April 21, 2008 -
Last week GamePolitics broke the news that the long-awaited ruling in Jack Thompson's Florida Bar trial, originally expected today, would likely be delayed.We've now learned that Judge Dava Tunis (left), who presided over Thompson's 9-day trial late last year, has petitioned the Florida Supreme Court to grant her until August 31st to issue her report.
Judge Tunis cited several reasons for the delay, including:
-the need to wade through a 2,500 page transcript of the trial
-reviewing 76 exhibits encompassing another 1,700 pages
-dealing with 400 "pleadings, e-mails, letters and missives (including pictorials)" filed by Thompson since the trial ended in December, 2007.
-handling a full-time job on the criminal bench
Interestingly, the wording of her motion makes it appear that Judge Tunis has already reached her decision. It's the writing of the report that seems to be causing the delay.
Read Judge Tunis' motion here.
Comments
No. Apparently my spelling just sucks. Or i was thinking one word and typing another. I dunno, some sort of mental lapse.
XD
Am I reading that right, did she just say a 2,500 page transcript, 76 exhibits encompassing 1,700 pages, and 400 “pleadings, e-mails, letters and missives (including pictorials)” filed by Thompson?
...I don't know weather to laugh or to cry.
Again, I'm not a lawyer, but I wonder if it wouldn't make more sense to just redistribute the other cases off her docket, I mean seriously, it would almost be more humane to give her a month or so to just work on this.
Damn, now I actually feel bad for the guy.
this is worse that what Mike Rowe has to tackle in the Discovery Channel show "Dirty Jobs"
@brandon
oh the irony! :p
@ JT: please keep the copy of this filing by Judge Tunis. Note the language. This is how legal papers are meant to look when filed professionally. No name calling, no insinuations, and most importantly no pictures or gay porn to make your filing stand out from the rest.
Jack may kill more fax machines, but since he can't file anything without the signature of another Bar member (a fact that he constantly forgets or ignore), they'll most likely get thrown in the nearest trash can. Which means that video game companies are going to have a summer free of Jack Thompsonesques lawsuits. He'll send those letters, but Rockstar's lawyers (especially Ward) will finally be able to take a break from this guy.
1) Tunis informs both parties that John B. is guilty of violating Fl. Bar rules.
2) JT sends out rantings that insult the courts and attempt to discredit Judge Tunis
3) Judge Tunis includes these ranting into her final report and imposes sanctions that limit Thompson's 'communication' abilities
Repeat steps 2 & 3...
Ahh, the thought of JT digging himself into such a hole. We should buy him a shovel.
@GRIZZAM 512
I'd like to submit a story treatment for part 2 if I may
JT: THAT'S IT, I'M GOING TO FLY AWAY!
DT: Sir, humans can't fly
JT: FUCK YOU! I'VE READ PETER PAN, I KNOW I CAN DO ANYTHING IF I TRULY BELIEVE
DT: Peter Pan is just a story, its not real
JT: EVERYTHING IS REAL!
DT: Even the fictional things?
JT: ESPECIALLY THE FICTIONAL THINGS!
DT: Sir, that makes no sense
JT: IT DOESN'T HAVE TO, I'M JACK THOMPSON! HERE I GO!
*JT runs to the edge & launches himself into the air*
JT: I CAN FLY! I CAN FL...
DT: Could somebody please get a mop?
LMFAO!!! That was great!
Jack Thompson will most likely wiggle his way out of this one with all the time he has.
If only trials were 3 days long a la Ace Attorney.
Wow....I feel like i just got JT Dumb. It sucks we'll have to wait, but sweet sweet victory is coming.
JT: IT DOESN’T HAVE TO, I’M JACK THOMPSON! HERE I GO!"
Best JT quote of all time.
Looks like he forgot to think happy thoughts. :P
awesome!
Tunis FTW!!!!!
Hats off to Judge Tunis for her patience, after that she really really needs a long vacation after the havoc caused by JT, and poor her, since she will probably miss summer vacation because of the JT.
Given Jack's antics from the transcripts (Arguing with a judge when she overrules your objection? *Seriously*, Jack?) I'm fairly confident a Censure or Suspension is the best-case scenario, Disbarrment seems incredibly likely. And for those of you saying it won't hurt him to be disbarrd because he can retain other counsel, you have to think that pretty much any lawyer he comes to will know that their client isn't just a concerned citizen, they're a disbarred attorney. They won't touch anything Jack brings them with a ten foot pole.
I don't think anyone'd vote for this guy though.
But seriously. 400 emails in the space of 4 months? That's three A DAY. I LITERALLY change my underwear less frequently than thompson sends e-mail.
Not to mention the 4,200 pages of text. I don't think all my Textbooks this semester add up to even 2,000 pages, and she wants to read it all by summer? Sweet god that woman has a lot of work.
Do the work well, judge! I don't want this lunatic to be able to practice law in my state EVER again!
Wouldn't you submit nonstop evidence and reasoning behind why you shouldn't be disbarred? Disbarring a lawyer is like taking a Doctor's medical license away it's pretty much game over for your law career. I completely understand his submitting of 400+ emails, pleads, and other such.
As for the extended notice I would say her verdict hasn't been made till the ink is dried on the report. Look at it this way if she gives a guilty verdict JT will dig through the response for any error that can be exploited to file against if she gives a not guilty verdict the bar and the people who want him disbarred will dig through the response for any error that can be exploited. Basically she is between a hard place and a rock. Therefore she has requested additional time in order to make sure that the report she does submit is complete and with as little to no errors with in.
Seems like he's trying to add more.
"Wouldn’t you submit nonstop evidence and reasoning behind why you shouldn’t be disbarred? Disbarring a lawyer is like taking a Doctor’s medical license away it’s pretty much game over for your law career. I completely understand his submitting of 400+ emails, pleads, and other such."
Of course it'd make sense to try to do as much as possible to do something like that. DURING THE TRIAL. Not AFTER it, over the period of four months. There's a difference.
"Wouldn’t you submit nonstop evidence and reasoning behind why you shouldn’t be disbarred? Disbarring a lawyer is like taking a Doctor’s medical license away it’s pretty much game over for your law career. I completely understand his submitting of 400+ emails, pleads, and other such."
There is no need for non-stop evidence, unless for some reason you keep on discovering more and more. Thompson has no defense. He broke several Bar laws and is now paying the price. If there were evidence proving him innocent of the disciplinary charges, all he had to do was present it once. But he couldn't. His defense does not exist.
What he presented instead was a barrage of bizarre rants, insulting diatribes that had little or nothing to do with the issue at hand (his breaknig of the bar laws), and more to do with throwing insults at those who rightly brought these discipline charges against. He mentioned his 60 minutes appearance and plugged his book instead of trying to offer any kind of defense. He screamed that there were conspiracies against him, all because of his religious and social beliefs, when they do not excuse your professional behaviour (or lack thereof).
Saying that everyone else is wrong and you are the only right one is not a defense. The most unfortunate thing for this idiot is, had he merely owned up to breaking those laws, apologised and taken a short suspension or small fine at the start, he could have avoided all of this. But no, exuding hubris, Thompson could not admit that he was wrong and had behaved unprofessionally decided to try and prosecute everyone else for his behaviour.
Supplying huge amounts of relevant evidence in your defense, that's perfectly fine. Thompson however, knows that no such evidence exists, and in lieu of it bombards the bench with his inane screed in an effort to delay the inevitable or derail the process completely, thus avoiding the professional sanctions that we all know he deserves so richly.
Evidence would have had to be displayed in court so that the prosecution could analyze and deal with (either change their plans if it's valid or refute it if it's invalid evidence), and the only use for evidence after a trial is to get a retrial should some major evidence come to light. What sort of major evidence can you even think of that would possibly come up in a case like this?
At best he's continuing his harassment of people, at worst he's trying to illegally sway the judge to his side by submitting evidence without opposition.
However we all know that Jack Thompson's Faxicide spree is far from over. Please, think of the poor defenseless fax machines Jack!
The problem with Thompson sending in 400 emails is that this was part of the complaint against him to begin with (Takes hat off for the death of that poor fax machine). I highly doubt that all 400 are filled with real evidence, more than likely they are filled with his opinions and claims against those who testified against him as well as possible threats against the judge (ie I will run against you) type statements.
Ovarian cancer. It's an odd subject. Jack seems to want to blame the courts for keeping him from her. I don't know, I can't pretend I understand it. If my wife were having some kind of health crisis; I'd hire someone else to handle my defense, and only be present in court as was required.
I do believe this is a new all-time low for Thompson.
You, sir, have no shame.
Yeah, Dava. Hope you don't pass out from overwork. That would be a tru shame.