lawyer who sued gta

by Lolita Treutel 4 min read

John Bruce Thompson

Full Answer

Is Rockstar filing lawsuits over the GTA franchise?

Rockstar has repeatedly been filed with suits, but the publisher has yet managed to remain on top. Here we take a look at the times when the GTA franchise a the other games from Rockstar that drew the ire of certain personalities.

Are there law firms in Grand Theft Auto?

Law firm companies appearing in the Grand Theft Auto series. Community content is available under CC-BY-SA unless otherwise noted.

Who is the lawyer that sued Facebook over video games?

^ Wilbur, Brock. " Attorney Jack Thompson And His Personal Vendetta Against Video Games Archived 2017-09-05 at the Wayback Machine ". Inverse, 2016-04-07. ^ Albanesius, Chloe (October 1, 2009). "Jack Thompson Sues Facebook Over Video-Game Backlash".

Why did Lindsay Lohan file a lawsuit against GTA 5?

But instead of laughing it off as a good-natured caricature, the melodramatic actress hired a team of lawyers to file a 67-page document, detailing her complaint. The lawsuit alleges that Lacey Jonas, a minor character from GTA 5, was modeled after Lohan's likeness and poked fun at her attention-seeking behavior.

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When did Take Two settle the lawsuit?

On April 19, 2007, Thompson and Take-Two settled the suit, with Thompson agreeing not to seek any legal restriction on sales of Take-Two's games, threaten to sue the company, or accuse Take-Two of any wrongdoing based on the sale of any of its games.

Why did Thompson write letters to the Attorney General?

Thompson then sent letters to acting U.S. Attorney General Peter Keisler and U.S. Senators Patrick Leahy and Arlen Specter demanding that Jordan be removed from his position for failing to prosecute Florida attorney Norm Kent, who Thompson claimed had "collaborated" with the Bar for 20 years to discipline him.

What happened to Cody Posey?

The suit, on behalf of surviving family members, claimed that "obsessively" playing Grand Theft Auto: Vice City made violence "pleasurable and attractive," disconnected violence from consequences, and caused Posey to "act out, copycat, replicate and emulate the violence" when in July 2004 he shot and killed his father, stepmother, and stepsister and then buried them under a manure pile. According to Thompson, "Posey essentially practiced how to kill on this game. If it wasn't for Grand Theft Auto, three people might not now be dead."

Why did the Florida Bar become unconstitutional?

He said that the Bar was engaged in a vendetta against him because of his religious beliefs, which he said conflicted with what he called the Bar's pro- gay, humanist, liberal agenda. He also said that the "wedding of all three functions of government into The Florida Bar, the 'official arm' of the Florida Supreme Court, is violative of the bedrock constitutional requirement of the separation powers and the ' checks and balances ' which the separation guarantees." Thompson accepted a $20,000 out-of-court settlement.

What was the Florida Supreme Court ruling in 2008?

On March 20, 2008, the Florida Supreme Court imposed sanctions on Thompson, requiring that any of his future filings in the court be signed by a member of The Florida Bar other than himself.

Who was the judge in the Harris v. Harris case?

Harris. On May 4, 2006, Thompson filed a motion asking Judge Federico Moreno to recuse himself from the case, as Judge Moreno was a member of The Florida Bar. Citing an "abundance of caution," Judge Moreno recused himself on May 9, 2006 and referred the case to Chief Judge William Zloch for further action.

Who made the $10,000 donation to Penny Arcade?

In response, Jerry Holkins and Mike Krahulik, the creators of gaming webcomic Penny Arcade and of the children's charity Child's Play, stepped in to make the $10,000 donation instead, writing in the memo field of their cheque, "For Jack Thompson, Because Jack Thompson Won't.".

Who filed a lawsuit against GTA Online?

In 2013, Bruce McMahon and Christopher Bengtson filed a lawsuit against GTA's publisher, Take-Two Interactive, because GTA Online wouldn't become available until two weeks after the game launched.

Who is the woman who sued Rockstar?

Last year, former Mob Wives star Karen Gravano filed a $40 million lawsuit against Take-Two and Rockstar, claiming that one of Grand Theft Auto V's characters stole her life story.

When did GTA 4 stop advertising?

Back in 2008, when Grand Theft Auto IV was hot off the press, the Chicago Transit Authority decided to breach a $300,000 advertising agreement by pulling GTA 4's ads from its busses and bus stops.

What court did Take Two vs. Chicago go to?

Unfortunately for McMahon and Bengtson, the courts don't usually reward impatience. A few months after it was filed, the U.S. District Court in California granted Take-Two's motion to dismiss. Take-Two Vs. The City of Chicago.

Who is Lacey Jonas?

The lawsuit alleges that Lacey Jonas, a minor character from GTA 5, was modeled after Lohan's likeness and poked fun at her attention-seeking behavior. In the game, Jonas is a former child star who considers herself to be the "voice of a generation.". Also, her personal life is a bit of a mess.

Is the Gravano lawsuit still pending?

The lawsuit is still pending, but if a judge decides that Gravano's case has merit, Dick Wolf's career is in trouble. Jack Thompson Hates Video Games (including GTA) If you're a gamer who's never heard of Jack Thompson, I'm about to ruin your day. Sorry.

Who did Thompson accuse of selling GTA 4?

He also sent a letter to Take-Two chairman Strauss Zelnick 's attorney, addressed to Zelnick's mother, in which Thompson accused her son of "doing everything he possibly can to sell as many copies of GTA IV to teen boys in the United States".

Who filed the lawsuit against Posey's father?

Thompson and Sanders filed the lawsuit on behalf of the surviving family members of Posey's father. According to Thompson, "Posey essentially practiced how to kill on this game. If it wasn't for Grand Theft Auto, three people might not now be dead.".

What is Attorney Tack Jompson's name?

And in many games he has been referenced and mocked, such as GTA IV and the XGen Studios game Stick RPG 2 where he is named "Attorney Tack Jompson ".

Why did Jack Thompson ask the judge to disqualify himself from presiding over the case?

Claiming that delays had weakened his case, Jack Thompson asked Medina County Common Pleas Judge Christopher Collier to disqualify himself from presiding over the case because the judge had not ruled on Thompson’s request for two months . Lynch himself eventually rejected Thompson’s offer, withdrawing his insanity plea.

What is the line in GTA 4?

As Niko pulls out his gun, one of the lines that the lawyer can say is Jack Thompson's famous line: Guns don't kill people, video games do.

What is the argument that video games are used by teenagers as murder simulators?

His basic argument is that violent video games have repeatedly been used by teenagers as “murder simulators” to rehearse violent plans.

When did Take Two settle their lawsuit?

On April 19, 2007, Thompson and Take-Two settled their suit, with Thompson agreeing not to restrict sales through any court worldwide of Take-Two's games, threaten to sue the company, or accuse Take-Two of any wrongdoing based on the sale of any of its games.

The lawsuit

The text of PRN's filing claims that "Auntie Poulet’s similarities to Miss Cleo and her copyrighted attributes are of such a breadth and extraordinary nature that they can only be explained by copying – which is unsurprising given that [Rockstar] hired the actress who performed as Miss Cleo to provide voiceovers, using the same accent as Miss Cleo, for the infringing videogame.".

An expert's view

While there's no way of knowing in advance how any court case will turn out, we can -- with expert help -- make some educated guesses. For that, we turned to Brandon J. Huffman; his firm, Odin Law and Media, specializes in "video game, digital media, entertainment and internet businesses."

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Background

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Thompson grew up in Cleveland, Ohio, attended Cuyahoga Falls H.S. and attended Denison University. He received media attention when he hosted his own political talk show on the college radio station. He then attended Vanderbilt University Law School, where he met his wife, Patricia. In 1976, they moved to Florida, where Tho…
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The Neil Rogers Show

  • In 1988, Thompson became involved in a feud with WIOD Radio host Neil Rogers, after Thompson was instrumental in persuading the FCC to fine WIOD $10,000 for airing such parody songs as "Boys Want Sex in the Morning" on Rogers' show.Thompson also sued the station for violating a December 1987 agreement to end on-air harassment against him. For the next eight months, Th…
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Janet Reno

  • Thompson first met Janet Reno in November 1975, when he applied for a job as an assistant state's attorney in Miami-Dade County, Florida, but was not hired. In 1988, he ran for prosecutor against then-incumbent Dade County State Attorney Janet Reno, after she had declined his request to prosecute Neil Rogers. Thompson gave Reno a letter at a campaign event requesting …
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Rap Music

  • Thompson came to national prominence in the controversy over 2 Live Crew's As Nasty As They Wanna Be album. (Luke Skyywalker Records, the company of 2 Live Crew's Luther Campbell, had previously released a record supporting Reno in her race against Thompson.) On January 1, 1990, he wrote to Martinez and Reno asking them to investigate whether the album violated Florida ob…
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Video Games

  • Thompson has heavily criticized a number of video games and campaigned against their producers and distributors. His basic argument is that violent video games have repeatedly been used by teenagers as "murder simulators" to rehearse violent plans. He has pointed to alleged connections between such games and a number of school massacres. According to Thompson…
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The Howard Stern Show

  • In 2004, Thompson helped get Howard Stern's show taken off a radio station in Orlando, Florida by filing a complaint with the Federal Communications Commission. Thompson objected to Stern's use of perceived obscenities on the air. He argued that "Either broadcasters will accept the light harness of decency that has been the law for decades and start cleaning up their acts, or th…
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The Florida Bar

  • Actions against the bar
    In 1993, Thompson asked a Florida judge to declare The Florida Bar unconstitutional. He said that the Bar was engaged in a vendetta against him because of his religious beliefs, which he said conflicted with what he called the Bar's pro-gay, humanist, liberal agenda. He also said that the "…
  • Filings
    In October 2007, then-Chief U.S. District Judge Federico Moreno sealed court documents submitted by Thompson in the Bar case that depicted "gay sex acts." Thompson's submission prompted U.S. District Judge Adalberto Jordan to order Thompson to show cause why his actio…
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Other Activities

  • In 1992, a complaint from Thompson led Florida Secretary of State Jim Smith to withhold a $25,000 grant to the Miami Film Festival; Thompson claimed that the festival was using state money to show pornographic films. In response, Thompson was named an "Art Censor of the Year" by the ACLU. The next month, Thompson faced disbarment over allegations that he lied w…
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See Also

External Links

  1. The Florida Bar's Member page of John Bruce Thompson
  2. Jack Thompson versus Adam Sessler on G4's Attack of the Show!
  3. Jack Thompson vs Paul Levinson on CNBC
  4. Jack Thompson at IMDb
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