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See the original image at kotaku.com —

BREAKING - Florida Supreme Court Sanctions Jack Thompson

kotaku.com — One more round today in the continuing downward spiral of controversial Miami attorney Jack Thompson. Today the Florida Supreme Court sanctioned Mr. Thompson after he failed to prove that they shouldn't through his recent "show cause" order.

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  • handstrongpimp, on 03/20/2008, -0/+93i thought the bar was a hard test?
    • brjndr, on 03/20/2008, -1/+8It is, but how hard depends on the state. California and New York are hardest. I've heard Minnesota and Utah are relatively easy.
      • Nattybumpoe, on 03/20/2008, -0/+5Florida is also one of the hardest. California is about as hard as Florida (California has a lower passage rate because the state allows everyone to take it).
        • MindStalker, on 03/21/2008, -0/+1Yea but he became a Florida attorney in the last 70s (76 or 77). Its quite possible the bar exam was easier or he has just become senile sense then. Continuing education requirements aren't all that difficult.
    • Nattybumpoe, on 03/20/2008, -0/+9This is my favorite exurb from the decision. ". . . Although Thompson argues that no court can deny a citizen access to courts, both this Court and the United States Supreme Court have, when deemed necessary, exercised the inherent judicial authority to sanction an abusive litigant. . . ." [followed by a wopping 10 case citations]
    • darling, on 03/21/2008, -2/+4Smart and crazy aren't mutually exclusive. Neither is being a jackass.
    • rakous, on 03/21/2008, -1/+2Well considering an eight year old boy passed it, it must be fairly easy (yes I know it was in Brazil).
  • darthgoat, on 03/20/2008, -1/+52Finally!!! This has taken far too long.
    • sotopheavy, on 03/21/2008, -1/+1It would be better if they put, instead of a black censored bar, a piece of dog ***** in his mouth!
      • gfnw, on 03/21/2008, -0/+1You wouldn't need to add the dog *****.
  • lewisjames, on 03/20/2008, -0/+22sure is a good step in keeping him quiet for a few weeks anyway.
    • banmaster, on 03/20/2008, -11/+3tILL THE NEXT TIME SOMEONE FARTS AND HE STARTS RANTING ABOUT VIDEO GAMES, ESPECIALLY cOUNTERSTRIKE BEING A FARTT TRAINER, BEING TO BLAMEW.

      Damn caps lock. Sorry.
      • AndrewDB, on 03/20/2008, -2/+9If your so sorry why didn't you re-write your sentence and fix it?
        • Matri, on 03/21/2008, -1/+3Because he isn't really sorry.
        • latova, on 03/21/2008, -0/+2Because the banmaster never makes mistakes. He makes trends.
  • grat2001, on 03/20/2008, -2/+45I wish someone would have put a few quarters on the machine for him when he was younger. Instead they probably took his money, kicked him in the pants, and then told him get lost.
  • GreyFoxV1, on 03/20/2008, -3/+18Bwahahahahaha!
  • unicronband, on 03/20/2008, -0/+73Oh great. More time for him to run his mouth as a "Video Game Violence Expert" on Fox News.
    • bromac, on 03/20/2008, -3/+6Video game violence expert?

      I'd so pwn the noob in CS. BOOM! Headshot.
      • eosp, on 03/20/2008, -1/+10Too big of a target. Try aiming for his nuts instead.
        • noahhoward, on 03/20/2008, -1/+3Oh come on the hell how is anyone supposed to do that?? You couldn't snipe them from five feet with a howitzer!
        • jsmith39, on 03/21/2008, -0/+1I don't know.. He's crazy as a loon and dumber than a box full of rocks but it takes balls to be as verbose and completely full of ***** as this ass clown.
        • smackafiyah, on 03/21/2008, -0/+1BOOM!....nutshot?
  • Wiinii, on 03/20/2008, -7/+18BREAKING!?!? It must be important then...
    • Cid420, on 03/20/2008, -2/+7Not really.
      BREAKING - [Insert name of female celebrity] has done and/or been involved with [Insert name of non-news worthy topic].
    • GunDownCCL, on 03/20/2008, -3/+13BREAKING-- THE USE OF THE WORD BREAKING IS GENERALLY DEFINED AS A MEANS BY WHICH AN OTHERWISE UNINTERESTING ARTICLE CAN GET MODERATELY MORE DIGGS
    • Chassit, on 03/20/2008, -0/+2It is important.
    • 0x1B, on 03/20/2008, -1/+3No *****. These 'tards using an all-caps "breaking" make me want to stab someone in the face. Buncha junior newsmen around here, I tell ya. Regular pack of cub reporters...
  • JohnDavis730, on 03/20/2008, -3/+20this article is full of win
  • CryRightardCry, on 03/20/2008, -1/+36He had plenty of warning.
    Given Jack's stupidity it was just a matter of time.
    Give it another year or two and he'll lose is license completely.
  • badwithcomputer, on 03/20/2008, -2/+71flawless victory.
    • brstilson, on 03/20/2008, -0/+7HEAD SHOT!!!

      And as soon as I type it, I scroll down and find out once again, that I am unoriginal.
    • rockrapdude, on 03/20/2008, -0/+3Finish him (soon)!
    • Planets, on 03/21/2008, -3/+1/waits for overused Portal references.
      • Checkerd, on 03/21/2008, -1/+2He will never threaten to stab you and, in fact, cannot speak.

        Sorry, I just wanted to be the only guy not saying something like "The Jack is a lie".
  • PeterFile, on 03/20/2008, -2/+4Gag on that!
  • omnithought, on 03/20/2008, -0/+27Headshot!!!
  • allahuakbar, on 03/20/2008, -1/+50Take away his license already! I want him to sell me a burger next time I'm in Florida...
    • Mrdudeperson, on 03/20/2008, -0/+8Is he really even good enough for that?
      • Kral, on 03/21/2008, -0/+1If you tell him that you asked for no pickles but your burger has them, he has his wife sue you for defamation.
  • davidwasman, on 03/20/2008, -10/+45Buried for BREAKING and for being Kotaku, another of Gawker Media's whore sites(including Gizmodo, Lifehacker, etc)

    Original Link - http://gamepolitics.com/2008/03/20/breaking-florid ...
    • lava, on 03/20/2008, -2/+11What's wrong with Kotaku and Lifehacker? Asides from the information that EVERYONE ELSE is reporting, they have very useful information.
    • Konrad9, on 03/20/2008, -5/+8"Breaking" is in the title of the article you linked to.
      Idiot.
  • whatthefu, on 03/20/2008, -4/+9I don't hate the guy, I just think he is really ignorant when it comes to video games.
    • altgeeky1, on 03/20/2008, -1/+1You don't have to hate him, you only need to fear him... like you'd fear a crazy muttering stalker watching you from an alleyway.
      If Florida has shut down all their mental health facilities, then he plain just needs to be put in jail for all our protection.
      He deserves pity... once he's in jail.
    • TRScheel, on 03/20/2008, -1/+2Think he's ignorant when it comes to video games?

      How about KNOW that he's really ignorant when it comes to video games. It isn't a maybe issue... he just doesn't have a clue what he's talking about and seems to get his jollies off by watching himself on CNN, Fox, MSNBC, etc
  • Dan11023, on 03/20/2008, -9/+4Poned.
    • Jenadae, on 03/21/2008, -1/+1double-you and oh, they are so close together...
  • Antillies911, on 03/20/2008, -8/+2I have nothing against this guy. Hes fighting for something that he believes which we are entitled to. However if you believe his logic about violence in video games then at this point in my life I should be a serial killer.
    • smashingmonkey, on 03/20/2008, -0/+15I have something against him. He fought not with reason and good research, but from prejudice. He reeks of the sort of deranged ego which willingly ignores and distorts reality in order to protect his narrow point of view. He's a self righteous prick.
  • BruceDude, on 03/20/2008, -0/+17Ignorant douchebag had it coming.
  • OrangeTang85, on 03/20/2008, -1/+19Dugg because Jack Thompson is a douchebag
  • kevinisms, on 03/20/2008, -0/+7So nice I wish I could digg it twice.
  • hadak, on 03/20/2008, -0/+11***** you Jack Thompson.
  • king3vbo, on 03/20/2008, -0/+2I wouldnt call this breaking, seeing as how Destructoid had it this morning
  • flashdrivecoup, on 03/20/2008, -0/+6A win for gamers everywhere
  • ArchiTech, on 03/20/2008, -0/+4Gamers. This guy is just a distraction that draws our eyes away from important issues. Don't vent your critical thinking skills on Jack Thompson, save them for more important issues.

    Games with violent content will always get made, no matter how many bureaucrats attack the industry.

    Mr. Thompson to a gamer is the equivalent of a controversial sports caster to a jock, or how vapid teenagers criticize the next pop stars wardrobe choices.

    Simply a distraction.
    • banmaster, on 03/20/2008, -1/+2Important issues??
      • ArchiTech, on 03/20/2008, -0/+2Yeah you know... like developing Holosuites... and who's the next douchebag ;)...

        In all seriousness though, as long as it is the Gamers that are making games, content will remain enjoyable.

        Now if we let our wise leaders learn how to program games, then we'd be in trouble.
  • wecaanation, on 03/20/2008, -17/+0Way to go America; you've silenced your only ally against the fight on immorality
    • nirav72, on 03/20/2008, -0/+7Oh STFU.
    • Matri, on 03/21/2008, -0/+3GTFO, Jack.
    • joshuabowers, on 03/21/2008, -0/+4If emoting my pent-up, post-adolescent hatred on the denizens of a virtual reality (rather than in the real world) is immoral, I simply don't want to be right.
    • jsmith39, on 03/21/2008, -0/+4Stop feeding the troll, you know it's how the propagate
  • gcnaddict, on 03/20/2008, -0/+9BOOM, HEADSHOT
    • lebreezy, on 03/21/2008, -0/+1That's why I say hey man nice shot...
  • nirav72, on 03/20/2008, -0/+7Yeah!!! ***** him and the horse he rode in on. Now if only they would dis-bar him.
  • ROFLance, on 03/20/2008, -1/+4***** Jack Thompson!
  • Yndisfagur, on 03/20/2008, -6/+3i hate it when people type BREAKING - ...
    • TheZorch, on 03/20/2008, -1/+10I hate it when people bitch about stupid *****.
      • GOVATENT, on 03/20/2008, -5/+2does that not make you bitch about stupid *****? You are bitching about people who bitch. I find it funny.
    • fredkreuger, on 03/20/2008, -1/+2I see what you did there.
    • Amiga500, on 03/21/2008, -2/+1Recompile your kernel so the word "BREAKING" is replaced with " ". I don't evny the person that had to teach you how to wipe properly.
  • IZZ0, on 03/20/2008, -0/+3See Jack fall. Dugg!
  • Yage2006, on 03/20/2008, -0/+3Take that douchebag
  • reginaldino, on 03/20/2008, -0/+3i'd also like to punch this guy in the face
  • TheZorch, on 03/20/2008, -0/+4About ***** time. Now we need to do the same to the RIAA, MPAA, and everyone else who wants to take away our rights.
  • AndrewLeon, on 03/20/2008, -1/+4you know what you should do?
    Sanction me.
    Sanction me with your army....
    oh, thats right, you don't got any.
    guess that means you need to STFU.
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o9Giln-f9OQ
  • Nattybumpoe, on 03/20/2008, -0/+2Between the text of the motion, Thompson pasted images depicting swastikas, kangaroos in court, a reproduced dollar bill, cartoon squirrels, Paul Simon, Paul Newman, Ray Charles, a handprint with the word "SLAP!" written under it, Bar Governor Benedict P. Kuehne, a baby, Ed Bradley, Jack Nicholson, Justice Clarence Thomas, Julius Caesar, monkeys, and a house of cards, and the motion concludes with a photograph of the cover of Thompson’s book, Out of Harm's Way.
    • Matri, on 03/21/2008, -0/+3You forgot the gay porn he made accessible to minors.
      • PHiZ187, on 03/21/2008, -1/+1All those minors that go down to the courthouse and read federal court filings. Yeah, I think we have bigger things to worry about regarding those minors.
        • Matri, on 03/21/2008, -0/+1All it needs is one person to tell them. Since there is no restriction, there is no way they can be legally barred from viewing it.
  • panpizza15, on 03/20/2008, -0/+610 bucks says in the next few days, Jack Thompson will go crazyer and shoot up a GameStop
    • azimir, on 03/21/2008, -0/+4You left out the part afterwards where he complains to the news crew that he was playing some GTA just beforehand and his lawyer will be beginning the suit shortly.
  • n8f8, on 03/20/2008, -1/+3Too bad Florida Senator Bill Posey is going to be elected to the US House of Representatives since he's pushing the same kinds of legislation that Thompson wants.

    http://flsenate.gov/cgi-bin/view_page.pl?File=sb04 ...
  • Kajman, on 03/20/2008, -1/+1I'm confused... What broke?
  • mannymix03, on 03/21/2008, -1/+3Finally we did something correct in flori-duh
  • magus_melchior, on 03/21/2008, -0/+2Finally, a news story on digg without a single quote from Thompson.
  • Sovereigndk, on 03/21/2008, -5/+1hmm, I wonder why?

    N THE SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF FLORIDA



    THE FLORIDA BAR,



    Complainant,



    v. Case Numbers SC 07 - 80 and 07- 354



    JOHN B. THOMPSON,



    Respondent.



    RESPONDENT'S VERIFIED MOTION TO DISMISS BOTH COMPLAINTS FOR PROSECUTORIAL MISCONDUCT



    COMES NOW respondent Thompson and moves this court, under oath, to dismiss both SC 07-80 and SC 07-354 for prosecutorial misconduct, stating:

    Almost all, and in fact arguably all, of the alleged ethical misconduct by Thompson herein occurred not while he was engaged in the practice of law and not on behalf of a client.

    Nevertheless, Thompson is charged by The Bar with alleged multiple violations of Bar Rule 4-8.4 (d) which states that a lawyer shall not

    "(d) engage in conduct in connection with the practice of law that is prejudicial to the administration of justice, including to knowingly, or through callous indifference, disparage, humiliate, or discriminate against litigants, jurors, witnesses, court personnel, or other lawyers on any basis, including, but not limited to, on account of race, ethnicity, gender, religion, national origin, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, age, socioeconomic status, employment, or physical characteristic;"

    The Florida Supreme Court in Florida Bar v. Brake, 767 So.2d 1163 (Fla. 2000) clearly held that a lawyer must be employed in a legal capacity by a law client to be held accountable for a violation of Bar Rule 4-8.4(d), since the Rule itself expressly states that allegedly disparaging conduct must be "in connection with the practice of law."

    Thompson is charged by The Bar with "disparaging," for example, Al Cardenas, by telling the then Governor of the State of Florida, Jeb Bush, that his "family values" friend, Mr. Cardenas, former GOP chairman, was using his firm to facilitate the illegal airing of indecent material to children on the Howard Stern Show.

    This prosecution of Thompson for this "disparagement" is wholly improper in that a) Thompson's statements were true and shown to be true at trial and b) Thompson had absolutely no client whatsoever on whose behalf he was sharing this truth about Cardenas. Thompson was a lawyer engaged in faith-based social activism against this criminal activity facilitated by Cardenas.

    This is just one example of many for which The Bar is prosecuting Thompson, in contravention of the Rule and of Brake.

    It appears that this court, like the referee, cannot be bothered with applying this court's own rulings to this case, but at this point this court really does need to pay close attention to the following fact:

    At 1:04 pm this day, March 19, 2008, Thompson received a long distance telephone call from Mr. William W. Wilhelm. Thompson had called Mr. Wilhelm upon receipt of his letter dated March 14, attached hereto as Exhibit A to ask him for clarification of that letter. Thompson had filed a formal sworn Bar complaint against Broward Public Defender Howard L. Finkelstein for his disparagement of "Christians" at a large meeting in his office. Thompson asserted in his formal Bar complaint that for the Public Defender to have done this, while in the discharge of his formal duties as the Broward Public Defender, violated Florida Bar Rule 4-8.4(d) not only as The Bar is seeking to apply that Rule to Thompson but as anyone would apply that Rule.

    Mr. Wilhelm, in calling Thompson, stated, then, at 1:04 pm this day, so help me God, that "The Bar cannot prosecuted Mr. Finkelstein because his allegedly disparaging comments were not made in connection with the practice of law and therefore Rule 4-8.4(d) cannot be applied."

    For well over a year Thompson has been telling Bar prosecutors, including Ken Marvin, all Bar Governors, and Referee Tunis that Rule 4-8.4(d) can only be applied when a lawyer is practicing law and has a client on whose behalf he is practicing law. Sheila Tuma, The Bar's Orlando staff prosecutor, has utterly ignored this requirement of the Rule and of our law and has simply treated these strictures as though they do not exist.

    What The Bar has in effect done, top to bottom, is fashion a "Jack Thompson exception" to Bar Rule 4-8.4(d) and Brake.

    This constitutes an outrageous and demonstrable denial of equal protection as it denies Thompson substantive due process. Further, this court and The Florida Bar have literally no subject matter jurisdiction over Thompson's truthful disparagement of Al Cardenas and others for their despicable acts because this Court and The Bar cannot regulate speech outside the lawyering function. What is next? Is Steve Chaykin going to start donning disguises to go to evangelical churches at which Thompson presents the Christian Gospel to adult Sunday school classes at odds with his radical gay agenda? How far do this Court and this Bar want to go? It should go only as far, obviously, as Brake lets them.

    This is prosecutorial misconduct. This is bad faith. This is all that Thompson needs to deconstruct this Bar.

    This Court must dismiss not only the complaints to the extent that Thompson is charged with Rule 4-8.4(d) violations but the complaints in all of their aspects. Why? Because The Bar, starting in August 2004 set out to prosecute Thompson rather than the alleged ethics rules violations he allegedly committed. He violated no Rules. The Bar has been on a vendetta fueled by its having been bested by Thompson sixteen years ago and by an ideological agenda that knows no bounds.

    It is all right for a liberal Public Defender in Broward to disparage Christians in discharging his official duties, but it is not all right, according to this Bar and this Court, for a Christian lawyer, on his own behalf, to truthfully point to Jeb Bush that his family-values lobbyist and campaign cash bundler, Al Cardenas, is helping put descriptions of the placement of female amputees' stumps into the anuses of men to achieve orgasm on the public airwaves at 8 am.

    WHEREFORE, this Court must dismiss both complaints against Thompson brought by The Bar herein. The Bar is engaged in a cover-up of its own prosecutorial misconduct, and that cover-up has unraveled even more, thanks to the truthfulness of Mr. William W. Wilhelm.

    I solemnly swear, under penalty of perjury, that the foregoing facts are true, correct, and complete, so help me God.

    I HEREBY CERTIFY that I have provided this to The Florida Bar, 1200 Edgewater Drive, Orlando, Florida, March 19, 2008.



    John B. Thompson, Attorney, Florida Bar #231665

    1172 South Dixie Hwy., Suite 111

    Coral Gables, Florida 33146, phone, 305-666-4366
  • byrdgang, on 03/21/2008, -0/+1"Well the long and short of it is that Thompson will no longer be able to file cases directly to the courts but instead will have to hire another lawyer to do so on his behalf."

    Apparently, this blogger isn't not too keen on READING. The sanction says that Thompson can no longer file with the Supreme Court (Florida), not all Floridian courts. He can still sue people...just not up to the level of Florida's Supreme Court.

    See GamePolitics for more information.
  • screwfanboys1, on 03/21/2008, -1/+3***** the riaa!
  • marcomc2, on 03/21/2008, -0/+1And its a GLORIOUS day for all of us gamers and cool normal people!!! Happy JT sucks day!
  • Myst3r1o, on 03/21/2008, -0/+1Well.. it's about damn time.. again!
  • BobaFettTDG, on 03/21/2008, -0/+5He never should have messed with the internets.
  • identitymatrix, on 03/21/2008, -0/+1this was a triumph
  • papipablo, on 03/21/2008, -0/+1He touched my penis in an inappropriate manner.
  • linuxpenguin, on 03/21/2008, -0/+3I bet he'll spill his Hot Coffee when he reads this in the paper.
  • Daymoon, on 03/21/2008, -0/+0GOOD NIGHT YOU UNGRATEFUL BASTARD
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