McCarthy but got distracted by 2 Live Crew while getting it.
Seriously, I WANT to be through with venting about this guy! But everytime gamers and I get used to his absence, something comes up and he jumps on his horn and blurts out the most idiotic things that even people with half a brain slap thier foreheads!
But at least it gives GP something to talk about. And its also a big relief the mainstream media is catching on and somewhat taking our side on the matter.
Thank you, I'll see you next time he does something through-the-roof-stupid. Cheers.
"(is plaintiff allowed to say that?)"
What made you ask that?
"unco5nstitutional" ?????
is "politicking" a word
apparently, anyone who doesn't agree with you obviously miised the debate
From the literary genius who brought you Floridqa!
Unlikely. He apparently can't be bothered to even buy a word processing program with a spell checker and run that. Why would he go to the effort of using a bunch of forumers as spell checkers if he can't even be bothered to have some software do it for him? Not to mention it's a little late for spell checking after you've already filed something with the court.
And I'd love to send him something about the work I'm doing right now (I'm a psych/soc dual major). We're using video games as a medium to teach social skills to kids with ADHD, autism, etc. and it has been having amazing and fast results. If I did though, and I'm completely serious, I wouldn't be surprised if he sent me some kind of cease and desist order and then tried to get our program shut down.
I DARE YA!
yup i think i read that right he is suing the courts