Report: Jack Thompson May Face Contempt Charge

According to a report from gaming legislation news site GamePolitics, anti-game lawyer Jack Thompson has himself come under fire from lawyers representing publisher Take-Two Interactive, who have called for Thompson to be held in contempt of court. While it remains unclear as to the exact nature of this request, it most likely stems from comments following Thompson's most recent failed attempt to prevent the recently released controversial title Bully from being sold in Florida. Thompson had originally requested that he be provided with an advance copy of Bully in order to help determine if the game should be considered “a public nuisance” within the state of Florida, a request which he was awarded. However, a later hearing on the possible banning of the game resulted in Miami-Dade County judge Ronald Friedman handing down a decision that Bully would be allowed to be sold, explaining that the controversial title did not feature gameplay or content that warranted it from being banned from sale. According to the report, the contempt of court request could find Thompson facing jail time, though it is more likely that “fines, judicial admonishment or censure” would result from this most recent turn of events. The report also notes that attorneys representing the Philadelphia law firm Blank-Rome have filed a “Petition for Order to Show Cause,” which requires Thompson to illustrate to a judge why he should not be held in contempt. In an email to GamePolitics, Thompson has responded to this request, writing, “You want to play hardball…? You want to try to throw me in jail? You have no idea what you are unleashing in doing this. You’re at the brink…”