Seventh Circuit Rules Dungeons & Dragons A Threat to Prison Security

[Ian David]

Seventh Circuit Rules Dungeons & Dragons A Threat to Prison Security

<snip>

Why did the prison guards take away this guy’s D&D paraphernalia? I’ll let Judge John Tinder of the Seventh Circuit explain:

Waupun’s long-serving Disruptive Group Coordinator, Captain Bruce Muraski, received an anonymous letter from an inmate. The letter expressed concern that Singer and three other inmates were forming a D&D gang and were trying to recruit others to join by passing around their D&D publications and touting the “rush” they got from playing the game. Muraski, Waupun’s expert on gang activity, decided to heed the letter’s advice and “check into this gang before it gets out of hand.”

A gang? A gang that needs to be checked? I’ve never been to prison, but I have watched Oz. I’m forced to believe one of two things: (a) any D&D “gang” member would find themselves tossing salads faster than you can say “saving throw against horrific prison justice … fails,” or (b) if you could beat up the D&D kids in your high school, then you can go to Wisconsin, commit violent crimes with impunity, get sent to prison and live like a God.

Singer sued the prison for violating his First Amendment rights. The district court ruled with the correctional facility on summary judgment, and the Seventh Circuit affirmed.

Does that mean we get to hear the Seventh Circuit argue that D&D is gang-like? Yes it does. Will that be hilarious? More fun than hacking through an encampment of goblins with a dwarven ax of immolation.

Details after the jump.

More:
http://abovethelaw.com/2010/01/7th_circuit_rules_dungeons_dra.php#more

[Soylent Brice]

1. *facepalm*

[Canuckistanian]

13. +1

[YOY]

2. I'm sure if they just stuck to 2nd ed. or even 3.5. I completely understand if it was 4th ed.

Nobody should EVER play 4th ed. That would be corporal punishment.

[Chulanowa]

3. No kidding

Dragon boobies. Ugh.

[mrbarber]

12. Not to worry, 4th edition is classifed as being Cruel and Unusual Punishment.

[The Doctor.]

4. They wouldn't have this problem if they played GURPS...

It's also a far superior system. {/geek]

[CrownPrinceBandar]

9. Although, they'd spend the rest of their sentences quibbling over the rules....n/t

[The Doctor.]

14. No they wouldn't!

{font=metaubermegageek}The rules clearly state that all laws of;

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Are entirely at the discretion of the Game Master. {/ubergeek]

[CrownPrinceBandar]

16. Whatever dude. You don't have karate skill.............

so that's DX-6, and you don't get a dodge next round! :freak:

[asdjrocky]

5. Just when you think life could not be more funny.

Next time I go to the joint I'm taking my dice.

[Posteritatis]

6. I love it when people who don't have a clue about RPGs pretend otherwise (nt)

[WeDidIt]

7. NO, NOT BLACK LEAF! NO, NO! I'M NOT GOING TO DIE!

:evilgrin:

[Jack Rabbit]

8. First, corporations are "persons", and now D&D is a gang-related activity

Your tax dollars at work.

[Retrograde]

10. one possible threat form D&D

the groups I've role-played with (not D&D, but other RPGs) encouraged the players to work together to solve problems posed in the game. I can argue that encouraging a group of people to work together to plan how to get out of a dungeon might be an issue, but I don't think that's what the warden had in mind.

[Odin2005]

11. *DOUBLE-FACEPALM*

[comrade snarky]

15. It's not the game of D&D that's too dangerous

Have you ever seen what can be done to a man with a 20 sided die and, god forbid, a small pewter figurine?

I still wake up screaming.

[nemo137]

17. I was thinking d4's.

They call them caltrops for a reason, you know.