Thompson Decision not Expected until August

Judge Must Wade Through Thousands of Papers

We knew a delay was being petitioned, but until now, there was no indication that Judge Dava Tunis would need four more months to decide the fate of attorney Jack Thompson.
GamePolitics has obtained access to the judge’s Motion for Extension of Time to File Report of Referee, which askes the court for an extension until August 31 to grant her decision and report.  It cites the need to cover a “2,500 page transcript of the trial,” as well as the need to look through “400 pleadings, e-mails, letters and missives (including pictorials)” filed by Thompson since the trial ended in December, 2007.”  Judge Tunis also noted she’s handling this and maintaining her duties in criminal court.

General consensus within the gaming community indicates that this is a necessary evil, and that Judge Tunis may have to take this much time to clearly communicate the legal rationale behind any potential punishment, instead of delivering a singular terse decision that could result in appeals.

Keep in mind, this is the report, and not the decision.  In her motion, judge Tunis notes:

This referee is currently preparing a Notice to Parties regarding her Recommendations of Not Guilty/Guilty and will proceed according to the guidelines set forth in the Referee Manual.

That noted, a decision may come sooner than August 31, with the report to follow.