Many will be familiar with Jack Thompson, the Florida lawyer disciplined following ever-stranger antics aimed at his nemesis, the game publishing industry. His disbarment is now official, according to the Florida Bar’s website.
Here’s the Bar’s report, which makes is clear the gent’s “permanently disbarred without leave to apply for readmission to The Florida Bar.”
Here’s part of the complaint:
Over a very extended period of time involving a number of totally
unrelated cases and individuals, [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.
John Bruce Thompson [Florida Bar]
Is it just for Florida?
I mean, won’t he just go to the next state and systematically get disbarred from all of the US?
He would have to first pass the bar in each state to be licensed to practice in that state. That’s not very easy, as I understand it, and a crazy guy like that might have real trouble doing it.
I guess there are certain states that don’t require bar membership to practice law, though. Let’s not tell him about that.
If this is indeed the end of Jack Thompson as a source of trouble to gaming and the gaming industry, and I doubt that, then it’ll only be a matter of time before the next troll climbs out from under a bridge. We can only hope the next one is as incoherent as Jack.
My understanding is that, to pass the bar in any given state in the US, one must not be disbarred in another state without a really, really good explanation.
Couldn’t happen to a more worthier fellow.
Jeez, the guy’s phone number has a 666 prefix and his email username is amendmentone?
Can’t. Shake. The. Cognitive. Dissonance.
…Ok, we’ve got him disbarred. Now, what’s the next step necessary to get castration next on the list?
I can’t imagine an acceptable reason to explain a disbarment in one state to the bar of another state.
That said, it’s kind of cool to see someone using the Florida Bar’s attorney snooping website. I used to use it all the time to see whether people representing themselves as attorneys to me were actually admitted here. (I’m an attorney barred in FL)
Anyway, all this means zilch: he’ll find other people to bring suit if that’s what he really wants to do. Otherwise he’ll just keep lobbying, and there will always be people crazy enough to listen to him.
Addendum: HOLY CRAP HE LIVES LESS THAN A MILE FROM ME! That’s just weird.
He will continue to be a loud-mouthed, uninformed, irrationale, holier-than-thou, anti-game pundit but at least other Florida lawyers can say he isn’t one of them. It is a shame that it took as long as it did though, the guy has been bat-shit insane forever.
The big fear is that someone with a degree of competence will now take up one of his misguided causes.
It’s more than gaming. I run a local news site. He wrote us to volunteer a story about “a possible cover-up of sexual misconduct by a Floria Attorney.”
@ #9 Krylon:
This may just be the kid in me talking, but, well, Hallowe’en is tomorrow (well, today for you). It would be pretty much amazing to show up at his house dressed in some obvious video game reference. PacMan eating some dots? 1 Up anyone?