Thompson withdraws from Grand Theft Auto lawsuit

By Games Industry.biz Published 8 November, 2005

Controversial lawyer pulls out.

Anti-videogames campaigner Jack Thompson has withdrawn from the Grand Theft Auto lawsuit filed against retailers and publishers following accusations that he violated legal ethics.

"The other side wants to make me the issue," Thompson told US website GamePolitics.

"The important thing is that the clients be served."

Thompson had been representing the families of two police officers and a dispatcher murdered by an 18 year old who he claimed was "trained" to kill by GTA. He recently appeared in court to defend his right to practice law after attorneys from Blank Rome, the firm representing the defendants in the case, filed a motion to have his license revoked.

Thompson dismissed suggestions that he had taken the decision to withdraw following pressure from Judge James Moore.

"It was my idea," he said, affirming that the suit would continue despite his withdrawal. There are three other lawyers working on the case, Thompson said, including his long time colleague Ray Reiser.

"I got [Reiser] to the edge of the Promised Land. We'll see if he goes in," he added.

Judge Moore has yet to announce his decision on the second motion filed by the defendants, which argues that the entire suit should be dismissed since the First Amendment's freedom of speech provisions apply to videogames.

Picture of Games.

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Comments (17) Latest comment 6 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • Tiger_Walts #1 6 years ago

    Pwned!

  • Celeborn #2 6 years ago

    "I got [Reiser] to the edge of the Promised Land"

    HE'S BEEN PLAYING FINAL FANTASY VII THE HYPOCRITE

  • Darkedge #3 6 years ago

    his idea? Balls - the other lawyers wanted his licence to practice revoked!

  • jozz #4 6 years ago

    Finally, someone kicked him off his soap box.
    Thank you Judge Moore.
    Hopefully knock some sense into him when he hits the floor.

    He's still got round 2 to go yet: Bully

  • trevd72 #5 6 years ago

    he is a real life ambulance chasing son-of-a-bitch that you hope only exists in in the movies and John Gresham books. I bet it would be fun for a film crew to follow him about like The Osbournes. He would be hilarious, starting fights with 6' 5" brick shithouses and getting his arse kicked. objecting to every comment made to him, road rage attacks.....people like him usually live the most wacked out lives you know drugs, sex with 16 year olds, gambling debt, 3 divorces, drunk driving charge - then they go round kicking off about everyone elses exisitence.

  • dose #6 6 years ago

    What.
    A.
    Cock.

  • DaMonkey #7 6 years ago

    "The important thing is that the clients be served."

    What, in a South Park style dance off?

  • Spiral #8 6 years ago

    .people like him usually live the most wacked out lives you know drugs, sex with 16 year olds, gambling debt, 3 divorces, drunk driving charge - then they go round kicking off about everyone elses exisitence.

    I know. Makes me wish I was a laywer. :(

  • NoCodeNed2 #9 6 years ago

    @ DaMonkey - Oh, it's on!

  • Stickman #10 6 years ago

    How the mighty have fallen.

  • louyfitz #11 6 years ago

    What an idiot, seriously who'd bann GTA??? accept for everyone in the US and UK goverment, they're supposed to represent the people, and we love GTA. So keep GTA and keep the people happy, it's the tradtional thing to do, lol.

  • Kami #12 6 years ago

    His little web is coming unravelled.

    This eensie-weensie spider hopefully won't be climbing up the spout again...

  • smelly #13 6 years ago

    This is actually bad news.. we dont want him replaced with someone who's competant! :-)

  • Sko #14 6 years ago

    "I got [Reiser] to the edge of the Promised Land. We'll see if he goes in," he added.

    Read as: I've done all the hard work! Me! Not him! Me! And if it all goes tits up, it'll be his fault! His! Not mine! His!

  • Nillsens #15 6 years ago

    Ha! Ha! Ha!

    Ha.

  • Xerx3s #16 6 years ago

    Victory is within our grasp! On to the offense! :p

    "What, in a South Park style dance off? "

    Ssshh, before you know it, he'll be using the wookie tactic....

  • Bezzy #17 6 years ago

    "This is actually bad news.. we dont want him replaced with someone who's competant! :-) "

    Well, no matter what "side" you're on (and you really shouldn't be picking one) video game violence needs to be addressed in a level headed way. Thompson was making a circus out of it, meaning it couldn't be.

    Thompson isn't the enemy. He's just a wanker.
    Edited by 1 at 09/11/05 @ 16:27