Jury convicts video game defense killer

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Jury convicts video game defense killer

FAYETTE, Alabama (AP) -- A 20-year-old whose lawyers claimed the video game "Grand Theft Auto" and childhood abuse caused him to kill three small-town police officers was convicted Tuesday of capital murder.

The jury deliberated for just over an hour before convicting Devin Moore.

Jurors on Wednesday began deliberating Moore's sentence. He could receive the death penalty.

Defense lawyers had partly blamed Moore's actions on the hours he spent playing video games from the "Grand Theft Auto" series, in which players shoot police officers and steal cars.

While the judge barred jurors from hearing testimony linking the 2003 shootings to the game, defense lawyer Jim Standridge reminded them that Moore, after his arrest, told police "Life is a video game; everybody has to die sometime."

Moore had pleaded not guilty and not guilty by reason of mental defect.

His family and friends left court without comment, while the victims' relatives and friends gathered to hug and thank prosecutors.

Prosecutor Lyn Durham said Tuesday that Moore knew what he was doing when he grabbed a patrolman's gun and killed two officers and a radio dispatcher.

"And he knew it was wrong," she said.

Officers had taken Moore to police headquarters for booking on a stolen auto charge. Authorities said Moore, who was 18 at the time, grabbed one of the officer's guns and fatally shot all three victims in the head before fleeing in a patrol car.

The victims' families have filed a civil suit against the video game manufacturer and two stores, claiming Moore killed the three after repeatedly playing "Grand Theft Auto III" and "Grand Theft Auto: Vice City." No trial date has been set in the civil lawsuit.

A spokesman for Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc., parent company of "Grand Theft Auto" manufacturer Rockstar Games, did not immediately return calls Tuesday seeking comment.

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Re: Jury convicts video game defense killer

Is Jack Thompson their attorney?

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Re: Jury convicts video game defense killer

MooreAC/a,!a,,C/s defense is dealt a setback
Jurors will not hear video game testimony
www.tuscaloosanews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050806/NEWS/508060333&SearchID=73217543131186

By Robert DeWitt
Staff Writer
August 06. 2005 3:15AM

FAYETTE | Jurors wonAC/a,!a,,C/t get to hear testimony about video games, Fayette County Circuit Judge James Moore ruled Friday in Devin MooreAC/a,!a,,C/s capital murder trial.
Moore is charged with six counts on three capital murder charges in the fatal shootings of Fayette Police officers Arnold Strickland and James Crump and dispatcher Leslie AC/a,!A"Ace" Mealer. He is accused of grabbing StricklandAC/a,!a,,C/s pistol while he was being booked on a stolen vehicle charge and using it to shoot the three men. If convicted, he faces the death penalty or life in prison without parole.

The defense claims that Moore is suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder and that triggered the shooting. They also claim that compulsively playing the video game AC/a,!A"Grand Theft Auto" programmed him to kill.

The ruling appeared to be a major setback for the defense.

Defense Attorney Jim Standridge, during his opening argument, promised jurors they would hear the testimony and see the tape.

Standridge told Judge Moore that he planned to have psychologist Marianne Rosenzweig testify that Devin Moore was in a AC/a,!A"dissociative state" and reverted to behavior drilled into him by repetitively playing the video game AC/a,!A"Grand Theft Auto." He planned to follow that by showing the jury a video game in which the player steals a car, is arrested, kills police officers while escaping from a/spolice station and then escapes in a patrol car.

Standridge wanted the judge to consider two issues separately. First he wanted to present evidence that people in a dissociative state react to fear by going to their AC/a,!A"default setting." That default setting will be behavior they learned through repetition. In Devin MooreAC/a,!a,,C/s case, he claimed this was the video game Grand Theft Auto.

Second, he wanted to present evidence that violent video games contributed to violent behavior.

Judge Moore said the two issues were so closely entwined that they couldnAC/a,!a,,C/t be separated. Judge Moore asked Rosenzweig questions to determine if she was qualified to testify as an expert on the issue.

But Judge Moore defined the issue in very narrow terms, a situation where a person with PTSD is in a dissociative state and reverts to violent behavior because of exposure to video games.
Rosenzweig said she believes that is what happened with Moore. She said she was relying on testimony from Moore, MooreAC/a,!a,,C/s family members and other people about how often Moore played video games.

Standridge told the judge the military trains pilots using video technology. The military hopes that when pilots repetitively use a video simulator it allows them to react reflexively when they are in dangerous situations. The military uses video technology to train infantry, he said.

Judge Moore said he saw a major difference between military training and playing video games. Aircraft simulators put pilots in an environment that is an actual mockup of the aircraft they fly. But a video game uses a control box and a television screen. He said he didnAC/a,!a,,C/t see how that translated directly to firing a gun.

Under Judge MooreAC/a,!a,,C/s questioning, Rosenzweig said she knew of no psychological test she could give to predict how a person with PTSD would react in a dissociative state after exposure to video games. She said sheAC/a,!a,,C/d never had a client where this was an issue before nor had she offered an opinion on this issue in a court of law before. She said she knew of no studies or literature specifically on this issue. She also said her opinion on this issue was not the generally accepted opinion of her profession.
Standridge objected to the narrow constraints placed on expert testimony.

Moore said his ruling was final. However, he might hold another hearing with another expert witness the defense plans to present to determine if he has the background to offer expert testimony on this issue.

The day started with McCool cross-examining Rosenzweig before the jury on her testimony about her diagnosis that Moore had PTSD. On Thursday, she testified that MooreAC/a,!a,,C/s mental illness interfered with his ability to determine right from wrong and reality from fantasy.

During the shooting and the chase that followed, Moore believed that he was in a dream because he was in a dissociative state that interfered with his perception of reality, she said Friday.

AC/a,!A"He thought he was in a bad dream," Rosenzweig said. AC/a,!A"He thought he was in a nightmare that he couldnAC/a,!a,,C/t wake up from."

Rosenzweig pointed particularly to Moore telling police AC/a,!A"just shoot me" when they captured him.

AC/a,!A"When youAC/a,!a,,C/re about to be shot, thatAC/a,!a,,C/s when you wake up," Rosenzweig said. AC/a,!A"He wanted them to shoot him so that he could wake up."

McCool cited several examples of behavior that he believed indicated Moore knew what was happening and knew right from wrong: going back into the police station to get his shoe, running from the scene in a patrol car, changing his escape route when he heard on the police radio that police had spotted him, running with his hands up to keep Lamar County Deputy Larry Perkins from shooting him. To each example, Rosenzweig responded that Moore believed he was in a dream and responding accordingly.

Standridge cast his actions in a different light. Rosenzweig agreed with Standridge that Moore was acting illogically when he went back into the station for a shoe but left crucial evidence like a mug shot and fingerprint card behind. She agreed that trying to escape in a marked police car didnAC/a,!a,,C/t seem logical and neither did sitting in a field until police came to arrest him.

McCool ended by asking her about a statement Alabama Bureau of Investigation Agent Johnny Tubbs said Moore made to him. Tubbs claimed Moore said, AC/a,!A"May God have mercy on my soul."

AC/a,!A"In his dream, he was dreaming he did something wrong," Rosenzweig said.

AC/a,!A"So he appreciated the wrongfulness of his actions, he just appreciated it while he was in a dream?" McCool asked. Rosenzweig said that that was correct.

The trial will resume at 9 a.m. Monday.

Reach Robert DeWitt at robert.dewitt@tuscaloosanews.com or at (205) 722-0203 or (866) 400-8477, ext. 203

Edited by: lizwool at: 8/17/05 11:03

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Re: Jury convicts video game defense killer

OfficersAC/a,!a,,C/ relatives ready for civil suit

www.tuscaloosanews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050813/NEWS/508130341&SearchID=73217543528750

The Associated Press
August 13. 2005 3:15AM

FAYETTE | Families of two slain Fayette police employees are ready to move ahead with their civil lawsuit blaming the killings on a violent video game even though a judge barred jurors in the killerAC/a,!a,,C/s trial from hearing about it.

A lawyer handling the suit said Friday the judgeAC/a,!a,,C/s ruling in the capital murder trial of Devin Moore wonAC/a,!a,,C/t hurt his clients chances of winning their case against the makers and sellers of AC/a,!A"Grand Theft Auto," which the families claim drove Moore to kill.

Circuit Judge James Moore ruled there was insufficient evidence of a link between video games and violence, and the manufacturers of the video deny any connection. But attorney Jack Thompson said he has experts and scientific reports to prove the opposite.

AC/a,!A"What happened in the criminal case does not cut us off from what we can prove and what we have evidence on," said Thompson, representing the families of Officer Arnold Strickland and radio dispatcher Leslie AC/a,!A"Ace" Mealer. Officer James Crump also was gunned down in the station, but his family has not joined StricklandAC/a,!a,,C/s suit.

Jurors recommended death by lethal infection late Thursday for the 20-year-old Moore, who confessed to killing the three men inside the Fayette Police Department after he was arrested on a stolen auto charge in June 2003.

The judge set sentencing for Sept. 30, when he could impose the death penalty or a sentence of life without parole.

MooreAC/a,!a,,C/s lawyers blamed his actions on mental illness brought on by a childhood of abuse, and they also told jurors he was acting out a crime learned through hours of AC/a,!A"Grand Theft Auto," in which players steal cars and kill police. But the judge refused to let jurors hear evidence about the games.

Thompson said he is aware of AC/a,!A"literally hundreds of studies" on the subject of video games leading to violence and questioned why MooreAC/a,!a,,C/s attorneys didnAC/a,!a,,C/t do more to get such evidence into court.

The victimsAC/a,!a,,C/ families sued the video game manufacturer and two stores earlier this year, claiming Moore killed the three after repeatedly playing AC/a,!A"Grand Theft Auto III" and AC/a,!A"Grand Theft Auto: Vice City." The case was on hold until the criminal trial ended.

A spokesman for Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc., parent company of AC/a,!A"Grand Theft Auto" manufacturer Rockstar Games, did not return a call seeking comment, but the companies have asked a court to dismiss the suit.

The lawsuit also names Sony Computer Entertainment, the maker of the PlayStation 2, which is the video game console on which the games are played, Wal-Mart Stores and Gamestop, where Moore allegedly purchased the games. All three denied responsibility for the killings.

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Re: Jury convicts video game defense killer

The defense attorney was Jim Standridge.

The defense attorney for the civil suit is Jack Thompson.
"OfficersAC/a,!a,,C/ relatives ready for civil suit"

This is a very interesting case. This is the first time I looked into it in detail. There are several articles about it in the Tuscaloosa News, if you want to look there. I did a search on Devin Moore.

www.tuscaloosanews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/frontpage

Liz

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I meant the civil suit

Not a big surprise...

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Video games or child abuse?

What caught my attention about this case was that both sides agreed that he was in a disassociative state caused by post traumatic stress disorder. I couldn't find any mention of what trauma he was alleged to have suffered in his childhood beyond coming from a "broken home." Was there more to it than that? Being witness to, or a victim of extreme violence in childhood has been proven to vastly increase the odds that one will commit violent acts in the future. Could it be that video games are being used as a scapegoat in this case when the real monster is child abuse?

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Re: Video games or child abuse?

I wouldn't want to be on this jury... what a mess.

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Appeals could last for years for Fayette murderer - 8/16

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Appeals could last for years for Fayette murderer
By Robert DeWitt
Staff Writer
August 16. 2005 3:15AM

TUSCALOOSA | When deputies manacled Devin Moore and led him from the Fayette County Courtroom, it ended four grueling weeks of jury selection and trial. But that may be only the beginning.

A Fayette County Jury recommended the death penalty for Moore, and few people expect Circuit Judge James Moore to buck that recommendation at the Sept. 30 sentencing. Yet no one expects Devin MooreAC/a,!a,,C/s execution to come swiftly. The defendant has 42 days to appeal, and the judge will appoint a lawyer to handle the appeal. Appeals could go on for years on a variety of grounds.

On Cable News Network Monday, Defense Attorney Jim Standridge said he felt Judge Moore erred in disallowing testimony about video games. Meanwhile, a Miami attorney representing victimAC/a,!a,,C/s family members in a lawsuit against video game manufacturers criticized Standridge for not producing expert witnesses who could testify about the effects of video games.

AC/a,!A"Jim, bless his heart, is just not up to speed," said attorney Jack Thompson. AC/a,!A"There is linkage, and there is hard science to prove it."
Standridge said he is aware of research.

AC/a,!A"Thompson is right; thereAC/a,!a,,C/s all kinds of stuff out there," Standridge said. AC/a,!A"ItAC/a,!a,,C/s just not generally accepted."
That, he said, is the standard he must meet in a criminal trial.

Standridge said he never tried to prove that video games caused Moore to gun down Fayette police officers Arnold Strickland and James Crump and dispatcher Ace Mealer on June 7, 2003.

AC/a,!A"We were never attempting to prove that video games in and of themselves cause aggression or violence and certainly not this offense," Standridge said. AC/a,!A"We were trying to prove that Devin Moore had PTSD [post-traumatic stress disorder] and at times, he goes into a dissociative state. When he is a dissociative state, he will default to the scripts, which he has in him."
Standridge wanted jurors to hear that people in a hyper-fearful state revert back to behavior that theyAC/a,!a,,C/ve repeated over and over again. In MooreAC/a,!a,,C/s case, the repetitive behavior was playing the video game AC/a,!A"Grand Theft Auto, Sin City" edition.

Jennings Bryant, former director of the Institute for Communications Research at the University of Alabama, took part in a three-year study on video games and how they produce an altered cognitive state. He co-authored a book AC/a,!A"Playing Video Games: Motives Responses and Consequences." He says his research confirms StandridgeAC/a,!a,,C/s premise.

AC/a,!A"ThatAC/a,!a,,C/s exactly what the dominant behavior will be," Bryant said.

Bryant agreed with Thompson that large amounts of research affirm that playing violent video games and viewing violent media leads to increased aggression and violence.

AC/a,!A"There is a small but significant correlation between playing video games and aggression," Bryant said. AC/a,!A"ItAC/a,!a,,C/s not a massive effect, and itAC/a,!a,,C/s not one that you can count on happening every time. But itAC/a,!a,,C/s one that happens from time to time."

Studies sponsored by reputable social and medical science organizations, including the American Medical Association, support the link, Bryant said.

However, Judge Moore framed the issue narrowly. He said testimony must relate specifically to people with PTSD in a dissociative state reverting to scripted behavior. Within that narrow definition, Bryant agreed that there is no conclusive research.

AC/a,!A"The judge was absolutely correct in framing the issue as he did," said District Attorney Chris McCool. AC/a,!A"You have to tailor it to the facts in the case."

The facts in this case relate specifically to people with PTSD in a dissociative state, McCool said.

Bryant is a social scientist, not a psychologist or psychiatrist. He can testify to effects on larger populations, but he canAC/a,!a,,C/t testify to effects on any one individual. In essence, Bryant agreed that he could not testify with certainty that video games had any specific effect on Moore. He could testify that the behavior was possible or even likely in people in MooreAC/a,!a,,C/s situation.

AC/a,!A"You still canAC/a,!a,,C/t say that the game was the sole factor." Bryant said. AC/a,!A"You can say that one of the things that could have caused this young man to lose control could have been playing video games."

People become so engrossed in the video games that they become the character that theyAC/a,!a,,C/re controlling. It affects both their moral and social judgment, he said.

Bryant compared the altered state to athletes who turn in performances that appear well beyond the capabilities of their normal talents. A basketball player on a hot shooting streak might say he became completely unaware of the crowd and the basket looked 6 feet wide, Bryant said.

Standridge added that people reverting to repetitive, learned behavior is well documented. ThatAC/a,!a,,C/s why pilots train in video simulators.
AC/a,!A"ThatAC/a,!a,,C/s what itAC/a,!a,,C/s all about," Standridge said. AC/a,!A"When people become hyper-fearful, they can default to those scripts and rise above them."

McCool said he doesnAC/a,!a,,C/t think jurors would have believed the video game evidence.

AC/a,!A"It didnAC/a,!a,,C/t concern me in that I was worried about the jury buying it," McCool said. AC/a,!A"I thought they could see through it."

Even if the defense had shown that video games affected Moore, he doesnAC/a,!a,,C/t believe it would have mattered.

AC/a,!A"All it would have done was teach a killer to kill better," McCool said. AC/a,!A"We could have handled it if it had come in."

Standridge didnAC/a,!a,,C/t believe referring to the video game evidence in his opening statement was a mistake. He was unable to present it, and McCool used it against him in his closing argument.

Thompson admitted that his task in the civil case is different from StandridgeAC/a,!a,,C/s.

AC/a,!A"We donAC/a,!a,,C/t have to show in our case that these games affect someone with PTSD," Thompson said. AC/a,!A"All we have to do is show an across-the-board effect of increased violence and the fact that Moore was one of them.

Attorneys for Take 2 Interactive, the makers of AC/a,!A"Grand Theft Auto Sin City" edition, could not be reached for comment.

The video game testimony isnAC/a,!a,,C/t the only avenue for appeal. Every defense objection that the judge overruled, every bench conference that didnAC/a,!a,,C/t go the defenseAC/a,!a,,C/s way could become grounds for appeal, Standridge said. There could literally be hundreds of points that could be scrutinized on appeal, he said.

Change of venue is among the stronger arguments for appeal, Standridge said. He filed for change of venue, and Judge Moore moved the trial to Lauderdale County, an area out of the Birmingham media market with a similar racial makeup to Fayette County. The defense stipulated that the judge take those two points into consideration.

However, Judge Moore later realized that Lamar County fit those criteria, and since it is in his circuit, he moved the case there. Seeing little difference between Lamar and Fayette counties, the defense withdrew its change of venue motion. But Standridge preferred to try the case in Lauderdale County.

Despite what he considers an error on the judgeAC/a,!a,,C/s part, Standridge praised the judge and said he treated the defense very fairly. Standridge said the jury was attentive and probably did its best to be fair considering the crimeAC/a,!a,,C/s impact on the community.

The jury in the case was all white. Moore is black. In the AC/a,!A"Batson" case, the Supreme Court ruled that prosecutors couldnAC/a,!a,,C/t strike minority jurors because of their race. Prosecutors use AC/a,!A"race-neutral" reasons to striking. Standridge wanted black jurors.

AC/a,!A"We, of course, wanted people who could relate to Devin and his background and problems," he said.

Prosecutors had race-neutral reasons for striking all 16 blacks in the jury pool. Yet the specter of an all-white jury trying a black man will almost certainly be raised as an issue to consider on appeal.

Another possible avenue for appeal would be the testimony of technicians who observed the victimsAC/a,!a,,C/ autopsies. Their qualifications to testify could be questioned. The Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences pathologist who performed the autopsy took medical retirement because he suffers from depression, his supervisor John McDuffie testified.

During the trial, Moore showed almost no emotion. He sat at the defense table and didnAC/a,!a,,C/t make eye contact with anyone. Moore was following his attorneysAC/a,!a,,C/ instructions.

AC/a,!A"We were very cautious to try to insulate him throughout the trial," Standridge said. AC/a,!A"YouAC/a,!a,,C/ve got to remember that weAC/a,!a,,C/re dealing with someone with a serious mental illness."

Standridge said Moore has marks on his body from the beatings witnesses said MooreAC/a,!a,,C/s father gave Moore. But he said the marks are old and not horrible looking. ThatAC/a,!a,,C/s why he didnAC/a,!a,,C/t show jurors photos of MooreAC/a,!a,,C/s injuries.

Standridge said he believed in his case, but he did not delude himself about MooreAC/a,!a,,C/s chances.

AC/a,!A"Any reasonable person would understand that itAC/a,!a,,C/s an uphill struggle," he said.

When the judge read the juryAC/a,!a,,C/s recommendation for death, Moore showed little emotion. But Standridge patted him comfortingly on his back. At that point, he has little left that he can tell his client.

AC/a,!A"That we did all that we could do," Standridge said. AC/a,!A"If you can say that and mean it, then you can live with yourself."

Reach Robert DeWitt at robert.dewitt@tuscaloosanews.com or at (205) 722-0203 or (866) 400-8477, ext. 203.

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Witnesses recount childhood abuse

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The Devin Moore Trial
Witnesses recount childhood abuse

By Robert DeWitt
Staff Writer
August 04. 2005 3:15AM

FAYETTE | After playing tapes of radio traffic the morning two Fayette police officers and a dispatcher were killed in June 2003, prosecutors rested their case against Devin Moore on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, MooreAC/a,!a,,C/s attorneys began his defense with testimony from MooreAC/a,!a,,C/s brother and sister-in-law about what they described as MooreAC/a,!a,,C/s harsh upbringing.

Moore is charged with six counts on three capital murder charges in the fatal shootings of Fayette police officers Arnold Strickland and James Crump and dispatcher Leslie AC/a,!A"Ace" Mealer. He is accused of grabbing StricklandAC/a,!a,,C/s pistol while he was being booked on a stolen vehicle charge and using it to shoot the three men. If convicted, he faces the death penalty or life in prison without parole.

Judge James Moore denied motions by defense attorney Jim Standridge to dismiss the charges against Devin Moore. Standridge claimed prosecutors failed to prove the cause of death and said that MooreAC/a,!a,,C/s taking of StricklandAC/a,!a,,C/s pistol was an AC/a,!A"afterthought" and shouldnAC/a,!a,,C/t be considered a robbery. Committing a murder while in the process of a robbery is one of the capital charges against Moore.

Defense attorneys began laying the groundwork for claims that Moore is suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, which triggered the shooting. They also claim that compulsively playing the video game AC/a,!A"Grand Theft Auto" programmed him to kill.

But first the jury heard the radio chatter leading up to and immediately after the shooting. It also heard Devin Moore calmly call his mother and tell her he was in jail.

Included in the message was a playful exchange between Strickland and Fayette County Deputy Sheriff Chuck Tidwell. Strickland had just arrested Moore for driving a stolen vehicle, and Tidwell was looking for another stolen vehicle that night.

AC/a,!A"Hey Chuckie."

AC/a,!A"Hey Arnold."

AC/a,!A"I found my 10-40 (stolen vehicle). You found yours?"

AC/a,!A"ThatAC/a,!a,,C/s a negative. MineAC/a,!a,,C/s moving. ItAC/a,!a,,C/s not sitting still like yours."

AC/a,!A"Ah, he was resting," said Strickland, who found Moore sleeping in the vehicle.

AC/a,!A"Maybe mine will be," Tidwell said.

AC/a,!A"Ah, no, youAC/a,!a,,C/ll have to chase that one," Strickland joked.

It would not be long before Tidwell would go to the Fayette police station, discover the bodies and make a horrified call to his dispatcher.

AC/a,!A"Officers down. Officers down," Tidwell said, his voice cracking.

AC/a,!A"The ambulance is supposed to be en route," Dispatcher Jerry Porter told Tidwell.

AC/a,!A"Ten-Four," he said. AC/a,!A"ItAC/a,!a,,C/s bad. We have people down."

Earlier in the recording, Moore called his mother to tell her heAC/a,!a,,C/d been taken into custody. He told her heAC/a,!a,,C/d been charged with receiving stolen property after buying a car from a AC/a,!A"crackhead."

AC/a,!A"I offered him some money and he gave me the car," Moore told his mother.

AC/a,!A"Devin, I canAC/a,!a,,C/t -- I just canAC/a,!a,,C/t believe you, boy," his mother responded.

She hung up on him abruptly after asking him if heAC/a,!a,,C/d called his father.

Treasa Blake, county 911 director and MealerAC/a,!a,,C/s boss, testified that sheAC/a,!a,,C/d made the copy of the recording and gave times of radio broadcasts and telephone calls. She sobbed quietly at points during her testimony.

MooreAC/a,!a,,C/s half brother, Adam Moore, testified that their father, Kenneth Moore, would make the boys strip naked and then would beat them with a belt if they disobeyed him or did something that angered him. Adam Moore said that once while Kenneth Moore was beating Devin Moore, he hit the boyAC/a,!a,,C/s testicles with a belt. The blow was severe enough that his testicles swelled and Devin Moore had difficulty urinating, Adam Moore said.

Both he and Aunt Sadie Wicker testified to seeing whelps on Devin MooreAC/a,!a,,C/s back at a family reunion after the boy took a severe beating. She cried as she testified how the boy cried out when his great grandmother hugged him. The incident created problems between Kenneth Moore and other family members.

AC/a,!A"It was like 'The Passion of Christ,AC/a,!a,,C/ " Adam Moore said. AC/a,!A"He had whelps all over him."

Adam Moore said his father, who was hospitalized in Bryce Hospital at one time, flew into a rage when beating the boys. He said Kenneth Moore beat them anywhere from four to seven times a week. Other punishment included making the boys do 1,000 pushups, he said. HeAC/a,!a,,C/d also make Adam Moore and another brother, Michael AC/a,!A"Mookie" Moore, beat Devin Moore, Adam Moore said. Michael Moore played football for the University of Alabama and Troy State University and is now a professional football player.

Adam Moore said Kenneth Moore would berate the boys while he beat them, and he constantly called Devin Moore AC/a,!A"crazy." He also said AC/a,!A"terrible things" about Devin MooreAC/a,!a,,C/s mother. Devin MooreAC/a,!a,,C/s mother was a 15-year-old baby sitter for the Moore family when she and Kenneth Moore conceived Devin Moore while Kenneth Moore was still married to Adam MooreAC/a,!a,,C/s mother.

AC/a,!A"There was no love," Adam Moore said. AC/a,!A"He would treat us like a worker."

Adam Moore said Kenneth Moore forced Devin Moore to do heavy manual labor as a small child. Their father ran a janitorial business, and Adam Moore said he would keep them up all night cleaning businesses. At home, they had constant chores, he said. Adam Moore said his father was obsessed with work."

AC/a,!A"We were working like grown men, 16- and 17-hour shifts," Adam Moore said. AC/a,!A"We were happy when school was in so we could get a break."

Adam Moore described how the boys hated their father. He described how he and Devin Moore saw their father beating AdamAC/a,!a,,C/s mother and cutting off her hair while she was naked. He said Kenneth Moore stuck a double-barrel shotgun in her mouth and made her sit in a tub of Clorox.

AC/a,!A"WeAC/a,!a,,C/d wish he was dead," Adam Moore said. AC/a,!A"WeAC/a,!a,,C/d wish that heAC/a,!a,,C/d die in a car wreck."

Adam Moore said he and Devin Moore would pray that they wouldnAC/a,!a,,C/t get a AC/a,!A"whuppin."

Kenneth Moore would give the boys AC/a,!A"surprise" beatings, waking them up from sleep for their punishment, Adam Moore said. He described how waking Devin Moore up became a family prank. They said when startled from sleep, he would immediately start acting as if he were doing some kind of work, such as scraping a floor or making a bed.

Adam Moore is now being held in the Walker County Jail awaiting transport to a federal prison on a firearms charge. He was found in possession of a firearm after being convicted on a drug charge.

On cross-examination, District Attorney Chris McCool noted that while Adam Moore had the same upbringing and had been arrested and booked, he never shot a police officer. Standridge countered that Adam Moore hadnAC/a,!a,,C/t been exposed to the abuse as early as Devin Moore and hadnAC/a,!a,,C/t reacted in the same way as Devin Moore.

Both Adam Moore and his wife, Megan Moore, testified that Devin Moore would AC/a,!A"zone out" or retreat into AC/a,!A"his own little world." Megan Moore said people could talk for extended periods to Devin Moore and that Devin Moore would remember none of it. Both also testified that Devin Moore spent long periods of time playing video games.

Megan Moore testified to witnessing a beating Kenneth Moore gave Devin Moore. She said she was frightened by Kenneth Moore and didnAC/a,!a,,C/t want to be around him.

Thursday will begin with hearings out of the juryAC/a,!a,,C/s presence. Attorneys will argue about the admissibility of some records and the testimony of a psychologist serving as a defense expert witness.

Reach Robert DeWitt at robert.dewitt@tuscaloosanews.com or at (205) 722-0203 or (866) 400-8477, ext. 203

Liz Woolley

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Lawsuit Against Video Game Makers Continuing In Fayette

www.tuscaloosanews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051103/NEWS/511030347&SearchID=73228330184260
Article published Nov 3, 2005
Attorney is subject in 'video gameAC/a,!a,,C/ case
By Robert DeWitt
Staff Writer

Judge James Moore will take up two issues related to the AC/a,!A"video game lawsuit" in Fayette County Circuit Court today.

Family members of two Fayette Police officers and a dispatcher murdered in June 2003 by Devin Moore are suing video game makers. During his criminal trial in August, MooreAC/a,!a,,C/s attorneys tried to claim that his obsessive playing of the video game AC/a,!A"Grand Theft Auto" influenced his actions.

The plaintiffs claim that video game manufacturers and distributors share responsibility in the wrongful death of the three men with Moore.

Judge Moore will consider whether he should revoke defense attorney Jack ThompsonAC/a,!a,,C/s right to practice law in Alabama.

The defense has asked him to dismiss the case.

Moore allowed Thompson to represent the plaintiffs in this specific case even though he is not a member of the Alabama Bar Association. The defendants have asked Judge Moore to revoke that privilege. They say Thompson has generated so much pre-trial publicity that the defendants canAC/a,!a,,C/t get a fair trial.

They also charge Thompson has a history of disciplinary actions with the Florida Bar Association and that he has acted unethically according to the Alabama Bar AssociationAC/a,!a,,C/s rules of professional ethics.

Thompson said he has one reprimand from the Florida Bar but has always been in good standing with the organization.

AC/a,!A"TheyAC/a,!a,,C/re going to extreme lengths to get an incompetent, unethical mentally ill attorney out of the case," Thompson chuckled.

The defense is also asking the judge to dismiss the case. Defense attorneys claim that the first amendment protects the defendantsAC/a,!a,,C/ right to distribute mature-rated video games to minors. They say there are no legal ties between the video games and Devin MooreAC/a,!a,,C/s actions. And they say MooreAC/a,!a,,C/s actions werenAC/a,!a,,C/t a foreseeable consequence of producing and distributing the video games.
Thompson counters with information from the American Psychiatric Association linking video games and violent behavior.

www.tuscaloosanews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051104/WVUA01/51103008&SearchID=73228329316102

Article published Nov 4, 2005
Lawsuit Against Video Game Makers Continuing In Fayette
In Fayette County, attorneys for the families of three fallen officers were back in court Thursday over a lawsuit against the makers of the video games AC/a,!A"Grand Theft Auto IIIAC/a,!A and AC/a,!A"Grand Theft Auto-Vice City.AC/a,!A

The relatives of the murdered officers contend that the video games may have contributed to the deaths of their loved ones.

Attorneys representing the video game industry had two goals in court Thursday.

First, they wanted the entire case dismissed; second, they wanted Attorney Jack Thompson removed from the case.

Jack Thompson and the plaintiffs argued there is a direct correlation between the violent and sexual material in the video game and the lethal actions of convicted cop killer Devin Moore.

The defendants say the video game is protected under the 1st Amendment.

In the other motion, the defendants say Attorney Jack Thompson has not followed the rules. They say, quote, "He will turn this courtroom into a circus."

Jack Thompson says Rockstar Entertainment and Take Two Interactive have made slanderous comments about him on their website.

After listening to the arguments, the judge is considering the motions prior to making a ruling.

www.tuscaloosanews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051104/NEWS/511040354&SearchID=73228329921860

Article published Nov 4, 2005
Lawyer pushes to have standing in video game lawsuit
By Robert DeWitt
Staff Writer

FAYETTE | Lawyers traded shots Thursday in the Fayette County courtroom over issues that could have a significant impact on the future of the so-called video game lawsuit.

Fayette County Circuit Judge James Moore will determine whether Jack Thompson of Miami should be allowed to represent the plaintiffs and whether the trial should even proceed. He took under advisement motions to dismiss the case and a motion to revoke the privilege Moore granted Thompson to practice law in Alabama during this case.

The family members of two police officers and a dispatcher murdered by Devin Moore in June 2003 are suing the companies that produced and sold the video game AC/a,!A"Grand Theft Auto." PlaintiffAC/a,!a,,C/s lawyers say the game trained Moore to kill.

AC/a,!A"These 'Grand Theft AutoAC/a,!a,,C/ games are unique," Thompson argued. AC/a,!A"They are murder simulators. The only thought they convey is how to murder people and how to enjoy killing."

But whether Thompson will get to make his argument before a jury is up to Moore. Jim Smith of the law firm Blank Rome argued that Thompson has violated legal ethics by sending out scores of press releases making accusations against Blank Rome.

AC/a,!A"He canAC/a,!a,,C/t proceed with the civility the rules require," Smith said. AC/a,!A"All lawyers have to conduct themselves with honesty, integrity and civility. This isnAC/a,!a,,C/t a street fight."

Smith said Thompson attacked and threatened him and co-counsel Rebecca Ward in press releases and accused his law firm of influence peddling and conspiracy. He also said Thompson was trying to AC/a,!A"poison" the community by leaking evidence that wouldnAC/a,!a,,C/t be admissible in court to the press.

AC/a,!A"HeAC/a,!a,,C/s going to turn the courtroom into a circus and we canAC/a,!a,,C/t have it," Smith said.

Thompson countered that Blank Rome always attacks its adversaries and claimed it had a role in the Swift Boat Veterans accusations against John Kerry. He said they were conducting a smear campaign against him.

AC/a,!A"I didnAC/a,!a,,C/t start this food fight," Thompson said. AC/a,!A"They started it and I have a right to respond because, believe it or not, I have a life outside of this case."

He said the firmAC/a,!a,,C/s clients have accused him of being a AC/a,!A"bi-sexual and a pedophile."

But Judge Moore questioned some of the statements documented in press releases.

AC/a,!A"IAC/a,!a,,C/m not pretending IAC/a,!a,,C/m not a nice guy," Thompson told the judge. AC/a,!A"IAC/a,!a,,C/m not pretending I donAC/a,!a,,C/t have a temper."

Judge Moore placed a gag order on lawyers involved in the lawsuit until MooreAC/a,!a,,C/s criminal trial was complete. He lifted the gag order after the trial and Thompson has issued a steady stream of press releases and letters since. Moore pointed to a thick bound volume of press releases and letters that Smith presented as evidence.

AC/a,!A"Why did you do this?" Moore asked Thompson.

AC/a,!A"You said after the criminal trial to 'have at it.AC/a,!a,,C/" Thompson responded.

AC/a,!A"Your 'have at itAC/a,!a,,C/ and my 'have at itAC/a,!a,,C/ are not the same," Moore said pointing to the stack of papers.

In the defense motion to dismiss the case, co-counsel Ward argued that video games deserve first-amendment protection like books and movies. She claimed the manufacturers did not do business in the state but sold to distributors. She said the plaintiffs did not prove that the defendants intended to incite Moore to violent acts.

Defense attorney Robert Baugh argued that MooreAC/a,!a,,C/s actions were unforeseeable. He added that the criminal verdict against Moore left him solely responsible for his actions.

AC/a,!A"This is now an attempt to say that verdict was wrong," he said.

Baugh argued that the video game isnAC/a,!a,,C/t subject to product liability laws because it isnAC/a,!a,,C/t a true product; it is more intangible. He added that retailers couldnAC/a,!a,,C/t be held responsible for products shipped in a manufacturers package and sold in a manufacturerAC/a,!a,,C/s package.

Thompson countered that the first amendment doesnAC/a,!a,,C/t protect the video game makers from the consequences of their actions. The plaintiffs are addressing only the Grand Theft Auto game, not all video games, he said.

He argued that MooreAC/a,!a,,C/s actions were foreseeable. He said the killing sprees teenagers went on in Paducah, Ky. and at Columbine High School in Colorado showed the impact violent video games can have on teenagers.

Grand Theft Auto features a scene where the character has sex with a prostitute and then kills her to get his money back. Studies show that scenario can have an adverse affect on teenagers, Thompson said.

AC/a,!A"When you relate sexual content with violent behavior it reinforces both behaviors," Thompson said.

He said the manufacturers did intend to incite MooreAC/a,!a,,C/s behavior because they created a AC/a,!A"murder simulator."

He said MooreAC/a,!a,,C/s criminal conviction doesnAC/a,!a,,C/t negate the manufacturers liability.

AC/a,!A"They equipped this man to kill," Thompson said. AC/a,!A"They trained him."

PlaintiffAC/a,!a,,C/s attorney Patrick Gray argued that video games are products because thereAC/a,!a,,C/s a chain of distribution. Retailers can be held liable for distributing AC/a,!A"Mature" rated video games to minors because the labeling is on the outside of the package and many stores have policies against it. The manufacturers are doing business in Alabama because they knowingly distribute their products to Alabama retailers, he said.

Judge Moore asked each side to draft a proposed order on how he should rule in the motion to dismiss. He said he would make a decision on both motions later.

www.tuscaloosanews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051108/NEWS/511080361&SearchID=73228329316102

Article published Nov 8, 2005
Attorney in Fayette case bows out
By Robert DeWitt
Staff Writer

Jack Thompson, the colorful Miami attorney who has become synonymous with lawsuits against video game companies, withdrew as the attorney for the plaintiffs in FayetteAC/a,!a,,C/s video game trial.

Thompson represented families of two Fayette Police officers and a dispatcher Devin Moore murdered in June 2003 at the Fayette Police Station. MooreAC/a,!a,,C/s attorneys in his criminal case claim that he was influenced by compulsively playing the video game AC/a,!A"Grand Theft Auto." When he was captured, Moore reportedly said, AC/a,!A"Life is like a video game; youAC/a,!a,,C/ve got to die sometime."

ThompsonAC/a,!a,,C/s withdrawal comes after a hearing on a motion from the defense attorneys, who represent video game manufacturers and distributors, to revoke ThompsonAC/a,!a,,C/s privilege to practice law in Alabama during the case. Judge James Moore granted Thompson, pro hac vice, the legal term for the temporary privilege, when the suit was filed.

Defense Attorney Jim Smith claimed that Thompson bombarded him, his co-counsel Rebecca Ward and his law firm, Blank Rome, with threatening and harassing e-mails and letters. He also accused Thompson of violating legal ethics, misrepresenting an alleged past history of disciplinary problems and attempting to poison the jury pool with frequent press releases and appearances in the news media.

After listening to testimony in the hearing, Judge Moore said he would take the motion under advisement. But he clearly appeared displeased with some of ThompsonAC/a,!a,,C/s press releases and communications.

AC/a,!A"The main thing was, I didnAC/a,!a,,C/t want him to have my personality and my presence in the case in any way effect the survivability and the merits of the case," Thompson said, explaining his withdrawal. AC/a,!A"My job is to serve my clients and not for them, in some way, to serve me."

Since defense attorneys filed the motion, Thompson has claimed they were AC/a,!A"coming after" him. He said Blank RomeAC/a,!a,,C/s strategy has always been to attack its opponents.

AC/a,!A"ItAC/a,!a,,C/s a shoot-the-messenger strategy," Thompson said. AC/a,!A"The strategy from day one has been to shoot the messenger and not deal with the companies and what they did. IAC/a,!a,,C/d do the same thing, because what they do is indefensible."

Defense attorney Robert Baugh, of the law firm Sirote and Permutt, declined to comment.

Attorneys Ray Reiser and Patrick Gray will continue to serve as plaintiffAC/a,!a,,C/s attorneys

Moore also took under advisement Thursday a motion by defense attorneys to dismiss the case. He has yet to rule.

www.tuscaloosanews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051119/NEWS/511190331&SearchID=73228330297897

Article published Nov 19, 2005
Judge denies attorneyAC/a,!a,,C/s request to withdraw from Devin Moore case
By Robert DeWitt
Staff Writer

Two weeks ago Jack Thompson decided to exit the Fayette County Courthouse. Thursday, Circuit Judge James Moore showed him the door.

AC/a,!A"Mr. ThompsonAC/a,!a,,C/s actions before this court suggest that he is unable to conduct himself in a manner befitting practice in this state," Moore wrote in an order filed Thursday.

AC/a,!A"This is 'My Cousin Vinny,AC/a,!a,,C/ only with a malevolent twist," Thompson said, referring to a comic movie about a New York lawyer who tries a case in a small Alabama town.

Until two weeks ago, Thompson represented the families of the two Fayette Police officers and the dispatcher murdered by Devin Moore. He filed a civil suit on their behalf against video game companies. After his capture, Devin Moore is reported to have said, AC/a,!A"Life is like a video game. You have to die sometime." Devin MooreAC/a,!a,,C/s attorneys tried to use his compulsive playing of the video game Grand Theft Auto as a defense in his case.

After the criminal trial ended, Thompson sent out a daily barrage of e-mails lambasting video game companies and making a variety of accusations against the law firm Blank Rome, which represented some of the defendants in the civil case.

Two weeks ago, he sent Judge Moore notice that he was withdrawing from the case. The move came after a hearing in which defense attorneys asked the judge to revoke ThompsonAC/a,!a,,C/s right to practice law in Alabama. Thompson said he withdrew in order not to prejudice the judge against his clients.

But in his order Thursday, Judge Moore said Thompson couldnAC/a,!a,,C/t simply withdraw from the case under Alabama law. He denied ThompsonAC/a,!a,,C/s AC/a,!A"motion" to withdraw and then granted the defense attorneyAC/a,!a,,C/s request to revoke AC/a,!A"pro hac vice," the legal term for the temporary privilege to practice law in the state.

Moore ordered the circuit clerk to notify the state bar association that the privilege had been revoked. Further he ordered Thompson to attach his order to any further applications for pro hac vice in Alabama. And he said that Thompson would be held in contempt of court if he attempted to communicate with the court or the judge.

AC/a,!A"This was a spiteful judicial act to ultimately reward guerilla tactics by a law firm that has a very long history of doing to others what they did to me," Thompson said referring to Blank Rome. AC/a,!A"I withdrew because I knew what was coming. He wasnAC/a,!a,,C/t satisfied with that. He had to stick it in and twist it.

AC/a,!A"I guess whatAC/a,!a,,C/s coming next is an order to stop me at the Alabama border."

Judge Moore said that Alabama law prohibits him from commenting on AC/a,!A"pending litigation."

Thompson pointed to the criminal trial as the root of the problem.

AC/a,!A"The problem here is that the judge wants to, improperly or otherwise, prevent anything that will undermine his criminal conviction of Devin Moore," Thompson said. AC/a,!A"I think heAC/a,!a,,C/ll do anything to protect that conviction. I think he believes, wrongly in my opinion, that any progress we make will undermine his criminal conviction."
Thompson said he plans to file a complaint with the Alabama Judicial Inquiry Commission against Judge Moore.

AC/a,!A"I think the judge should clearly be disqualified from the civil case," Thompson said. AC/a,!A"I think heAC/a,!a,,C/s using his power in the civil case to protect the criminal result."The longest portion of MooreAC/a,!a,,C/s order dealt with allegations that Thompson had violated rules of professional conduct. The rules require lawyers AC/a,!A"to conduct themselves in accordance with the highest standards of honesty, integrity and civility," Judge Moore writes.

AC/a,!A"Mr. Thompson felt compelled to smear opposing counsel, other attorneys with no involvement in this case and individuals," Judge Moore writes. Later he adds, AC/a,!A"Mr. ThompsonAC/a,!a,,C/s conduct towards opposing counsel has demonstrated a repeated inability to conduct himself with the required professional courtesy and civility."

Judge Moore went on to cite numerous examples of what he considered ThompsonAC/a,!a,,C/s breach of the rules.

Defense attorneys claimed Thompson didnAC/a,!a,,C/t disclose to Judge Moore his complete disciplinary history with the Florida Bar Association. Judge Moore agreed.

AC/a,!A"Mr. Thompson failed to completely disclose the extensive background of those proceedings in his application for pro hac vice," Judge Moore writes.

Judge Moore found that AC/a,!A"extrajudicial" statements by Thompson violated the Rules of Professional Conduct. And he said that Thompson violated a gag order he imposed during DevinAC/a,!a,,C/s MooreAC/a,!a,,C/s criminal trial.

Judge Moore said Thompson has the right to appeal his decision.

www.tuscaloosanews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051122/NEWS/511220348&SearchID=73228330424551

Article published Nov 22, 2005
Judge stands by Fayette decision
By Robert DeWitt
Staff Writer

Circuit Judge James Moore called Miami attorney Jack ThompsonAC/a,!a,,C/s behavior AC/a,!A"bizarre and childish" in an order issued Monday in which the judge refused to back down from an earlier order revoking ThompsonAC/a,!a,,C/s privilege to practice law in FayetteAC/a,!a,,C/s video game lawsuit.

AC/a,!A"Mr. Thompson, by his continuing pattern of misconduct and his refusal or inability to conduct himself, both personally and professionally, with the highest standards of honesty, integrity and civility, has himself revoked his admission pro hac vice," Moore wrote, referring to the legal term for the temporary privilege to practice law in the state. Moore said his order would be his only comments on the subject.

The order comes after Thompson filed a motion Monday in Fayette County Circuit Court asking the judge to nullify his Nov. 17 order revoking ThompsonAC/a,!a,,C/s privilege to practice in the case. Thompson also wrote to the Judicial Inquiry Commission making accusations against the judge and against a Fayette attorney whom he said had improper influence over Judge Moore.

Thompson represented the families of the two Fayette Police officers and the dispatcher murdered by Devin Moore in June 2003. He filed a civil suit on their behalf against the maker of the video game Grand Theft Auto and the companies that sold it, claiming the game influenced Devin Moore to commit the crimes.

After a hearing on Nov. 3, Thompson sent Judge Moore notice that he was withdrawing from the case. The move came after defense attorneys asked the judge to revoke ThompsonAC/a,!a,,C/s right to practice law in Alabama. Thompson said he withdrew in order not to prejudice the judge against his clients.

Judge Moore said Thompson could not withdraw, and then granted the defenseAC/a,!a,,C/s request to kick him off of the case. ThompsonAC/a,!a,,C/s attempt to withdraw was, AC/a,!A"an obvious and transparent effort to avoid the courtAC/a,!a,,C/s discretion to revoke his admission pro hac vice," Moore wrote in his order Monday.

In his motion to vacate the judgeAC/a,!a,,C/s Nov. 17 order, Thompson said that a local lawyer offered to AC/a,!A"fix" the case if he were hired as co-counsel.

AC/a,!A"He said, 'You will not survive a motion to dismiss if I am not part of your team. I got this judge his job,AC/a,!a,,C/ " Thompson claimed in his motion. AC/a,!A"This lawyer ought not to just be up on ethics charges. He ought to be up on criminal charges."

In a separate court filing Monday, Thompson referred to former Circuit Judge Clatus Junkin, who is now a Fayette attorney.

AC/a,!A"If heAC/a,!a,,C/s talking about me, IAC/a,!a,,C/m not that dumb," Junkin said, referring to the AC/a,!A"fixer" allegations. AC/a,!A"It questions the integrity not of me so much as the judge. IAC/a,!a,,C/m not foolish enough to imply that I could [influence Judge Moore]."

ThompsonAC/a,!a,,C/s letter to the inquiry commission, among other things, claims that the attorney can influence Judge Moore.

AC/a,!A"This lawyer himself claims openly that 'Judge Moore will not allow you to survive summary judgment if I am not on the case,AC/a,!a,,C/ " Thompson wrote to the commission.

In the separate filing, AC/a,!A"Request for the CourtAC/a,!a,,C/s Assistance," Thompson asks for the courtAC/a,!a,,C/s assistance in finding a local attorney. He said he had asked Devin MooreAC/a,!a,,C/s defense attorney, Jim Standridge, for a recommendation and asked around town and AC/a,!A"the name that keeps popping up is Clatus Junkin."

Standridge said that he had recommended Junkin and several others to Thompson as a local attorney to work with on the case.

Junkin said he had one five-minute conversation with Thompson to reconcile differences between Thompson and attorneys who at the time represented the family of one of the police officers. He said he talked to Thompson about working with the plaintiffs but would not agree to some of ThompsonAC/a,!a,,C/s conditions, such as giving Thompson complete control of any contact with the news media.

In his Monday order, Judge Moore noted that he had banned comments on the case outside the courtroom. However, he cited seven different communications from Thompson between the Nov. 3 hearing and the judgeAC/a,!a,,C/s order Nov. 17.

AC/a,!A"Most of these communications contained long and angry speeches by Mr. Thompson that can only be described by the court as bizarre and childish," Moore said. He added later, AC/a,!A"If Mr. Thompson continues to inundate the court with prohibited and irrelevant communications, this court shall use its contempt power for relief."

Judge Moore called the barrage of e-mails and faxes AC/a,!A"irrelevant, unneeded, unsolicited and disruptive to this office."

Edited by: lizwool at: 12/3/05 9:12

Liz Woolley

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Re: Lawsuit Against Video Game Makers Continuing In Fayette

Fortunately, I don't have to risk being accused of libel for stating what I really think of Jack Thompson - Countless stories speak for themselves.
This is what happens when you are so righteous that it goes to your head and unfortunately, his actions and behaviors are having a negative result.

His wouldn't be the first crusade to backfire.

Ron

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Re: Lawsuit Against Video Game Makers Continuing In Fayette

Ron,
You need to read Jack's book.

If you read what the gaming company is really trying to do here - they are attempting to wiggle their way out of this case, by turning the focus on Jack. It is strategy on their part. After reading all of the articles, I can see what they are doing, that is why I posted all of them.

This is the gaming companies defense - Quote:The defense is also asking the judge to dismiss the case. Defense attorneys claim that the first amendment protects the defendantsAC/a,!a,,C/ right to distribute mature-rated video games to minors. I absolutely find this appalling!

What I am seeing is that everything from the evil side of life is being done in these video games, because there have been no laws passed against them, yet. They have free reign. As always, there are video games created to educate and for fun, but there are a whole lot more created to get people addicted to them, and many of them contain things that are illegal in real life. You can't tell me that people living through those video games with the violence, murders, illegal sex, drug use, day after day, year after year, are not affected by them.

I still applaud Jack. Because I do know him, and I did read his book, I understand what they are doing to him. He is the ONLY attorney I know of that will stand up against the @#%$ gaming companies.

I also agree with Jack, that the judge on the criminal case should NOT be the same judge on the civil case. Read through the hogwash that is being used to muck up this case, and see what Jack is really saying.

Liz

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Re: Lawsuit Against Video Game Makers Continuing In Fayette

I saw his book at the bookstore this weekend - I'm not going to pay to read it, however, I'll see if I can get it at the library.
A young person has older people telling him that violent video games where people are killed are bad - That same young person watches the news as this war rages on in which people are constantly being killed and he is told by those same older people that the war is good.

It's no wonder why kids are screwed up.

Ron

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Re: Lawsuit Against Video Game Makers Continuing In Fayette

I don't watch the news, and, I don't let my children watch it.

Liz Woolley

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Re: Lawsuit Against Video Game Makers Continuing In Fayette

Depressing stuff.
My point is that we constantly send our kids mixed signals and then expect them to make the right choices.

We envelop them in the DARE program at schools telling them that drugs are bad and yet they see adults drinking and smoking.

It's stuff like this that makes them untrusting of older folks when they are young. If they don't trust us, how will they respect us?

This is why it's necessary for parents to take an active part in raising their children - Not to help them understand the lunacy of the mixed messages of society, but to help instill in them the ability to make proper, rational decisions on their own.

I don't think shielding children from the news is healthy - They need to understand what's happening in the world so they can participate and help make the world a better place.

If you want to assert that real life is better than video games, then you have to be willing to be a part of it and actually live it for the good and bad. You have to know what's going on locally and in the world and understand the issues. You have to be enraged to the point where you are willing to work to change things for the better. You have to understand the past if you want a better future.Quote:Those who do not remember the past are condemned to repeat it.
- George Santayana

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Re: Lawsuit Against Video Game Makers Continuing In Fayette

News is not real life. News is no longer news. All they talk about is all of the bad things that are happening. It is so negative! If even I cannot handle watching it, why would I encourage my children?

There are a lot more good things that happen in real life, than bad things, but if you watch the news, all you hear are the bad things, and pretty soon you think life is horrible.

I am not trying to shield my children from anything. News is not reality. News is whatever the people on that station want to show you. Like everything else on TV, their main focus is their ratings.

I prefer to be around and listen to positive people, who show the good things of life. Being grateful for what I have is just as easy as being angry about what I don't have, and it makes my life a lot better.

A lot of the stuff you are talking about, is not seen on the news - it is seen in history books.

Liz

Liz Woolley

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Re: Lawsuit Against Video Game Makers Continuing In Fayette

Well, I agree that news is not about news anymore - It's about sensationalism, particularly on the local level and with certain large media organizations like Fox News. I find it interesting that Fox news is so tightly connected to the conservatives of this country when they are one of the biggest perveyors of filth, exploitation and manipulation on the planet.
Today's society, as emulated in video games, is a society that has to constantly be bombarded by audio and video and other external stimulations. Go into any of the restaurants that cater to the sports crowd and there is music playing, 85 televisions blaring, crowds of people drinking and yelling, all of this noise happening at once. I can't go into those places anymore because they are so loud and obnoxious.

The news is like that. They have to constantly be following the "if it bleeds...it leads" philosophy of broadcasting and the more dramatic and emotional the news, the more people will tend to want to look. You can't watch a news broadcast anymore without flashing animation, sights and sounds and those stupid news tickers on the bottom of the screen. It's awful.

So 95% of the news I get anymore is from CNN online and occasionally another news organization or two - I don't watch the little videos they put together, I just read the articles. It's just so much more sedated.

There are a lot of good things going on in the world also. It may take a little searching to find it but it helps you realize that the world isn't completely going to hell in a handbasket - When you are exposed to negativity day after day after day you tend to believe that the world is getting ready to explode. Another reason why so many people hide from reality in video games.Quote:I prefer to be around and listen to positive people, who show the good things of life. Being grateful for what I have is just as easy as being angry about what I don't have, and it makes my life a lot better.I agree - It's much better to surround yourself with upbeat positive people. It can make a remarkable difference in your life by doing so.

Ron

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Ron Jaffe AKA Diggo McDiggity
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Re: Lawsuit Against Video Game Makers Continuing In Fayette

That is why we are here, right Ron? I consider this board to be quite positive - seeing people actually wanting to improve their lives, instead of running away from them.

Liz Woolley

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Re: Lawsuit Against Video Game Makers Continuing In Fayette

Yeah, I think this board is a positive influence - All of us are just trying to make sense of our lives and the world around us. It's helpful knowing there are others going through what we are. And maybe, we can help each other along the way.
Ron

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Ron Jaffe AKA Diggo McDiggity
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Re: Lawsuit Against Video Game Makers Continuing In Fayette

Isn't he the guy that wanted homosexual teenagers tossed into camps to "cure" them?

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