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Joshua Fox

A very encouraging story from the Associated Press today:

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Jury Doesn't Buy Video Game Defense
Tuesday, August 09, 2005

FAYETTE, Ala. — 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 were to return Wednesday to begin the sentencing phase. Moore could face 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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Take that, Jack Thompson:

Mewmew · Posted: Tue Aug 09, 2005 10:15 pm Post subject:

Thank God the jurors had brains. Video games do NOT make people go kill. At best they give ideas to those who are already going to kill one day, anyway, but they aren't going to make a perfect citizen turn into a lunatic killer. I grew up playing Mortal Kombat and other fighting games, and games like Twisted Metal. Heck, one of my fave things to do in Twisted Metal 1 & 2 was to go around and find people to run over. XD But, you will never hear of me intentionally running someone over, because I am not crazy. Video games do not make people do bad things. People who do bad things and blame it on video games would have done said bad thing without the game. They just wouldn't have anything to blame it on.

Paladin · Posted: Tue Aug 09, 2005 11:38 pm Post subject:

Under normal conditions I would never second guess the O'l Raccoon, but someone has to be the devils advocate...

PrincessB · Posted: Wed Aug 10, 2005 12:26 am Post subject:

I'd likely guess that Mike was joking and dosen't actually believe that it was all the games fault, course I can't say that for certain, I'm not him but that would be my guess.

I can't exactly vote on this poll because as much as I would like to vote the first option I can't, cuz I know that this case will not stop folks from screaming about the evilness of video games, people will always find something in them to complain about and if they want to complain about video games nothing you say or do will change their mind.

I don't think that video games cause violence unless you as the parent never teach your child that those actions are not apropriate in everyday life. If this person had parents who ever looked at him twice or delt with most any outside life (didn't just stay holed under a rock) then he had to have seen that wasn't apropriate.

DarkeWolf · Posted: Wed Aug 10, 2005 12:33 am Post subject:

I hate that guy, he should burn in DOOM *grabs his shockrifle* XP

francesis · Posted: Wed Aug 10, 2005 1:32 am Post subject:

That was the lamest defence I've ever heard, and besides GTA causing mental problems is a stupid idea. A game like Katamari Damacey is way more likely to a mental defect. Also, on the box it clearly states simulated violence and if you don't understand that,you're either incompetant to begin with,or you're way to young to buy it yourself in which case the finger should be aimed at the parent for being to stupid to read big, fat 'M' on the box! Thats how I feel and you can take that to bank!

Mapper · Posted: Wed Aug 10, 2005 6:38 am Post subject:

I've been playing video games since the first Pong game console came out, and look how I turned out Twisted Evil

Muahahahahah think I'll go barrow the neighbors car. Wink

The world is full of people who blame their personal problems on something else. It used to be the Devil made me do it, now its the video game.
ya do the crime you do the time.
Kids aren't stupid these days. Most of us old timers remember Dad pulling out the belt. Today Parents aren't in control of their children. And the ones who try, wind up getting in trouble with HRS because they spanked their child on the butt in public. So many kids get away with Murder.

racky raccoon · Posted: Wed Aug 10, 2005 1:41 pm Post subject:

errr yeah im glad that some people still have common sence in the world.

and judging by the poll (at the moment 14 votes to 0) its seens we all think the same Smile

Sigurd Volsung · Posted: Wed Aug 10, 2005 1:55 pm Post subject:

Reminds me of the horror movie defense, and more recently the "Matrix" defense (no bought the "Matrix" defense either). Parent's don't want to believe there kids are killers so they blame pop culture. It's also similair to people blaming metal bands for their kids commiting suicide.

Even worse of course is the blame the victim defense, there was a case about 20 years ago in a small town, where a highschool jock killed a punk by running him over intentionally, and got off because the victim was a punk.