Jack Thompson Threatens Utah Legislature

John Funk

U.N. Owen Was Him?
Dec 20, 2005
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Jack Thompson Threatens Utah Legislature



The ongoing adventures of ex-lawyer Jack Thompson and the government of Utah continue as Thompson threatens the entire state legislature with legal action over the anti-game bill's (timely) death.

To recap: America's favorite former lawyer vetoed the bill [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/89178-Jack-Thompson-Authored-Game-Bill-Introduced-In-Utah].

Whatever positive relationship Thompson might have once had with members of the Utah state legislature soured quickly thereafter, with Thompson accusing the Utahans (Utonians? Uties?) of pandering to peddlers of pornography, and the Utah politicians accusing Jack Thompson of being totally batsh*t and spamming their email [http://www.gamepolitics.com/2009/04/14/utah-senate-president-wants-prosecute-jack-thompson-under-can-spam-act].

Of course, saying that Jack Thompson doesn't know when to give up is sort of like saying that Hideo Kojima is just a little crazy. GamePolitics [http://www.gamepolitics.com/2009/05/26/jack-thompson-threatens-entire-utah-legislature-prosecution] reports that Thompson has threatened to call the wrath of the F.B.I. down on all 104 members of the Utah Senate and House of Representatives for "violating his civil rights."

This latest howling frenzy comes after Utah Rep. Curtis Oda joined State Senate President Michael Waddoups - who asked the Utah Attorney General to look into prosecuting Thompson for spam after the lawyer mailed legislators pictures of strippers giving GTA4 protagonist Niko Bellic a lap-dance - in objecting to Thompson's zany antics. While we haven't seen what Rep. Oda actually said to (or about) Thompson, we do know that the former lawyer circulated an email on Sunday threatening bloody murder:

[blockquote]If I get one more threat of criminal prosecution for sending you all proof, as I have, that pornographic video games are being sold to children in Utah because of the willful refusal of your Attorney General to enforce your state's pornography laws, then I will add ALL of you to the sworn criminal complaint now in the hands of the FBI in Salt Lake City. You will be identified as co-conspirators to violate 18 USC 241 and 242...

Maybe the real problem here is that Utah, as a recent study proves, leads the nation in consumption of on-line porn. Maybe some among you are into this stuff, and you feel threatened...

I'm not going to put up with it. I've taken down some of the largest pornographers in the world. Taking down your legislature will be a piece of cake by comparison.[/blockquote]

Well, Jacko, we all know where biting off more than you can chew got you last time [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/86463-Jack-Thompson-Disbarred-UPDATED], don't we? If I may quote the Bard: "it is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing."

On a mostly-unrelated note: "Jack Thompson and the Government of Utah" sounds almost like an awesome fantasy novel, doesn't it? The intrepid ex-lawyer braving a harsh and untamed land - kind of like Conan the Barbarian, only with less naked chicks.

(Via Kombo [http://www.kombo.com/article.php?artid=13101])

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WrongSprite

Resident Morrowind Fanboy
Aug 10, 2008
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I think he is the shining beacon of humanity.

I wish he were God, with Uwe Boll as his leftenant.
 

knightguy123

New member
May 20, 2009
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Dragonblade146 said:
"I really hate that man...."
seconded the problem with people who protest this stuff is that they never tried a game believing it would taint their oh so pure mind and make them want to shoot someone
 

rainman2203

New member
Oct 22, 2008
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A simple /facepalm is not an adequate response to Thompson's shenanigans. Mayhaps someday he will realize the futility of what he is doing.... meh probably not.

On a side not, props to Utah for doing something cool for the first time ever.
 

scarbunny

Beware of geeks bearing gifs.
Aug 11, 2008
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Anti-Game bill is a little bit off the mark there isn't it? All the bill covered was, in your own words, "a bill that would impose harsh penalties on game retailers that claimed they would not sell mature games to minors but did anyway."

Surely this is would be a good bill to have in place, it would stop 10 year olds playing games they shouldn't, for example GTA IV, at the very least it might reduce the amount of brats I would have to put up with online.
 

Zerbye

New member
Aug 1, 2008
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This story is awesome. And here I thought we wouldn't get any more Jack Thompson drama.
 

VoltySquirrel

New member
Feb 5, 2009
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scarbunny said:
Anti-Game bill is a little bit off the mark there isn't it? All the bill covered was, in your own words, "a bill that would impose harsh penalties on game retailers that claimed they would not sell mature games to minors but did anyway."

Surely this is would be a good bill to have in place, it would stop 10 year olds playing games they shouldn't, for example GTA IV, at the very least it might reduce the amount of brats I would have to put up with online.
Well, its Utah. They strive for perfection in the Lord's eye. anything impure must die. *shiver* Sorry 'bout that. I still have nightmares about that place. The government is by far the most biased in any state in the US.
 

HobbesMkii

Hold Me Closer Tony Danza
Jun 7, 2008
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Wow, look at that picture of him. He uses a conventional keyboard for his laptop. Jackie, baby, take a look at that flat surface in front of the screen.
 

Nimbus

Token Irish Guy
Oct 22, 2008
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CantFaketheFunk said:
GamePolitics [http://www.gamepolitics.com/2009/05/26/jack-thompson-threatens-entire-utah-legislature-prosecution] reports that Thompson has threatened to call the wrath of the F.B.I. down on all 104 members of the Utah Senate and House of Representatives for "violating his civil rights."
Holy freaking crap.

At least it can't get much worse than this.
 

Sir Ollie

The Emperor's Finest
Jan 14, 2009
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Psychosocial said:
Ollie596 said:
CantFaketheFunk said:
The ongoing adventures of ex-lawyer Jack Thompson
That sounds like a epic game someone should make it!
Just my thought..

..wait, isn't Blizzards new MMO a new franchise? Can you see it?! IT'S WORLD OF JACK THOMPSON!
Wait a minute I didn't think of that imagine the adverts. "Hi I'm Mr.T and i'm a level 5 lawyer OBJECTION!"
 

fix-the-spade

New member
Feb 25, 2008
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Maybe we should start sending him letters of support, y'know to persuade him to gothrough with spamming the FBI with false claims.

I bet they'll love him for that.
 

John Funk

U.N. Owen Was Him?
Dec 20, 2005
20,364
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scarbunny said:
Anti-Game bill is a little bit off the mark there isn't it? All the bill covered was, in your own words, "a bill that would impose harsh penalties on game retailers that claimed they would not sell mature games to minors but did anyway."

Surely this is would be a good bill to have in place, it would stop 10 year olds playing games they shouldn't, for example GTA IV, at the very least it might reduce the amount of brats I would have to put up with online.
The problem with the bill is that it would simply act as incentive for retailers to ignore ESRB ratings entirely. If they don't say they won't sell M-rated games to minors, they can't get in trouble. So it would actually serve to harm consumers by stripping one of the most valuable information tools that parents have to learn about the content in the games their children are playing - the ESRB ratings.