State of Louisiana forced to pay ESA $91,000

Written by Joe Martin

April 17, 2007 | 17:15

Tags: #court #fee #law #legal #tax

Companies: #esa #jack-thompson

The State of Louisiana has been ordered to pay legal fees totalling $91,000 to the ESA (Electronics Software Association), Kotaku reports today.

The legal fees were incurred last year when the ESA opposed a bill that would have made it illegal to sell violent computer games to minors. The law was drafted with the aid of infamous anti-game figure, Jack Thompson, and bore similarities to other defeated bills in other states across America.

Judge James Brady today ordered the taxpayers to cover the costs of the ESA's legal team, to the tune of US$91,000. Judge Brady also went on to comment that:

"The court is dumbfounded that the Attorney General and the State are in the position of having to pay taxpayer money as attorney's fees and costs in this lawsuit...

Prior to the passage of the Act there were a number of reported cases from a number of jurisdictions which held similar statutes to be unconstitutional (and in which the defendant was ordered to pay substantial attorney's fees).

The Court wonders why nobody objected to the enactment of this statute. In this court's view the taxpayers deserve more from their elected officials"


This is seen by many to be the second defeat Jack Thompson has suffered this week after his attempts to pin the blame for the tragic Virginia Tech shooting on violent computer games earlier this week.

If you are one the Louisiana taxpayers who has to shell out to the ESA, or if you think that the law should have gone ahead, then why not let us know in the forums?
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