Animal Cruelty At It's Worst: Vick Indicted

[chefmike]

Vick attorneys reportedly negotiating plea
Falcons QB would serve prison time if agreement reached
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution 08/14/07

Michael Vick's attorneys are engaged in plea negotiations with federal prosecutors and the Falcons quarterback could reach an agreement before new federal dogfighting charges are handed down next week, according to a person with knowledge of the negotiations.

The negotiations follow news that two more of Vick's three co-defendants are scheduled to enter guilty pleas later this week as part of a deal with prosecutors.

Collins Spencer, a spokesman for Vick's lawyers, declined to comment Tuesday on any possible negotiations.

He added that Vick did not meet with his attorneys last night but said they will have a conference call with Vick this morning and may have an announcement this afternoon. Spencer did not indicate what the announcement would be.

On Monday Spencer said the legal team was "very surprised" by the pleas from Purnell Peace and Quanis Phillips and said they would not affect plans to move forward toward a Nov. 26 trial.

Vick's lead attorney, Billy Martin, could not be reached for comment.

If the announcement is that Vick has reached a plea agreement, the embattled star quarterback is expected to be sentenced to some time in prison, according to federal sentencing guidelines.

Vick's motivation to enter a guilty plea is likely fueled by the U.S. Attorney's Office announcement last month that it will seek a new "superceding" indictment against Vick by the end of August. With the cooperation of Vick's three co-defendants, there will likely be new, and more specific, allegations against Vick. The federal grand jury in Richmond is expected to hand up that indictment sometime early next week.

If Vick can reach an agreement by the end of this week, he would not have to answer to any additional charges.

This week, Vick learned that in the criminal justice system, friendship only goes so far.

On Monday, guilty plea hearings were scheduled for two of his co-defendants and long-time associates. Peace, 35, of Virginia Beach, has a plea hearing scheduled for Thursday in U.S. District Court in Richmond at 9 a.m., while Phillips, 28, of Atlanta, has a plea hearing set for Friday at the same time. The hearings showed up Monday on U.S. District Court Judge Henry E. Hudson's docket.

The third co-defendant, Tony Taylor, 34, of Hampton pleaded guilty July 30 and agreed to cooperate with prosecutors in their case against Vick. Just days earlier, Taylor had joined Vick and the others in pleading not guilty.

Attorneys for both Peace and Phillips declined to comment Monday.

"There's no telling until the actual pleas, but this doesn't sound like good news for Michael Vick," said Kent Alexander, once the U.S. attorney in Atlanta and now Emory University's general counsel. "Usually, if people plead guilty early in a case they may be cooperating with the government. That's what it sounds like here."

A federal grand jury indicted the men last month on a single count of conspiracy to cross state lines to engage in illegal gambling; to sponsor a dog in an animal fighting venture; and to buy, transport and receive dogs for animal fighting.

They face up to five years in prison and $250,000 in fines, but defendants often receive more lenient punishment when they accept responsibility and enter guilty pleas.

A 13-page statement of facts Taylor signed with prosecutors last month says Vick, Peace and Phillips set up a business called "Bad Newz Kennels" in rural Surry County, Va., to raise and train pit bulls for dogfights.

It also says the men gambled on the fights in Virginia and several other states and that Vick almost exclusively funded the dogfighting operation and gambling monies.

At various times, Taylor, Peace and Phillips executed dogs they didn't think would fight well by shooting them, the statement says. The indictment issued earlier in July said Vick also executed dogs.

The plea deals for Taylor, Peace and Phillips emerged after federal prosecutors announced at their arraignment hearing last month that they would be seeking a superseding indictment, meaning they could name additional charges and defendants in the case. That indictment is expected to be announced before the end of this month.

Vick's jury trial is scheduled for Nov. 26, deep into the Falcons' schedule. The Falcons will have played 11 of their 16 regular-season games by then. Vick will remain free until the trial, but his availability to appear on field is unclear. The NFL barred Vick, with pay, from being with the team pending the outcome of its own investigation.

A call to Vick's agent, Joel Segal, was not returned Monday. The Falcons declined to comment on the latest developments in Vick's case.

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell is expected to make a decision on Vick's future in a few weeks. Goodell said he is waiting for a report from investigator Eric Holder before rendering a verdict, according to a league spokesman. No timetable has been set for Goodell's decision, NFL vice president of public relations Greg Aiello said.

Tailback Warrick Dunn, who spoke to Vick recently, said Falcons players are already of the mindset that they'll have to play without him.

"Mike is going to be missed, and he has been missed, but at the same time, you have to go on," he said.

Should Holder's report lead Goodell to determine Vick violated the NFL's player conduct policy, he could issue a suspension. Holder's report also could show that Vick did not violate the policy and that no league-ordered suspension or other discipline is warranted.

A high-ranking NFL team official said Goodell likely would meet with Vick or his legal representation before levying any suspension. Such a meeting has yet to take place.

Falcons owner Arthur Blank and president and general manager Rich McKay have said they had enough information to lead them to draw up papers to suspend Vick for four games — the maximum a team can suspend a player for disciplinary reasons. The league could suspend Vick for a year.

Blank and McKay also said there were discussions about cutting Vick.

Coach Bobby Petrino said Monday he had not been told of any developments from the NFL regarding a decision on Vick.

"I'm not aware of any recent updates on this situation," Petrino said.

"We've been proceeding as if — we have to — he's not going to be here, and we're doing the best we can at that."

[chefmike]

Celebrity Seen as Factor Regarding Vick, Poll Finds

Americans say Michael Vick’s high profile has led to preferential treatment from the authorities, and few say his profession is a disadvantage, according to the latest New York Times/CBS News poll.

Thirty-six percent of those familiar with the dogfighting allegations against Vick, the Atlanta Falcons’ star quarterback, said he was being treated better than an average person. Only 9 percent said Vick was being treated worse than an average person. The plurality, 44 percent, said Vick was being handled the same as anyone else.

“If all those dogs had been found buried in the yard of an average person, that person would have already been in jail,” Jackie Syron, 36, from Mesa, Ariz., said in a follow-up interview after the poll was completed. “It’s a heinous crime, but he’ll probably just get fines and probation.”

But Ethel Turner, 54, of Mount Pleasant, Tex., said Vick was being treated unfairly because of his celebrity. “There’s a movement against famous people these days,” she said. “They are being treated a little bit worse than the regular person.”

The nationwide telephone poll was conducted among 1,214 adults from Aug. 8 to 12.

Last month, Vick was indicted in Virginia on federal felony charges that he sponsored dogfighting, frequently gambled on dogfighting and authorized acts of cruelty against animals on property he owned.

Two of the three men indicted with Vick are expected to plead guilty in the case later this week. The other man indicted in the case pleaded guilty last month.

George Lynch, 84, of Center Ossipee, N.H., said he did not expect the case against Vick to fade away. “Dogfighting is not only illegal, but one of the worst forms of entertainment in the world,” he said. “These dogs are dangerous, and anyone making money off them, in addition to inhumane treatment of animals, is pretty low.”

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals has organized protests at the Falcons’ headquarters in Flowery Branch, Ga., and at the N.F.L. offices in New York. “Vick is being treated unfairly because of the dog people,” said Henry Tate, 58, of Battle Creek, Mich. “PETA finally found someone they could picket and protest.”

The opinions of the football fans surveyed were similar to those of all respondents. But the poll found differences in the views of black and white respondents. Thirty-two percent of blacks said Vick was being treated worse than the average person, while only 6 percent of whites said he was being treated worse.

“People are rushing to judgment because he is an athlete,” said Gale Nattiel, 49, of Rushton, La. “I know a lot of athletes are black, but I don’t think it’s because of his race. It’s because he’s an athlete. If he were a regular Joe, nobody would care.”

Vick has remained on the Falcons’ payroll, but N.F.L. Commissioner Roger Goodell barred him from training camp while the league completed a review of his case. Goodell is expected to announce any further discipline before the Falcons’ first regular-season game, Sept. 9 at Minnesota.

In the meantime, Vick’s sponsorship deals have fallen apart. Nike suspended its contract and Rawlings canceled its deal. Reebok pulled his jerseys off the market, Donruss removed his trading card from its sets, and Upper Deck removed his autographed memorabilia from its online store and removed him from its card sets as well.

Over all, the Americans surveyed approved of the N.F.L.’s disciplinary measures. Fifty-four percent of those polled said professional football players were being treated appropriately when they were suspended by the N.F.L. for misconduct off the field, 32 percent said the league was being too easy on them and only 4 percent said it was too tough.

Goodell suspended Tennessee Titans cornerback Pacman Jones for the season and Cincinnati Bengals receiver Chris Henry for the first eight games for repeated off-the-field conduct problems.

For purposes of analysis, blacks were oversampled in this poll, for a total of 169, who were then weighted back to their proper proportion in the poll, according to the most recent census. The margin of sampling error is plus or minus 3 percentage points for all adults, and plus or minus 8 percentage points for blacks.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/14/sp...014&ei=5087%0A

[Solitary Brother]

Vick will do no time, might get a heavy slap on the wrist, but in this country where men & women get away with murder of other 'humans' based on trial technicalities on a daily basis.........................not a chance. Now his partners in crime might do some time behind bars, but Vick at best will get community service and a huge lawyers fee.


Sing it with me JWBL......


Stop HAMMER TIME!!!!!!!!!!

Your hero Michael Vick is as good as toast.

He will go to jail!!!!
And he should because he is a criminal!!!!!

Actually its the best thing that could happen to him since he will be locked away from the animal rights crazies and soccer moms who are already plotting his death.

He couldnt buy enough security to protect himself.
At work Michael Vick is the source of much head shaking and laughter.
All that talent and a tiny brain.

[DJ_Asia]

Vick will do no time, might get a heavy slap on the wrist, but in this country where men & women get away with murder of other 'humans' based on trial technicalities on a daily basis.........................not a chance. Now his partners in crime might do some time behind bars, but Vick at best will get community service and a huge lawyers fee.


Sing it with me JWBL......


Stop HAMMER TIME!!!!!!!!!!

Your hero Michael Vick is as good as toast.

He will go to jail!!!!
And he should because he is a criminal!!!!!

Actually its the best thing that could happen to him since he will be locked away from the animal rights crazies and soccer moms who are already plotting his death.

He couldnt buy enough security to protect himself.
At work Michael Vick is the source of much head shaking and laughter.
All that talent and a tiny brain.

My friends all seem to think he is finished in the NFL,and personally nothing would thrill me more,but I doubt that highly.

[chefmike]

Vick will outrun jail-time stigma
Ray Ratto

OK, cue the Michael Vick Forgiveness Clock ... starting ... now!

Vick, in conjunction with his legal team, has just seen the writing on the wall, which is in DayGlo letters 30 feet high that reads "YOU'RE GOING TO JAIL." They are, by all indications, negotiating a plea that will minimize his jail time and move him that much closer to what we are quite sure will be a semi-glorious return to the National Football League.

Depending, of course, on the frequency and abjectness of his apologies, and the depth and breadth of a team's needs behind center.

So we're all on the clock with Vick, seeking the answer to the complicated mathematical equation:

HC-M2/TS

That is, Heinousness of Crime minus Marketability squared, divided by Time Served.

And the answer to that is not infinity, and rarely more than 24 months.

In short, we have confidence in Vick's ability to do the perp walk, and in SportsWorld's ability to look the other way when circumstances require. The seemingly irreparable damage caused by the details of his arrest and indictment will be minimized just enough to make him publicly serviceable again, not because we value dogs less but because we value quarterbacks more.

Not all of us, mind you. There are many people who will find his acts unforgivable. There are, however, many more who desire Vick's entertainment value more, and if there's anything Americans like more than entertainment, it is more entertainment.

Look, kids, that's how it works. Vick runs a dog-fighting ring. His associates turn on him like the Joe Valachi Dance Team. He is left alone to allocate his involvement in the systematic and violent torture of dogs in his care, because he's the only one on the left side of the table. Everyone else is gone with the dew.

So the math is easy, but so is the way back, and it will happen sooner than you think. It will be termed as our generosity of spirit, of course, and his willingness to see the error of his ways, wrapped in the unbridled power of redemption, because that's what makes the story sound better for everyone involved. What it is, though, what it always has been, is America's ability to hear a dollar bill fluttering in the breeze.

In short, Michael Vick is not only not finished, but he will be a starting quarterback in the NFL again, probably by 2009 but surely no later than 2010. The heinousness of the crimes will have nothing to do with it, because he has a better chance to make some football team better than, say, John David Booty.

We know this to be true because Don Imus just won a wrongful-termination settlement from CBS and is about to start at WABC Radio in New York. We know this to be true because O.J. Simpson's soon-to-be-revolting book is going to be published after all. We know this to be true because Marv Albert is still the voice of the NBA.

We know this to be true because it is the American Way -- to make a fallen but marketable anti-hero into a marketable hero and pass it off as nobility.

Tuesday's news headlines just happened to commingle to remind us of that fact, especially the news that Vick just rolled on himself. The waves of outrage that came from the gruesome indictment details already made his exoneration a long shot, and when his friends bailed on him, no doubt confronted by evidence they could not escape themselves, he had nothing left to do but cop the plea.

But the cries that he is surely finished as an admirable figure in American sport ignore the fact that nobody is finished as an admirable figure in American sport, as long as that figure still can fill some marketing/profit-generating void. Vick has skills in a rarefied avenue of athletic endeavor -- NFL quarterback -- and though he is not everything he was advertised to be, he is still more useful than, conservatively, 20 of the 32 starters in the league.

His return, of course, is dependent upon a new owner's ability to sell him as fully repentant, and upon his basic affordability, but those are logistical issues. He presumably will go on the requisite apology tour (anyone who can plead out can plead, after all), and then his agent will find a place where his skills can trump his rap sheet.

Is this right? Depends on your view of how long someone must be punished for his crimes, your definition of forgiveness, and the state of your fantasy-league team. We long ago stopped seeing the wisdom in seeking out morality plays in athletics, because the phrase "purity of motive" never seems to settle any debate. It's all in what you can get by with, what you believably can sell.

So the Michael Vick Forgiveness Clock is on, and someone with a greater sense of public-relations equilibrium than you or I will bring him back to first face, and then play, the music. Lessons might be learned, but the first one remains, "He who can be sold to the audience, will be sold."

This article appeared on page D - 1 of the San Francisco Chronicle

[chefmike]

Vick plea deal likely
Source says 'good chance he will plead guilty'
08/15/07

Richmond, Va. — Facing the possibility of a new indictment, which includes racketeering charges, Falcons quarterback Michael Vick will most likely join his three co-defendants and agree this week to a plea deal with prosecutors in his federal dogfighting case, according to two people with knowledge of the case.

http://www.ajc.com/falcons/content/s...vick_0816.html

[chefmike]

Time for Vick to finally come clean
With government closing in, Falcons QB needs to tell us what he did

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20255876/

[chefmike]

If the feds believe a $130 million player can be a useful symbol against animal abuse, who can blame them?

There’s no black and white: Vick is horrific if guilty
Jerry Sullivan

As of Saturday afternoon, Michael Vick still had not decided whether to cop a plea in his federal dogfighting case. Vick, the most elusive quarterback of his time, was still on his feet, trying to decide whether to keep scrambling or to drop to his knees and concede he has no sensible avenues of escape.

The evidence against Vick is said to be overwhelming. Two of his co-defendants took pleas Friday. Quanis Phillips and Purnell Peace pleaded guilty to conspiracy in a dogfighting ring and agreed to testify against the star quarterback. They told prosecutors that Vick was the chief financier of the operation, and that he personally took part in the execution of eight pit bulls that had performed below expectations.

Vick is in big trouble if the accusations are true. The charges against him will get more serious if he decides not to take a plea. If a superseding indictment is handed down, it will include charges of racketeering, which could mean a sentence of five years or more if Vick is convicted.

There’s sentiment for Vick to take the plea, limiting his possible jail time to about one year and allowing him to get back in the NFL in a year or two — assuming Commissioner Roger Goodell doesn’t slap Vick with a lifetime ban.

I’m hoping Vick calls all of his high-priced attorneys into a huddle and decides to fight the charges. Vick is innocent until proven guilty. He deserves the benefit of the doubt. But if he really did bankroll a dogfighting operation on his property, he deserves to sit in court while the world hears every last detail of this ghastly and despicable enterprise.

I say this with some trepidation, at the risk of being branded a racist. Last week, a Southern newspaper editor, a friend I know and respect, asked if I was going to write about Vick. He told me not to pile on Vick, like all the other white sports columnists.

“It’s only dogs,” he said. Then he pointed out that there are countless “old white guys” around the country who do the same thing. They watch dogs rip each other to pieces in the name of gambling and entertainment. It’s not just Vick.

That’s the sad truth. Dogfighting is a rising scourge in America. Wayne Pacelle, the president of the Humane Society of the United States, said in a blog that there are thousands of dogfighting enthusiasts in the country. Pacelle said the Vick case has raised awareness of the issue.

For the sake of all those poor, helpless dogs, that’s a good thing. If the feds believe a $130 million NFL player can be a useful symbol in the battle against animal abuse, who can blame them? Certainly not anyone who ever showed affection for a pet or felt genuine love in return.

According to the horrific court testimony, underperforming dogs were hung from trees in the woods behind Vick’s property and left to die. Vick allegedly took one of the surviving dogs and drowned it in a bucket of water. Other dogs were executed by electrocution or being slammed repeatedly to the ground.

Just boys being boys, right? I’m told dogfighting is hot in the rap music culture. Supposedly, Vick thought it was cool and honorable, an accepted pastime in his circle. Deion Sanders wrote a column in a Florida paper, explaining that Vick had a “passion” for dogfighting. Sanders said he knows many athletes who share that passion.

So what I’m hearing is that dogfighting is popular among a segment of young black men. And because I’m holding Vick up as an example — instead of white men — I’m an insensitive racist out of touch with young urban culture.

Look, I know there’s racism in this country. Sometimes, it seems we’ve gone backward since Martin Luther King. I hear the strains of bigotry in some white sports fans’ voices when they talk about black sports stars. I’ve been in bars when people looked around to make sure everyone was white before telling some racist joke.

But I’m a sportswriter. A lot of the players I cover — and criticize — are black. I try to be fair. I know some black athletes (Bruce Smith, for one) feel white media don’t treat them fairly. Willis McGahee probably felt white reporters didn’t understand that Buffalo is not the most happening party place for a young black man.

That didn’t make McGahee any less a goofball in my eyes. I’m not going to stop calling out athletes when it’s warranted. Right is right, and dogfighting is a felony in 48 states. It’s inhumane. If Vick bankrolled the operation, he should go to jail and be banned from the NFL for life.

If Vick is being singled out, so be it. Black or white, we ought to do a better job of choosing our heroes. Give him his day in court. I’d like to understand how torturing and killing helpless dogs allows you to feel like a big man.

jsullivan@buffnews.com

[chefmike]

NFL's Vick Agrees To Plead Guilty


Michael Vick agreed yesterday to plead guilty to the federal dogfighting charges against him, a move that could land the Atlanta Falcons star quarterback in prison and leaves his once-dynamic football career shrouded in uncertainty.

Vick is scheduled to appear Monday in U.S. District Court in Richmond, according to his attorneys and the court's docket. Sources familiar with the case said he is expected to plead guilty to a single conspiracy count and that the recommended sentencing guideline range will be 12 to 18 months in prison. The sources spoke on the condition of anonymity because the plea deal's terms were not publicly announced.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...082002030.html

If a reprehensible individual like Vick gets a sweetheart deal like that it's an outrage. There are people serving many years in jail for such vile conduct, as should Vick. He is also responsible for the dogs seized(60 or 70) that will have to be put down due to the brutality inflicted on them by Vick and his lowlife friends. What a bunch of sick fucks.

[Ben]