Hot off the press... Be warned - it's a 169-page pdf file.
UPDATE: In addition to her recommendation that Jack Thompson be permanently disbarred with no opportunity for reinstatement, Judge Tunis recommends an assessment of $43,675 for the costs incurred by the Florida Bar in prosecuting his case.
The report by Judge Tunis is quite lengthy. We will break it down and comment on it beginning tomorrow. For now, we will note the Judge's conclusion regarding the evidence presented at Thompson's Bar trial, as she definitely knows Jack:
The Florida Bar has recommended disbarment for a period of ten (10) years. This Court respectfully declines to follow the Bar’s recommendation... This case involves factual findings of cumulative misconduct, a repeated pattern of behavior relentlessly forced upon numerous unconnected individuals, a total lack of remorse or even slight acknowledgement of inappropriate conduct...
Additionally, the Court is taking into consideration a review of the Respondent’s conduct not only as proven by the evidence, but by what this Court has witnessed of the Respondent’s behavior throughout the eighteen (18) months of litigation. The undersigned finds no evidence whatsoever to indicate that the Respondent is amenable to rehabilitation, or even remotely appreciates the basis upon which a need or purpose for such rehabilitation is warranted...
Over a very extended period of time involving a number of totally unrelated cases and individuals, the Respondent has demonstrated a pattern of conduct to strike out harshly, extensively, repeatedly and willfully to simply try to bring as much difficulty, distraction and anguish to those he considers in opposition to his causes. He does not proceed within the guidelines of appropriate professional behavior, but rather uses other means available to intimidate, harass, or bring public disrepute to those whom he perceives oppose him.
Thus, after careful consideration of the underlying facts in the instant cases, together with the Florida Standards for Imposing Lawyer Sanctions, the applicable aggravating and mitigating factors and the precedent case law, this Court makes the following recommendations for John Bruce Thompson:
A. Permanent disbarment, with no leave to reapply for admission.
B. Disciplinary costs currently totaling $43,675.35.
Comments
Re: We Have the Judge's Report Recommending PERMANENT
Does anyone else see the irony here?
JT has nailed himself into his own coffin over the last 18 months. Had he behaved and acted respectfully throughout the trial, admitted even SOME wrong doing and shown ANY remorse, perhaps he would be looking at a 10 year disbarment or maybe less.
But no. The fact that over the last 18 months JT has acted and shown him self to be just the person we have known him to be for years, has dashed any chance of leniency. And he has nobody to blame but himself. He REALLY doesnt know when to quit. But at last, it has backfired on him.
Watching JT over the last 18 months, has been akin to watching a psychotic arsonist on trial, claiming that he has never burned anything in his life,
whilst at the same time standing in the centre of the courtroom, next to a makeshift bonfire he is actively making from legal files, paperwork, broken desks and chairs, dousing in petrol, and frantically twitching and striking a box of matches.
Re: We Have the Judge's Report Recommending PERMANENT
On top of that, he COULD have just taken a 90-day suspension and been done with it, but instead he flung insults at those who offered it. Right before his trial started, he was whining that he wanted to take the deal, but it had long since been rescinded.
Re: We Have the Judge's Report Recommending PERMANENT
Re: We Have the Judge's Report Recommending PERMANENT
It's tough to describe my reaction to this. It's almost as if Jack made me a better person. His hateful speeches with a Bible in one hand and a microphone in the other made me want to be a better christian only because I knew people would see what he did and apply it to us all. He made me strive for excellence in my job so that people would know that game developers (especially programmers like me) aren't anti-social nerds with a pentiant for slinging filth to children (you'd be surprised how many times it's come up). And now I want to extend my condolences to him simply because I know he wouldn't do the same for me. We have a real opportunity to show our maturity as a community... although I really really really would like one of those t-shirts...
Proverbs 25:21-22
Re: We Have the Judge's Report Recommending PERMANENT
And I'm sure we can count on Jack to accept this ruling with his customary maturity and good grace.
Re: We Have the Judge's Report Recommending PERMANENT
Right. I'll get the flame shields prepped.
Re: We Have the Judge's Report Recommending PERMANENT
In other news, pigs grew wings and learned how to fly.
The vatican looked at the records of the crusades and the abuses of the church in the middle ages and said. "Oops our bad. Sorry?"
George W Bush resigns as president and states, "Yeah I $#$@ed up things good. Sorry folks, I'll give each and everyone of you $100,000 for putting up with my BS."
To follow up on this report, the UN announced a fair and unilateral world government that is fair and ethical and free from individual corruption.
More news at 11.
Re: We Have the Judge's Report Recommending PERMANENT
I just... I really want to know how it is possible. Jacko went through law school (presumably), and passed the bar exam. This is not something that any random putz could do. So why, after all that, does he do this kind of thing? Maybe he was quiet for a nice long undistinguished career, got older, and felt the itch to go out and cause trouble. Or maybe he went nuts. Heck, maybe he's just bored and pissing off judges is how he gets his kicks. I can certainly understand getting bored, but how much of a breakdown does a lawyer have to go through to piss off a judge badly enough that she will write a 160-page report on why he should be summarily thrown into the legal equivalent of a deep fryer?
One of my favorite bits that I've read so far was the entire "They asked Thompson which of the four binders contained the exhibit he was talking about. Thus provoking an epic discourse on the World as Seen through Jack-O-Vision."
Re: We Have the Judge's Report Recommending PERMANENT
I liked it, too. It reads like Dava was having fun running with it, too. She actually maps out for us the route Jack took as he circumnavigated the globe, both east to west and north to south, stopping at any and all ports along the way, storm or no storm.
Re: We Have the Judge's Report Recommending PERMANENT
Does the judge have a clerk? Some of the writing has that combination of energy and new-lawyer outrage that you just don't get in most solely judge-written opinions.
Re: We Have the Judge's Report Recommending PERMANENT
I think not like the federal courts or some state high courts have "clerks" (i.e., the top 5% at Harvard and Yale types). Most minor lower courts have full-time staff attorneys on the payroll and every judge has at least a "judicial assistant" (i.e., two steps up from a secretary), but no "judicial clerks" as the term is commonly understood.
Judge Tunis also turned down the Bar's offer to take a first crack at drafting her Report for her, insisting she would do it herself. Either she wanted to have all the fun drafting or she wanted to personally dot the "i"s and cross the "t"s so Jack can't come back on her. Probably a little bit of both.
Re: We Have the Judge's Report Recommending PERMANENT
Wow...so many thoughts come to mind....
"Ding-dong, the witch is dead! The wiked witch...."
"Ha-haaa! Take that you wretch!"
Is christmas coming a quarter-early this year?
Holy shit, <43K costs?!?
Wait...this is continuing? It didn't get dropped or man-handled somewhere along the way?
to: Anonymous, Attorney and Counselor at Law
I'm sure I'll get lost in the flood of comments, but your input (I stopped reading comments after you...there's only so much a man can read at 2:30AM before his brain explodes); I thought "wow"...it was well executed, well written, and very thought-provoking about how disbarment would impact a lawyer's career and life.
I almost shed a tear...until I remember my pier-sentry military training of "As soon as you realize it's you or them, make damn sure it's them and not you!!!"
Just saying, as much as your comments almost moved me, I have no heart for the (apparent) heartless!
Re: We Have the Judge's Report Recommending PERMANENT
Well, you have to remember that most would insist that, based on their experiences with attorneys, I spin sweet lies for a living. For a first post by a long-time lurker, I'm glad it provoked the thoughtful responses it did. I wasn't so much calling out for sympathy for the devil, though, as much as I was trying to point out that this isn't something to crow over.
Jack is a loathsome individual. His actions throughout the Bar proceeding have demonstrated that he has no comprehension of his actions, much less remorse for them. He deserves no pity, no empathy, and no heart. However, his decline and fall is (hopefully!) so complete that it's hard to point and laugh. I'm revealing something of my academic heritage here, but trace a line from Sophocles to Camus on the thread of personal downfall. The question of how one does (or even can) react to such a complete tragedy on a personal level, at least for me, carries over here to the professional. Law was one of the four original professions (discounting prostitution), and, as I noted in my original post, that Matters to some of us. Jack's been handed the equivalent of a dishonorable discharge or an excommunication. If "Jack Thompson, Attorney" was what made Jack Thompson who or what he is, losing that all-important suffix is a repudiation of all of the values that he's built his life around.
That's going too far. Losing it should be a repudiation of the values the members of his profession swear to uphold: service, the pursuit of justice, assistance to those in need (no, I am not a white-shoe, silk stocking lawyer; can you tell?). Losing his law license may be nothing more than another brick in the conspiracy wall for Jack. Because, as we all know, he's insane. So no, I don't have any sympathy for him. He should rot forever for the harm he has caused. I do have empathy for his position and the tragedy that it entails for those of us that care about the law.
I think that's enough on Jacko. From here on out I'll stick to explaining the Hart-Scott-Rodino Act in Take 2 threads. Much more fun.
Re: We Have the Judge's Report Recommending PERMANENT
I agree, if the only think that Jack can use to define himself as a person is that he is an attorney, and that he's a Christian. Sadly, neither one of those is a good way to describe 'who' that person is, as in their character, what people think of them, and how they lead their way through life. With that said, we all have some clever adjective to describe Jack, of varied levels of intelligence or profanity, and sadly that truely does describe what kind of person he is. I've known people who are described in the same sentence as being a pain in the ass, but also being very good at what they do. This is not a way that anyone would describe this rather pitiful fellow, because he has no redeeming qualities that any of us can list.
I would pity him, I really would, except that pity is for some poor soul who has done their best but did not win. It's not for one who has decided to do their worse in order to hurt others and bring pain to everyone who comes near them.
"The Good, the Bad, and the Videogame" Reviews on the best, worst, and controversial issues of Videogames. gryphonosiris.blogspot.com/
Re: We Have the Judge's Report Recommending PERMANENT
I'm quite surprised at the permanent disbarment recommendation. I doubt this will shut up Mr. Thompson though. It will at the most, keep him off of Fox News.
Re: We Have the Judge's Report Recommending PERMANENT
That was an amazing document. To see all of Thompson's.....crap....lined up like that in a sequence you could understand. I really gave me a feel for how badly he has harassed people over the years. Judge Tunis is an amazing person. I hope her recomendations are taken to heart by the Florida Supreme Court.
Re: We Have the Judge's Report Recommending PERMANENT
Ten years of calling us murderers and idiots are finally exacting their fair price. May the career of John Bruce Thompson burn in the lowest circle of hell.
Re: We Have the Judge's Report Recommending PERMANENT
Okay, I thought Thompson was just a fanatic but after reading about all the things he's done, I can honestly say it made me sick to the stomach...
This man has the nerve to try tag gaming companies as immoral after all the nonsense he's pulled?
Re: We Have the Judge's Report Recommending PERMANENT
Re: We Have the Judge's Report Recommending PERMANENT
Wow! I just read the whole thing... what a freakshow. It still leaves me stunned, the sort of document you never expected to see. I mean how many published Judicial decisions do you see that prominantly use the word C**TFLAPS? And generations of Florida law students will be reading it!
I still have to wonder what is wrong with the Florida Bar? Based on reading that whole thing, they obviously knew exactly how crazy Jack was since 1989. Yet they let him keep on being a crazy lawyer for 20 years, until he finally went batsh@t crazy on some actual lawyers and judges? His treatment of the general lay public and individual citizens wasn't enough?
Re: We Have the Judge's Report Recommending PERMANENT
To be honest, that's something I wondered too, the man should have been out of his job years ago, but the Bar refused to act.
In part, Jack Don't Know Jack explained that the people who were complaining weren't 'influential' enough to have an effect, but I also think the other part is that disbarment is such a major punishment, it's essentially worse than simply being 'sacked' because it removes any possibility of finding a similar job elsewhere, ever. So I believe that Disbarment is only used in the most severe of cases, and is examined in microscopic detail for validity before being recommended.
To a certain degree, I can understand that, but it still took a heck of a long time to reach this point.
Re: We Have the Judge's Report Recommending PERMANENT
Well, Mr. Thompson, Looks like you can finally play Postal 2 without fear of harming your career.
As stated in the Disclaimer:
"
WARNING
This is a computer game and is meant
solely for entertainment purposes.
This game contains content and materials
not recommended for children and/or those
seeking to enhance or establish political
careers.
Running with Scissors believes violence and
inappropriate actions belong in video games
and not in the real world, and insists that in
no event should anyone attempt to recreate
or mimic any of the actions, events or
situations occurring in this game.
"
Re: We Have the Judge's Report Recommending PERMANENT
Ah it's good to know that there is still justice in this world. I'm glad that they are going for a permanent disbarment instead of just 10 years.
Re: We Have the Judge's Report Recommending PERMANENT
I want that shirt. and Booyah!
Re: We Have the Judge's Report Recommending PERMANENT
I can't beleive I forgot to mention the shirt.
GP should sell that shirt, or at least make one and send it to Jack. I'm sure he'd appreciate the subtle irony that his insistence that games are bad for people only seems to apply to legal careers... either that or he would claim the phrase is copy-protected and (threaten to) sue GP…
-ConstantNeophyte: always the newb, ALWAYS.
Re: We Have the Judge's Report Recommending PERMANENT
Ol' Jack's on his last life, with two bars of health left in his meter, and a guided missile locked in and about to connect.
And he's not even bracing for the impact.
I'll be watching the fireworks come September!
Re: We Have the Judge's Report Recommending PERMANENT
It only just occured to me, but; how good is it to know that the people that Jack is answerable to understand how much of a douchebag he is?
I don't know if its just me, but I always worried that Jack would be able to pull off an air of respectability and no-one would listen to all the complaints about him. Its good to know thats not the case.
-ConstantNeophyte: always the newb, ALWAYS.
Re: We Have the Judge's Report Recommending PERMANENT
And if he had just kept his big damn mouth shut it may have only been ten years. Considering the good Judge saw to it to give such an extensive report it seems unlikely the Supreme Court won't agree with the reccomendation.
Re: We Have the Judge's Report Recommending PERMANENT
Just such a shame they can't ban him from fox news too, then again they COULD make new laws.
Re: We Have the Judge's Report Recommending PERMANENT
The court can't create new laws. We'd have to petition the congress to do it.
Problem is, The constitution would correctly stop them from having the power to create laws to abridge his freedom to speak on Fox News.
Re: We Have the Judge's Report Recommending PERMANENT
fox wants him...
birds of the same douchness can... well you get the idea
Re: We Have the Judge's Report Recommending PERMANENT
Wow, just finished reading it! While the first part was basically a recap of the last few years, the funny thing is that after you sort through all the legalese the conclusion pretty much just says:
"You're a clueless asshole, so you lose your job."
Dennis, thanks for all the great up-to-the-minute coverage, you're a class act all the way.
Re: We Have the Judge's Report Recommending PERMANENT
Why do I get visions of Charles 1st whenever I hear Thompson claiming that the court doesn't have jurisdction?
Re: We Have the Judge's Report Recommending PERMANENT
I think of Henry VIII myself.
Hunting the shadows of the troubled dreams.
Re: We Have the Judge's Report Recommending PERMANENT
You didn't happen to fight in the English Civil War, did you? :D
Chris 'coldacid' Charabaruk <coldacid.net>
IGDA Indie SIG Coordinator, Programmer, Designer
Chris 'coldacid' Charabaruk <coldacid.net>
IGDA Indie SIG Coordinator, Programmer, Designer
Re: We Have the Judge's Report Recommending PERMANENT
Hehehe
I think the real irony is, I learned more about the English Civil War from Monty Python than I ever did from History lessons...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sgKCZMNiLXg
Re: We Have the Judge's Report Recommending PERMANENT
Blackadder: The Cromwell Years is fantastic, as well. It's included on one of the Blackadder DVDs.
Re: We Have the Judge's Report Recommending PERMANENT
heh, reminds me a bit of the unorthodox method I used to learn US History in High School. The only things I remember were learned when I was in a state of semi-comatose (okay, I was half-asleep). I was essentially hypnotized by boredom. That was my excuse the second time I took it, the first time was first thing in the morning.
岩「…Ace beats Jack」
岩「…I can see why Hasselbeck's worried about fake guns killing fake people. afterall, she's a fake journalist on a fake news channel」
Re: We Have the Judge's Report Recommending PERMANENT
does that include farting at someone' general direction?
Re: We Have the Judge's Report Recommending PERMANENT
That was a good thousand years or so earlier. The English Civil War was in the 1640s (with a few scattered battles up to about 1653). The Arthurian period, or the early Anglo-Saxon period, was between the Roman withdrawal from Britain in the early to mid 400s, through to about 650.
Chris 'coldacid' Charabaruk <coldacid.net>
IGDA Indie SIG Coordinator, Programmer, Designer
Chris 'coldacid' Charabaruk <coldacid.net>
IGDA Indie SIG Coordinator, Programmer, Designer
BEST. DAY. EVER... so far
That news warms my tiny game-stunted heart. Between this and UT3 for the 360, today is a very good day.
-ConstantNeophyte: always the newb, ALWAYS.
Re: We Have the Judge's Report Recommending PERMANENT
First, just as the Referee (JudgeTunis
Though Mr. Thompson claims to have been an attorney in good standing for 31 years, he was given a public reprimand in 1992 for a violation of comparable Bar rules, involving those now famous episodes which he was required to go for a psychiatric evaluation. Considering his lack of remorse, contrition, and continuing offensive conduct, it is reasonable to assume the present court, which has already sanctioned him for being a vexatious litigant, and whose order of March 20, 2008 Thompson has now defied and ignored, will fully and swiftly adopt the recommendations of JudgeTunis
Once so adopted, the Supreme Court does not have to give the respondent attorney any opportunity to 'close out his practice,' but has the right to order disbarment effective immediately. That too is a reasonable assumption in a case like this.
In her conclusion, JudgeTunis
Thompson's done, his goose is cooked, and the Supreme Court has been waiting for this ruling to impose its final sanctions. By this time next month, he will not be a lawyer. He will be filing law suits as a lay citizen, if he is allowed to step in a courthouse, which may be unlikely based on his bizarre and dangerous behavior.
Re: We Have the Judge's Report Recommending PERMANENT
And if he refuses to pay the fine, he'll be unable to practice law even as a layperson. I can just imagine him spamming "lawsuits" to all of the courts and ignoring this ruling. (And anyone want to bet he'll continue to use his infamous "Jack Thompson, Attorney at Law" stationary?) He'll end up in jail before this decade is out. You heard it here first.
Re: We Have the Judge's Report Recommending PERMANENT
Forgot to add: "In good standing" with the bar simply means he's paid his membership dues, nothing else.
Re: We Have the Judge's Report Recommending PERMANENT
Before we begin the celebrations nothing has happened to Jack yet, we need to wait for the florida supreme court's decision.
Re: We Have the Judge's Report Recommending PERMANENT
As I was reading some of the excerts from the packet my brother had Johnny B. Goode playing in the background.
Although our johnny boy has been very very bad (he better learn to be good quickly if he doesn't want to get disbarred).
Re: We Have the Judge's Report Recommending PERMANENT
It's pretty much too late at this point for him to do much to change his fate.
-Gray17
Re: We Have the Judge's Report Recommending PERMANENT
I dunno. It won't do much in the end. He was already an old poof. The 10 years was already the rest of his life career. This is more insult to injury.
And of course, the extra fee is also sugar on the cake.
Re: We Have the Judge's Report Recommending PERMANENT
I wonder what is Jack Thompson doing right now?
*imaginary sequence* *blur dizzy effect*
Jack Thompson: But this is not over. I got them right where I wanted. I don´t care how many fax machines have to be broken. I´ll sue their asses. And that moronic Dennis, I will send a letter to his mother saying that he is son of Satan.
McDonald´s employee: Riiiight sir, would you like fries with that?
Jack Thompson: Stop harrassing me! And tell me where is the employment office, goddammend pixelante...
McDonald´s employee: I don´t play videogames since I were 12...
Jack Thompson: Ha! I knew it! Videogames causes low employement expectatives on youth. Not wonder why McDonalds is the cause of too much obesity in the country. Those damn liberals and their conspirancy. I´ll sue them, even if I´m disbarred this september...
Fat lady behind Jack: Sir, move on...
Jack Thompson: Stop harrasing me, anti-christian. I won a prize in Utah. I´m a lawyer...
Security guard: All right, Mr. Thompson, let me show you the exit.
Jack Thompson: HEY, LISTEN! HEY, LISTEN! HEY, LISTEN! HEY, LISTEN! HEY, LISTEN! HEY, LISTEN! HEY, LISTEN! HEY, LISTEN! HEY, LISTEN! HEY, LISTEN! HEY, LISTEN! HEY, LISTEN! HEY, LISTEN! HEY, LISTEN! HEY, LISTEN! HEY, LISTEN! HEY, LISTEN! HEY, LISTEN! HEY, LISTEN! HEY, LISTEN! HEY, LISTEN!
McDonald´s employee: Damn! Is the third time this week...
Jack Thompson: DESU! DESU! DESU! DESU! DESU! DESU! DESU!DESU! DESU! DESU! DESU! DESU! DESU! DESU! DESU! DESU! DESU! DESU! DESU! DESU! DESU! DESU! DESU! DESU! DESU! DESU! DESU! DESU!DESU! I was in 60 Minutes! DESU! DESU! DESU! DESU! DESU! DESU! DESU!DESU! DESU! DESU! DESU! DESU! DESU! DESU! DESU! DESU! DESU! DESU! DESU! DESU! DESU! DESU! DESU! DESU! DESU! DESU! DESU! DESU!DESU!
Jack Jr.: Mom, can I has normal dad.
Wife: Believe me, I´working on that, sweety.
This was a ficticional work. Any relation with any actual events or real people, is mere coincidence :lol
The cynical side of videogames (spanish only): http://thelostlevel.blogspot.com/ My DeviantArt Page (aka DeviantCensorship): http://www.darkknightstrikes.deviantart.com/
Re: We Have the Judge's Report Recommending PERMANENT
"Desu" and "Hey! Listen!"!?
my goodness! why don't you add a "Snake. Snake? SNAAAAAAAAAAAAAKEEEEEEE!!!!!" in there!?