Parents Sue Grand Theft Auto Game

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10-22-2003, 07:33 PM
Inevitable

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. - A $246 million lawsuit was filed against the designer, marketer and a retailer of the video game series "Grand Theft Auto" by the families of two people shot by teenagers apparently inspired by the game.

The suit claims marketer Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc., designers Take-Two Interactive Software and Rockstar Games, and Wal-Mart, are liable for $46 million in compensatory damages and $200 million in punitive damages.

Aaron Hamel, 45, a registered nurse, was killed and Kimberly Bede, 19, of Moneta, Va., was seriously wounded when their cars were hit June 25 by .22-caliber bullets as they passed through the Great Smoky Mountains.

Stepbrothers William Buckner, 16, and Joshua Buckner, 14, of Newport, were sentenced in August to an indefinite term in state custody after pleading guilty in juvenile court to reckless homicide, endangerment and assault.

The boys told investigators they got the rifles from a locked room in their home and decided to randomly shoot at tractor-trailer rigs, just like in the video game "Grand Theft Auto III."

In a suit filed Monday in Cocke County Circuit Court on behalf of the victims, Miami lawyer Jack Thompson and local lawyer Richard Talley alleged the game "inspires and trains players to shoot at vehicles and persons."

"These kids simply decided to take the thrill of that game out to Interstate 40 and started pointing at cars," Thompson said in a telephone interview Tuesday.

Thompson, who said he sent letters to Sony and Wal-Mart to drop the game before the shootings, said, "It's not like this is coming out of the blue, they chose to ignore this danger."

San Mateo, Calif.-based Sony and Bentonville, Ark.-based Wal-Mart did not return calls for comment Tuesday. The lawsuit alleges the retail giant sold the game to the Buckners about a year before the shootings.

Douglas Lowenstein, president of the industry Entertainment Software Association, called the shootings "an unspeakable tragedy" but said blaming a game played by millions for the boys' actions was "misguided and counterproductive."

"There is no credible evidence that violent games lead to violent behavior," he said. "While video games may provide a simple excuse for the teenagers involved in this incident, responsibility for violent acts belongs to those who commit them."

Thompson has made similar claims in the past and lost, notably a $33 million lawsuit against video game makers stemming from the 1997 school shooting near Paducah, Ky., by a 14-year-old boy.

The 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals (news - web sites) ruled in the case last year that it was "simply to far a leap from shooting characters on a video screen to shooting people in a classroom."

Well I think they have no chance in winning. Whatever they did was on them. No one told them to do it they did. They should know better.
10-22-2003, 07:49 PM
Mr. Mulder

They're using the game as an excuse to reduce their punishment (whatever it may be). There are games out there that are far more detailed in the way of "training people to kill" Hitman being one of them. If they were playing Hitman then that would be the game in question. The point being that it's not the games or game industry that has encouraged them, It's the two boys who made the decision to enter a locked room, take out a weapon and start firing.

Should irresponsible 16 and 14 year olds be playing the game in the first place?
10-22-2003, 08:28 PM
Amarjit

Yeah, I read about this, on IRCSpy, the teenagers claimed to be "bored", so they decided to shoot a car's tyres as it was passing by, much via the influence of the game. But what confuses me is why teenagers are in possession of arms and the fact that the blame was to be put on the teenagers' parents, for being irresponsible in allowing their children to play the game in the first place; it shouldn't be Rockstar Games who ought to be blamed, there's an "18" logo there for a reason ...
10-22-2003, 11:08 PM
wolfman10_2000

This is a simply get rich plan. There coming out with an excuse so they can get a lower sentence time, and they will get a load of money in return. Also in order to purchase, rent, the game you must be 18 or older. The person that should be responsible for the shootings are the parents, or whoever purchased the game for them. I believe that this is bull and sadly ythis not the only case that grand theft auto been targeted for other peoples crimes. <_<

-Mike
10-23-2003, 12:42 AM
sArA

I am afraid that this is just another example of the litigation, get rich quick, blame society that is inherent in the US and is becoming more prevalent across the western world. A sad reflection of a society that encourages blame and compensation but does not encourage personal responsibility and knowing right from wrong.

:(
10-23-2003, 01:26 AM
hobbes

Quote:

Originally posted by sara5564@23 October 2003 - 01:42
I am afraid that this is just another example of the litigation, get rich quick, blame society that is inherent in the US and is becoming more prevalent across the western world. A sad reflection of a society that encourages blame and compensation but does not encourage personal responsibility and knowing right from wrong.

:(

'nuff said.
10-23-2003, 01:39 AM
allyerbaserbelong2us

omfg what bullshit. damn legal system. we need to abolish our legal system.
10-23-2003, 02:25 AM
MagicNakor

Excellent idea. I'd love to live in a lawless land.

:ninja:
10-23-2003, 03:58 AM
Inevitable

Getting rich quick? That's like only a 1 out of a billion chance of get rich plans that actually work.
10-27-2003, 02:43 AM
dragon_bane

Americans sue too much.

I wish i could punch that bitch who sued Mcdonalds for burning herslef with coffee she spilled on herself.

Yes the legal system needs to change but anarchy will only make things worse
10-28-2003, 12:38 AM
system_failure

Fu*k that! I am going to get a chainsaw and kill some people and sue Rockst*r and live like a king....
10-29-2003, 02:53 AM
blackhatknight

To say GTA influenced it; is simply a smoke screen. You do the crime you do the time, the lowest just went lower
10-29-2003, 02:58 AM
hobbes

Quote:

Originally posted by blackhatknight@29 October 2003 - 03:53
To say GTA influenced it; is simply a smoke screen. You do the crime you do the time, the lowest just went lower

blackhat,

You may not realize this but McDonalds recently settled out of court with a 400 lb man who sued them for making him fat.

Nobody is resposible for anything in the United States, it is so sickening.

You just never know what is possible when people abuse the judicial system.
10-29-2003, 03:07 AM
blackhatknight

Quote:

Originally posted by hobbes@29 October 2003 - 02:58
You may not realize this but McDonalds recently settled out of court with a 400 lb man who sued them for making him fat.

and didn't quoate you fully but i totally argee with what your saying, their is a lot to be said for the American legal system but it has so many flaws, not just the american one the birtish one too i'm sure fellow brits will support me in this, it's not a change in legal systems we therefore need it is change in western culture maybe we can learn sometime form our eastern cusions it's not about fixing the blame but fixing the solution, to me it is absolutely ridiculious what you have stated, as it is it obviously to you, in britian if a theives breaks into your house and hurts themseleves they can sue you my point

stop defending the Perpetuator start defending the victum (isn't that and issue in itself i do not support vigilenties)

EDIT: for spelling that affected content apligises to anyone who replied before reading the mod
10-29-2003, 03:25 AM
NotoriousBIC

Wasn't something similar tried against 'Carmageddon'?
10-29-2003, 03:31 AM
blackhatknight

Quote:

Originally posted by NotoriousBIC@29 October 2003 - 03:25
Wasn't something similar tried against 'Carmageddon'?

depends where your from GTA was the only game in the UK to be debated in the house of lords in the UK

for non-UK people this is the highest "court" (in quoates as it is and isn't a court but sets law, confuses me too) that a case can be tried in bar the EU court of human rights (an "external" body)

In the UK legally (and probably legally only) it was the most controversial game ever.

Do other UK subjects remember this????

EDIT: spelling and last line
10-29-2003, 04:03 AM
NotoriousBIC

Well, I don't recall it that well, but I believe it was banned and sued in Germany. The state lost a counter-sue however that allowed them to distribute it again only by replacing the blood with a green variant.

Such things don't happen here in the Netherlands though, we'll tolerate pretty much everything <_<

edit: I'm talking about Carmageddon
10-29-2003, 04:08 AM
hobbes

Quote:

Originally posted by NotoriousBIC@29 October 2003 - 05:03
Well, I don't recall it that well, but I believe it was banned and sued in Germany. The state lost a counter-sue however that allowed them to distribute it again only by replacing the blood with a green variant.

Such things don't happen here in the Netherlands though, we'll tolerate pretty much everything <_<

If you guys could work on the "climate " thing, I would gladly move to any country where "reason" is still considered "reasonable".

I currently enjoy south Texas in which Christmas can be sunny and 75.
10-29-2003, 04:15 AM
blackhatknight

"wasn't something simaliar tried for caramgedon" MY PARAPRASE

You could be right but in the UK i've not found any supporting evidence for your statement (which doesn't mean it's wrong)

EDIT: quoate added and spelling (it just embrassing lol)
10-29-2003, 05:38 PM
Inevitable

Quote:

Originally posted by hobbes+29 October 2003 - 03:58--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (hobbes @ 29 October 2003 - 03:58)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> <!--QuoteBegin-blackhatknight@29 October 2003 - 03:53
To say GTA influenced it; is simply a smoke screen. You do the crime you do the time, the lowest just went lower

blackhat,

You may not realize this but McDonalds recently settled out of court with a 400 lb man who sued them for making him fat.

Nobody is resposible for anything in the United States, it is so sickening.

You just never know what is possible when people abuse the judicial system. [/b][/quote]
How can Mcdonalds make someone fat? He came to them and made himself fat...weird...
10-29-2003, 10:37 PM
MagicNakor

Really.

I had heard a number of similar cases were laughed out of court by the judge.

:ninja:
10-30-2003, 12:17 AM
Neo 721

so in the end this all banks down to the fact that the producer now has to provide all possible warnings to the outcome of their product, does this mean that someone who could possible be mentally unstable can sue a kitchen knife company if acidently kill someone with a knife that was legaly purchased from a totaly reputable outlet just because their was'nt a disclaimer inside warning people not to use it for illegal activities aka giving someone muliple stab wounds, wonder how many more similar cases of type will re appear over the next few years?
10-30-2003, 03:52 PM
Will_518

LOL. This is the second funniest thing i heard this week. The best is the student who stuck his ass out of the window on the 4th floor, lost his banlance and fell. Then he sued the builders. LOL

How can GTA be responsible for that; it's just soooo funny, especially reading those legal statement, they are taking this seriously?!
This is like VCPR the radio station.
10-30-2003, 03:52 PM
Will_518

LOL. This is the second funniest thing i heard this week. The best is the student who stuck his ass out of the window on the 4th floor, lost his banlance and fell. Then he sued the builders. LOL

How can GTA be responsible for that; it's just soooo funny, especially reading those legal statement, they are taking this seriously?!
This is like pressing issues on VCPR the radio station.
10-31-2003, 04:33 PM
Kunal

Quote:

Originally posted by __eric__@22 October 2003 - 19:49
Should irresponsible 16 and 14 year olds be playing the game in the first place?

im 15 so im allowed to play it :lol: :lol: :lol:
10-31-2003, 08:07 PM
Neo 721

actually GTA is rated an 18 that means that Rockstar clearly doesnt want underage people to buy it, could'nt this mean that they may have anticipated this happening. If this was the case it may bank down to irresponsable parents or shop keeper for selling goods to underages.