Special Jack Thompson Edition

Why, it just seems to be a week for drama!

So, when Judge Dava Tunis recommended sham of a lawyer Jack Thompson for Hyper Advanced Super Extravagant Permaban, public holiday was declared everywhere in the civilised world.

Now, today, what should fill Every. Single. Gaming. Site, but news that Tunis's recommendation was successful and Thompson now has 30 days to settle all imaginable business and get the hell out of Lawyertown. Thompson's first item on the agenda? Apparently, writing to The Escapist and Kotaku letting them know that he's pleased with the decision!

The press release sent to Kotaku:

Immediate News Release – Sept. 25, 2008

Miami Attorney Jack Thompson Disbarred by Florida Supreme Court

Miami attorney Jack Thompson, nationally and internationally known by virtue of his effective and successful opposition over the last 20 years to the broadcast, marketing, and sale of adult-rated entertainment to children, has just been informed by the Florida Supreme Court that he has been disbarred from the practice of law today.

This disbarment is in retaliation, among other things, for Thompson’s Tyndale House book Out of Harm’s Way, published in 2005, which blew the whistle on the Florida Supreme Court’s earlier efforts in the 1990’s to literally pathologize his faith-based and successful activism against the American entertainment industry. The Florida Bar’s insurance carrier was forced to pay Thompson money damages for that earlier assault upon his First Amendment rights, which is the only known payment of damages by any state bar to any lawyer for improper disciplinary efforts. It appears that the State of Florida will be paying Thompson more damages this time around for its illegal, now repeated, use of “discipline” to punish a Christian lawyer for his activism in the public square.

The timing of this disbarment transparently reveals its motivation: This past Friday Thompson filed a federal civil rights action against The Bar, the Supreme Court, and all seven of its Justices. This rush to disbarment is in retribution for the filing of that federal suit. With enemies this foolish, Thompson needs only the loyal friends he has.

Thompson looks forward to successfully litigating his federal claims, now before US District Court Judge Marcia Cooke in the Southern District of Florida.

Thompson always wanted to own a Bar. Now, armed with multiple US Supreme Court rulings that no state bar can do what it has done to Thompson, he is set to own that Bar.

But is he a bad enough dude to save the President? Reach for the stars, Jack! Never quit dreaming, you crazy diamond!

Thompson also copies to the gaming press the emergency motion he's filed with the Florida Supreme Court, which is (naturally) expected to fail. You can find the full transcript of this motion --filled with conspiracy theories, melodrama, and the finest logic you might expect out of a tantrumming four-year-old-- via the Kotaku link at the end of the article.

Thompson signs off with, "...this should be fun, starting now". I suppose we can expect many more Fox News appearances, which discreetly fail to mention Jack's little problem concerning a particular Bar. That bar he wanted to own. Which he is set to own. What the hell is he even talking about, exactly?

That's it for this Drama Llama, Jack Thompson Edition! Expect more. Oh, so many more. The guy probably won't give up till he's dead. Not that we'd have it any other way.

UPDATE! And lo, there was cake! It seems that impromptu disbarment parties are popping up all throughout the game community.

Like the release of the Dreamcast, Jack Thompson Disbarment Day will go down as one of the great holidays in gamerdom. Calloo callay!

Kotaku: Thompson responds to disbarment.

VentureBeat: Video game anti-violence crusader Jack Thompson is disbared. (Includes a good overview.)

GameCyte: Thompson's Emergency Motion: A Legal Perspective. (Analyses Thompson's possibilities with his last-ditch-effort appeal.)

GamePolitics: Jack Thompson: Disbarment Timeline

Previously on Drama Llama:

09.24.2008: Spore class-action lawsuit, PEGI doesn't understand journalism, and Rockstar snickers as the world explodes again.