This has surely done the rounds on Chatterbox, but I've been away on a press trip for three days, so I'll post anyway. The judge presiding over a misconduct case against lawyer and fervent anti-videogame campaigner, Jack Thompson, yesterday delivered a report which supports a guilty verdict on 27 of the 31 charges brought against him. From Arts Technica:

These are not small offenses, as Judge Tunis recommended a guilty verdict for, among other things, "knowingly making a false statement of material fact or law to a tribunal," "using means that have no purpose other than to embarrass, delay, or burden a third person," "engaging in conduct involving dishonesty, fraud, deceit, or misrepresentation," and "making statements that the lawyer knows to be false or with reckless disregard as to the truth or falsity concerning to the qualifications or integrity of a judge.

The supreme court is still to make a ruling on these charges - that won't take place until September. However, it seems Thompson has exasperated the powers that be by submitting a series of bizarre filings seemingly including a self-penned picture book designed to 'explain' his point of view to the court. Images apparently included, "swastikas, kangaroos in court, a reproduced dollar bill, cartoon squirrels, Paul Simon, Paul Newman, Ray Charles, a handprint with the word 'slap' written under it, Bar Governor Benedict P. Kuehne, a baby, Ed Bradley, Jack Nicholson, Justice Clarence Thomas, Julius Caesar, monkeys, a house of cards..." Sounds like an average night on the town with Amy Winehouse.

Naturally, the games community is revelling in this 'victory', but the report is fanning the flames of publicity that Thompson so obviously feeds on. I'm now thinking he could actually be a disruptive comic genius who's command of confrontational humour makes Andy kaufman look like Jimmy Cricket.

What do you think?