SCOTUS Actually Played "Violent Video Games" Before Ruling On Them

[IanDavis]

SCOTUS Actually Played "Violent Video Games" Before Ruling On Them

The judges actually took a look for themselves before ruling games as a protected speech.

The justices of the Supreme Court are not the most technologically sophisticated people. Justice Elena Kagan admits as such, saying that "the court hasn't really 'gotten to' email." And yet, they're often called upon to make rulings relating to technology. In the case of the looming threat of violent video games, the court decided to learn about these nefarious contraptions and actually [a href=http://talkingpointsmemo.com/news/elena-kagan-justices-not-tech-savvy-send-paper-memos.php]played a few[/a] themselves before ruling them a protected speech, the AP reports.

Back in 2011, California attempted to treat M-rated games like pornography. Even Arnold Schwarzenegger, the famous star of violent action movies, supported the bill. The logic behind it was that the interactivity of games made them different than other media, and thus more dangerous. To find out for themselves, the judges went out and played a few, the result of which was "kind of hilarious," according to Justice Kagan.

Eventually, the court ruled 7-2 against the ban, arguing that all literature is interactive to some degree, and games, while maybe not as [a href=http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/washington/2011-06-27-supreme-court-violent-video-games_n.htm]"intellectually edifying"[/a], should be protected nonetheless.

Justice Kagan doesn't mention exactly what games they played, or what they played them on. In the absence of fact, the only responsive journalistic act is pure speculation. Just what games did Justice Kagan find so amusing? The legal antics of Phoenix Wright? Bowling over cops in GTA4? Justice Scalia's trash talking in Halo 4? Whatever hijinks the court got up to, we're certainly glad they did.

Source: [a href=http://talkingpointsmemo.com/news/elena-kagan-justices-not-tech-savvy-send-paper-memos.php]Associated Press[/a] via [a href=http://reason.com/blog/2013/08/22/scotus-judges-played-video-games-before]Reason Magazine[/a]

Permalink

 

[Erttheking]

And now I have the most wonderful image in my head of all of them playing Halo swearing like sailors into XBL head sets.

 

[Compatriot Block]

Massive, massive kudos to them for this. This is absolutely the best way they could have gone about it. I'm feeling a weird mixture of proud and surprise.

 

[Yuuki]

Now we just need the retards in Australia to do the same thing.


No, wait, that would just end up with them banning MORE games following the "law of ass backwards".

 

[Daymo]

Supreme Court Justices' doing Let's Plays, make it happen.

 

[JenSeven]

"Kind of hilarious" for a "violent video game"? Anyone else thinking they played a few Saints Row games?

 

[Robot Number V]

Yeah, all I took away from this is the Supreme MOTHERFUCKING Court still doesn't use email. The technology is at LEAST 20 years old. (Probably. I was born in 1991, OK?). I get that they're old, but maybe if they can't keep up with, you know, modern society, they should've retired by now.

Good on them for playing the games themselves, though. That 7-2 vote is not bad at all.

Oh and also, I DESPERATELY want to know what they played. In fact, I want a Let's Play.[footnote]Shout-out to the guy a few posts above me.[/footnote]

 

[dementis]

I like to think the Judges had a Halo: CE LAN party and all got drunk whilst playing capture the flag and the two judges that voted against kept getting tea-bagged.

 

[Entitled]

And now I have the most wonderful image in my head of all of them playing Halo swearing like sailors into XBL head sets.

That explains why Scalia stood up for them at the end.

 

[Jandau]

Good thing they didn't try any of the MOBA games, THAT would have gotten the entire industry not only censored but also marked for Exterminatus...

 

[SonicWaffle]

Yeah, all I took away from this is the Supreme MOTHERFUCKING Court still doesn't use email. The technology is at LEAST 20 years old. (Probably. I was born in 1991, OK?). I get that they're old, but maybe if they can't keep up with, you know, modern society, they should've retired by now.

Yeah, that's pretty fucking depressing. Good on them for their approach to this, and for returning and intelligent result, but not using emails?

How many of the people whose lives they affect no longer even think about email because it's as much a part of their day as showering or a morning coffee? I have in my pocket a device which is connected to three of the email accounts I keep for various purposes. It's sorta like saying your Supreme Court believes that diseases are caused by the tiny invisible demons lurking in bad meat; if you're that far behind the rest of the world, what right have you go to rule over others?

 

[Phishfood]

Well, good. Did they really have to play the games for themselves though? really? I mean, if there were the slightest truth that video games made people violent, professional wrestlers and boxers should be shooting up the place every other day shouldn't they?

 

[Buzz Killington_v1legacy]

Yeah, all I took away from this is the Supreme MOTHERFUCKING Court still doesn't use email. The technology is at LEAST 20 years old. (Probably. I was born in 1991, OK?). [/footnote]

It's been around in one form or another since at least the sixties [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Email#Origin].

 

[Lono Shrugged]

Great, now try some drugs and tell me if they are still bad.

 

[Strazdas]

This is the best way they could handle it. they dont know about technology and games. so lets try to learn something and try playing some of them. you know, actually get the first hand knowledge before maknig a ruling. i got total respect for her and the others involved.

How many of the people whose lives they affect no longer even think about email because it's as much a part of their day as showering or a morning coffee?

i check escapist at least 10 times more often than email. At the time when i dont need email at work (vacation for example) i sometimes go for a week before remember "hey maybe someone wrote me an email". Altrough i do value email and think its a very useful tool and prefer it over IMs but not that many people are constantly connected to it. not to mention that when xbone was revealedl ike 80% of people on the escapist got onto thier soapboxes and shouted that they have no internet at all (ironically posting that on the internet).

 

[shirkbot]

And this is why I still have a decent amount of respect for the US Supreme Court. They realize their position and that they need to actually understand what they're ruling on. Except Scalia, but he's a troll so even if he understands something perfectly it makes no difference.

 

[Kargathia]

And now I have the most wonderful image in my head of all of them playing Halo swearing like sailors into XBL head sets.

You're not alone in that. And I can imagine all to easily just how hilarious a supreme court lawyer LAN party would be.

 

[PoolCleaningRobot]

Lol. I can see it now

"Do any of you guys feel like serial killers yet?"
"I'm not really feeling it"
"CASE DISMISSED!"

Good for them. I'm glad to see they tried it and weren't completely put off by whatever they played

 

[Trippy Turtle]

I just deleted my entire post because as I was typing it I thought of the most amazing thing ever.
Imagine this, but the judge making one. It would be golden.
"I'm Elena Kagan, and I'm a Pandarian warrior! What's your game?!"

 

[TheAmazingHobo]

Yeah, that's pretty fucking depressing. Good on them for their approach to this, and for returning and intelligent result, but not using emails?

How many of the people whose lives they affect no longer even think about email because it's as much a part of their day as showering or a morning coffee? I have in my pocket a device which is connected to three of the email accounts I keep for various purposes. It's sorta like saying your Supreme Court believes that diseases are caused by the tiny invisible demons lurking in bad meat; if you're that far behind the rest of the world, what right have you go to rule over others?

That´s a weird simile.
It´s not like they believe that email doesn´t exists or assume it´s powered by shoving kittens through pipes. They apparently simply don´t use it.

Couple of years ago, I worked for a Prof. who never used email either. His staff did, as did his secretary, so it´s not like he was hard to reach or missed out on anything. I assume a SCOTUS judge would be in a similar situation.