Jack Thompson declares Halo 3 a Public Nuissance

[Rai]

http://gamepolitics.com/2007/09/21/jack-thompson-seeks-to-have-halo-3-declared-a-public-nuisance-block-its-release-in-florida/

With the video game event of the year - the Halo 3 launch - just days away, game-hatin’ attorney Jack Thompson is apparently seeking to re-create one of his greatest non-triumphs.

Although he failed miserably with a similar bid against Rockstar’s Bully in 2006, Thompson hopes to have a Florida court declare Halo 3 a public nuisance and block its sale in the Sunshine State. He promised as much late last year (see: Jack Thompson Vows More Public Nuisance Suits Against Games in 2007).

No surprise, really, that Halo 3 is in the media-hungry attorney’s crosshairs. Thompson seems to prefer rattling his saber against high-profile game releases. In his latest attention grab Thompson has released the text of what appears to be a court filing in the 11th Circuit, the same jurisdiction in which he failed embarrassingly during last year’s Bully case.

Once again, Thompson is basing his claim on a Florida statute which defines public nuisances as that which:

    …tends to annoy the community, injure the health of the citizens in general, or corrupt the public morals

To get an idea of what the law was really designed for, the types of places named in the statute include:

    …any house or place of prostitution, assignation, lewdness or place or building where games of chance [i.e., gambling] are engaged in violation of law or any place where any law of the state is violated, shall be deemed guilty of maintaining a nuisance…

GP: Not a video game retailer in the bunch.

As with Bully, Thompson clearly hopes the court will grant him a hearing. Although after last year’s well-publicized Bully performance, which earned Thompson a Bar complaint from presiding Judge Ronald Friedman, that seems unlikely.

More troubling by far are the long term implications of this action. Thompson apparently feels emboldened to invoke this law against any video game he desires to target. That is the essence of censorship and the video game industry cannot allow it to continue on any number of grounds - legal, moral or creative.

The full text of Thompson’s complaint is here (MS Word format)…

[HyperOmar]

LOL.

*coughJack-rolledcough*

[-911-]

He'll probably try to do the same to Brawl. 

[Jawooooooooooo]

He'll probably try to do the same to Brawl. 

I'd have to strangle him if he tried that.

[Random]

What an idiot.

[NecroZerumus]

Is this guy for real? >_>

[Gaffit]

*Facepalm*

Thompson, you did it again.

[Gaffit]

http://www.gamepolitics.com/images/legal/JT-halo3-nuisance.doc

Probably the best read I've had in a while. So many spelling errors and unprovable "facts"...

[IngSlayer]

He'll probably try to do the same to Brawl. 

I'd have to strangle him if he tried that.

Heh, I'd do much more than just strangle him if he actually tried to do that to Brawl.

[Gaffit]

He'll probably try to do the same to Brawl. 

I'd have to strangle him if he tried that.

Heh, I'd do much more than just strangle him if he actually tried to do that to Brawl.

Don't even joke about that, that's one of his tricks. He pisses a bunch of people off, and then when the threats roll in, he traces IP Addresses and has them arrested. He gets to arrest a bunch of "pixelanties" and look like the victim at the same time. The s.o.b. has done it before.

[Mutant]

I think he's cool (bo_o)b

>_>..

Are his spies still listening...?

Jokes but really, he is cool.

Pissing people off, getting people arrested over things said on the internet, getting plenty of public recognition..

TOTALLY SWEET!

[White Glint]

He's a failure.

I've said it before and I'll say it again. He's a failure. He will never be able to dig up a coherent case against any video games and even if he does no one will take him seriously.