FLORIDA ATTORNEY Jack Thompson, who made a career of denouncing, intimidating and harrassing gaming publishers and aficionados has been recommended for permanent disbarment by the referee who presided over his state bar trial.
The conclusion of the final report by Judge Dava Tunis is notable for its directness, gravitas and, well... conclusiveness. She doesn't mince words:
"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. "
Her full report to the Florida State Supreme Court is here (pdf). µ
L'Inq
Gamepolitics
So there is still some justice left in this world!
Kudos to the person who had the courage to stand up for what as right.
It's getting more and more rare, these days.
Well apart from the obvious fact that this is good news, I found something rather funny.

If you were to Google - disbarment - you will get 297,000 hits - Ole Jack is in the No.2 spot after Wiki.

If you google - disbarment " jack thompson" - you get 343,000 hits.

:)

Andy
Thanks for bring us this great tiding Inq.
As far as I'm concerned this is Uncle Sam's version of Mary Whitehouse at the Bar. She used to make me sick too. Infact all these so-called do gooders sicking their nose into my business and interferring with what I want to see or do.

Go Thomo! Couldn't have happened to a nicer guy, NOT!
...and she plays Manhunt.
That's clearly a case of abuse of violent and erotic electronic games.

His long playing sessions of "Postal", "The Sims" and "Hot Coffee" must cease immediately.
When I read the headline I creamed.
This is the same jerk that would blast radio star Howard Stern as the most vile human ever, then write to that scumbag Jesse Helms to thank him for keeping Stern out of markets.

Fast forward to just a year or two ago, and Thompson was writing to Howard Stern ASKING for Stern to help him in fighting the Florida bar. Goodbye Jack, thank you for proving there is still justice in the USA.
He should not be disbarment 

But Disinbowled instead
Hit the road Jack, and don't you come back, no more, no more, no more, no more. Hit the road Jack and don't you come back no more.
It is too bad that people like Mr. Thompson take the zealotry route when trying to do good (as I am sure he was). You have to walk a middle road, or you just get shot down (ironically, by the violent game manufacturers he was trying to prosecute). But before being too quick to condemn him, we could do a little critical thinking here:

1) The people asking for Mr. Thompson's disbarment are MEDIA COMPANIES and game manufacturers who make a lot of money selling violent games and movies. Violence sells, they know this well. Media companies fight on the side of DOLLARS, not FREEDOM. Ask the single mothers who have been sued by the RIAA if they feel that media companies are the champions of justice that are out to make the world a better place.

2) Most psychologists (other than those working for media companies) generally acknowledge that exposure to violent films and video games results in at least some adverse social conditioning. It is just common sense that you would tend to be more aggressive and dis-compassionate if you practice this each day in a virtual training environment. If you do not believe me, sign on to Harvard's Implicit attitude test (demo) at https://implicit.harvard.edu/implicit/ and see what influence implicit conditioning has had on you so far in your life.

So if you combine this information with what you read in the news - and all you read is violence, ethno-centrism, and might-is-right thinking - you may obtain a better understanding on how things like the Iraq war come to be viewed as *acceptable* by our society. Yes, Mr. Thompson took a wrong turn, but it may be wiser to condemn those whose push violence on you and your children for profit. We are in an unfortunate situation...one we can only get out of if we work together. Media companies, oil companies, and others (like the *Vole*) should not be allowed to lead society.
"Dear" "reality_bites" --

Wow are *you* unqualified to offer any thoughts!

>>>
t is too bad that people like Mr. Thompson take the zealotry route when trying to do good (as I am sure he was).
<<<

No. "Jack Thompson" and "good" shall never be in the same conversation. Do some reading and find an example otherwise. See if you can find a case where Jack was *right* or came close to *winning*.

We call that Strike 1.


>>>
You have to walk a middle road, or you just get shot down (ironically, by the violent game manufacturers he was trying to prosecute).
<<<

He is NOT a "prosecutor" nor qualified to offer anything but his opinions AND since the "game manufacturers" are not actually *listed* anywhere in the complaint. Please read the section about his harassing another *lawyer* and explain which "game manufacturer" is involved, one of *several* examples within the complaint.

>>>
But before being too quick to condemn him, we could do a little critical thinking here:
<<<

Uh, no, once again -- the critical thinking *WAS* done, and this a$$hole deserves to be condemned. Should have happened years ago, but you would know that if you did some *reading*.

>>>
1) The people asking for Mr. Thompson's disbarment are MEDIA COMPANIES and game manufacturers who make a lot of money selling violent games and movies.
<<<


No. The *Florida BAR* asked for his disbarment at the request of *other lawyers within Florida* who felt his *tactics* were unacceptable, regardless of his position. 

Apparently, you really *$uck* at that law stuff, huh? Try reading some more -- really.


I deleted the rest of your babblings since not only are they irrelevant to the article, there is some debate as to whether your *gross* *generalizations* are even potentially valid. 
But thanks for offering a bunch of useless psychobabble like you understand anything!