James v. Meow Media

"James v. Meow Media" was a lawsuit filed in 1999 by families of three girls killed by Michael Carneal. The lawsuit claimed that several entertainment companies should be held responsible for the girls' deaths in the 1997 Heath High School shooting in Paducah, Kentucky. Jack Thompson, a Miami anti-videogame activist and former Attorney, filed the $33 million federal products liability class action lawsuit. Michael Carneal shot at a group of fellow students as they were leaving a before-school prayer group in the school's lobby, killing 3 and wounding 5. Carneal was sentenced to life in prison Baker, Donald P. (1997) " [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/national/longterm/juvmurders/stories/paducah.htm As Kentucky Town Mourns, Movie Suggested as Basis for Boy's Attack] ". "Washington Post"] . Defendants included Time Warner Inc., Polygram Film Entertainment Distribution Inc., Palm Pictures, Island Pictures, New Line Cinema, Atari Corp., Nintendo of America, Sega of America Inc., and Sony Computer Entertainment.

In 2000, the judge dismissed the suit, citing Kentucky tort law, absolving the companies of responsibility for Carneal's actions Associated Press. (2002) " [http://www.freedomforum.org/templates/document.asp?documentID=16730 Federal appeals panel upholds dismissal of lawsuit against movie, video game makers] .".] . In 2002, the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the dismissal, and in 2003, the U.S. Supreme Court denied certiorari, refusing to review the case because it was not dismissed on 1st Amendment grounds Associated Press. (2003) " [http://www.freedomforum.org/templates/document.asp?documentID=17477 High court won't revive suit blaming Hollywood for school shooting] ."] .

Dr. Dewey Cornell, a psychiatrist who interviewed Carneal, rebuked the idea that Carneal had never fired a gun before, as Thompson claimed, as Carneal admitted to having stolen and practiced with a .22 caliber pistol, and had previously practiced with other handguns. Carneal eventually stole five rifles from a friends' father's gun cabinet while the family was away at a Thanksgiving dinner, as well as 2 shotguns from his own fatherMoore, Mark H., Petrie, Carol V., Braga, Anthony A., and McLaughlin, Brenda L. (Eds). (2003) " [http://www.nap.edu/books/0309084121/html/140.html Deadly Lessons: Understanding Lethal School Violence] ."] .

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