A while ago we talked about Daniel Petric, an Ohio teen who shot his mother dead and injured his father after being banned from playing Halo. His lawyers attempted the famous (and absurd) videogame defense -- blaming game obsession on the attack. Petric was found guilty, his game defense having been ruled out by the judge.
Lorain County Common Pleas Judge James Burge ruled that game addiction was no defense, and that evidence of premeditation was clear. This also shoots down the defense's claim that this was a moment of madness, not something Petric had planned to do.
Since the videogame defense is being recognized more and more as something that can lessen the accountability of a criminal, it's always good to know that not every judge in America is going to fall for such nonsense.
Jim Sterling serves as reviews editor for Destructoid.com, head of the Podtoid podcast, and produces a number of news stories, original features, one-of-a-kind videos. With his passionate argumentative style, controversial opinions, harsh delivery, and dedication to brutal honesty Sterling is a name that you can't help but recognize.
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Contest:
8:30 PM on 01.12.2009
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Now let's hope this dipshit can grow up and turn his life around.
Glad this scum got what he deserved tho.
I like this judge. He understands that people have to be held responsible for their actions. There need to be more judges like him.
What he said.
I'm starting to have faith again in the US-justice-system...
Prolly the judge was like "hmm my son plays Halo as well, so if I let this one go, it will be a valid excuse if he kills me... Oh nooo!" :-p
Hope he gets tortured/raped/killed in prison.
Thank the judge for not buying the temporary-insanity bullshit (which is bollocks anyway).
Nope. That's the easy way out. Let him rot in prison for life. That's a much worse fate. Getting butt raped for years, the confined spaces, the loneliness.
But you'd rather he just escape all of that and just go to sleep? If I were in his shoes I'd rather just die.