*GOOD NEWS* Judge Blocks Jack Thompson Video Game Law From Taking Effect

[Double_Blade]

That will punch that Miami Jack ass for good.

Judge Blocks Jack Thompson Video Game Law From Taking Effect

A federal judge in Baton Rouge has issued a temporary restraining order which blocks Louisiana's new violent video game law from taking effect. As written, the measure would have been in force immediately upon becoming law late last week. A hearing on the matter is scheduled for June 30th.

As readers will recall, GamePolitics broke the news that Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Babineaux Blanco (D) signed HB1381 into law on Thursday evening. The legislation, sponsored by Rep. Roy Burrell (D) and largely drafted by controversial anti-game attorney Jack Thompson, seeks to define violent games as "harmful to minors," using the same legal standard by which pornography is judged harmful.

The case, which has been filed as Entertainment Software Association et al v. Foti et al will be heard by Federal District Court Judge James J. Brady. The EMA is a co-plaintiff with the ESA in the case. Named defendants are Louisiana Attorney General Charles Foti (seen at left) and Doug Moreau, District Attorney for the Parish of East Baton Rouge.

It is common for state attorneys general such as Foti to be named as defendants in such suits. Moreau was named in the Louisiana case as a representative of all 41 parish-level district attorneys. Under the specifics of the Louisiana law, local prosecutors would be required to bring games before a judge for consideration of whether they were "harmful to minors."

GP readers with a taste for the legal nitty-gritty can download the 23-page complaint here.

Some juicy tidbits from the video game industry's complaint include:

"Video games are a form of artistic expression much like other forms of protected expression such as movies, books and music." and...

"The Act is rife with unconstitutionally vague terms which fail to give reasonable notice of which conduct is prohibited."

Baton Rouge newspaper The Advocate has local coverage on the injunction.

I would love to see the law he made being eaten and ripped off by zombies.

 

[99.vikram]

Jack, just die already :frown:

 

[Raziaar]

Gov. Kathleen Babineaux Blanco

Funny name!