Bee: Vick will plead guilty

[VF21]

http://www.sacbee.com/749/story/335050.html

Vick will plead guilty to dogfighting charges
Associated Press
Last Updated 12:05 pm PDT Monday, August 20, 2007

RICHMOND, Va. -- Michael Vick's lawyer said the NFL star will plead guilty to federal dogfighting conspiracy charges, putting the Atlantic Falcons quarterback's career in jeopardy and leaving him subject to a possible prison term.

The offense is punishable by up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine, although federal sentencing guidelines most likely would call for less.

"After consulting with his family over the weekend, Michael Vick asked that I announce today that he has reached an agreement with federal prosecutors regarding the charges pending against him," lead defense attorney Billy Martin said in a statement.

"Mr. Vick has agreed to enter a plea of guilty to those charges and to accept full responsibility for his actions and the mistakes he has made. Michael wishes to apologize again to everyone who has been hurt by this matter."

Vick's plea hearing will be Aug. 27, Martin said.

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has barred Vick from the Falcons' training camp but has withheld further action while the league conducts its own investigation.

Vick is charged with conspiracy to travel in interstate commerce in aid of unlawful activities and conspiracy to sponsor a dog in an animal fighting venture.

Martin's announcement came as a grand jury that could add new charges met in private. Prosecutors had said that a superseding indictment was in the works, but Vick's plea most likely means he will not face additional charges.

Three of Vick's original co-defendants already have pleaded guilty and agreed to testify against him if the case went to trial. Quanis Phillips of Atlanta and Purnell Peace of Virginia Beach signed statements saying the 27-year-old quarterback participated in executing at least eight underperforming dogs by various means, including drowning and hanging.

Phillips, Peace and Tony Taylor, who pleaded guilty last month, also said Vick provided virtually all of the gambling and operating funds for his "Bad Newz Kennels" operation in Surry County, Va., not far from Vick's hometown of Newport News.

The gambling allegations alone could trigger a lifetime ban under the NFL's personal conduct policy.

 

[HndsmCelt]

IF the NFL had any class or standards they would ban him for life. If the courts have any sense of justice he will spend at LEAST 5 years in the joint and pay millions in fines.

 

[Circa_1985_Fan]

Unfortunately I doubt he'll get the max, as far as prison time, he'll probably get like 3-6 months in jail and $250,000 in fines...which is a total crock, but what can you do? Hey, I believe in an eye for an eye...I think he should be punished the same way he did those dogs, he should have his head dunked repeatedly, shocked with cattle prods, beaten, and whatever else he did to those poor dogs...and THEN put in jail for his prison term.

 

[VF21]

I strongly suspect the NFL will, in fact, ban him for life.

 

[Circa_1985_Fan]

I strongly suspect the NFL will, in fact, ban him for life.

Me too...and I think now that he has admitted his guilt, this could happen any time this week, I think.

 

[Rockmeister]

Hey, I believe in an eye for an eye...I think he should be punished the same way he did those dogs, he should have his head dunked repeatedly, shocked with cattle prods, beaten, and whatever else he did to those poor dogs...and THEN put in jail for his prison term.

I agree 150% with this post.

 

[uolj]

I don't expect the NFL to suspend him for more than a year or two. Maybe he gets a year or two in prison, then gets out and is suspended for another year. If he chooses to keep playing, he plays somewhere else for awhile, and maybe attempts a comeback in the NFL in five years (assuming he wants to keep playing).

Most guys who get in trouble with the law and then come back are involved with drug related offenses, so this is certainly different. But still, he has started on the path of contrition, and whether it is genuine or not I suspect it will be the path that allows him to play football again if he wants to do so.

 

[VF21]

If he chooses to keep playing is also totally contingent upon a team actually wanting him.

I suspect a good number of fans would be more forgiving of drugs than they will be his actions.

And I still think he may indeed be given the lifetime ban. I don't see the NFL sending anything but a strong message about this.

 

[kennadog]

The intentional infliction of such horrific pain, cruelty, and death on other living creatures should result in lifetime banishment from the NFL, as far as I'm concerned.

 

[Rockmeister]

http://www.nfl.com/news/story?id=09000d5d8019d902&template=without-video&confirm=true

Posted: 29 minutes ago
Lawyer: Vick to plead guilty to dogfighting charges

Associated Press

RICHMOND, Va. -- Michael Vick agreed Monday to plead guilty to federal dogfighting conspiracy charges, a deal that leaves the Atlanta Falcons quarterback facing up to 18 months in prison and puts his NFL career in jeopardy.

Under the plea agreement, prosecutors will recommend Vick be sentenced to between a year and 18 months in prison, according to a government official who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the terms have not yet been made final.

That would be a higher penalty than is usually recommended for first-time offenders, and reflects an attempt by the government to show that animal abusers will receive more than a slap on the wrist for their crimes, the official said.

However, sources tell NFL Network's Adam Schefter the agreement calls for a 10-12 month prison sentence.

U.S. District Judge Henry Hudson will have the final say on how much time Vick ultimately will spend in jail.

Vick's plea hearing is Aug. 27.

Defense attorney Billy Martin said Vick reached an agreement with federal prosecutors after consulting with his family during the weekend.

"Mr. Vick has agreed to enter a plea of guilty to those charges and to accept full responsibility for his actions and the mistakes he has made," Martin said in a statement. "Michael wishes to apologize again to everyone who has been hurt by this matter."

The NFL noted in a statement that Vick's admission wasn't in line with what he told commissioner Roger Goodell shortly after he was initially charged.

"We totally condemn the conduct outlined in the charges, which is inconsistent with what Michael Vick previously told both our office and the Falcons," the NFL said.

The league, which barred Vick from training camp, said it has asked the Falcons to withhold further action while the NFL's own investigation wraps up.

The Falcons said they were "certainly troubled" by news of the plea but would withhold further comment in compliance with Goodell's request.

In a telephone interview with the AP, Martin said Vick is paying a high price for allowing old friends to influence his behavior, but he emphasized that his client takes full responsibility.

"There were some judgment issues in terms of people he was associating with," Martin said. "He realized this is very serious, and he decided to plead so he can begin the healing process."

The lawyer said salvaging Vick's NFL career was never part of the discussions.

"Football is not the most important thing in Michael Vick's life," he said. "He wants to get his life back on track."

Vick is charged with conspiracy to travel in interstate commerce in aid of unlawful activities and conspiracy to sponsor a dog in an animal fighting venture. He had pleaded not guilty last month and vowed to clear his name at a November trial.

The plea deal was announced just as a new grand jury began meeting. Prosecutors had said that a superseding indictment was in the works, but Vick's plea most likely means he will not face additional charges.

Three of Vick's original co-defendants already have pleaded guilty and agreed to testify against him if the case went to trial. Quanis Phillips of Atlanta and Purnell Peace of Virginia Beach signed statements saying the 27-year-old quarterback participated in executing at least eight underperforming dogs by various means, including drowning and hanging.

Phillips, Peace and Tony Taylor, who pleaded guilty last month, also said Vick provided virtually all of the gambling and operating funds for his "Bad Newz Kennels" operation in rural Virginia, not far from Vick's hometown of Newport News.

The gambling allegations alone could trigger a lifetime ban under the NFL's personal conduct policy.

Vick's Atlanta attorney, Daniel Meachum, told the AP that Vick is taking a chance with his guilty plea as far as his career is concerned because there have been no discussions with the league in recent days.

"There's no promise or even a request of the league to make a promise," Meachum said.

Meachum said the plea deal involves only the federal case. He said he doesn't know if there have been any discussions about resolving Virginia state charges that may be brought against Vick.

The case began April 25 when investigators conducting a drug search at a massive home Vick built in Surry County found 66 dogs, some of them injured, and items typically used in dogfighting. They included a "rape stand" that holds aggressive dogs in place for mating and a "breakstick" used to pry open a dog's mouth.

Vick contended he knew nothing about a dogfighting operation at the home, where one of his cousins lived, and said he rarely visited. The former Virginia Tech star also blamed friends and family members for taking advantage of his generosity and pledged to be more scrupulous.

The July 17 indictment said dogs that lost fights or fared poorly in test fights were sometimes executed by hanging, electrocution or other brutal means. The grisly details fueled public protests against Vick and cost him some of his lucrative endorsement deals.

Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press

 

[VF21]

The NFL noted in a statement that Vick's admission wasn't in line with what he told commissioner Roger Goodell shortly after he was initially charged.

"We totally condemn the conduct outlined in the charges, which is inconsistent with what Michael Vick previously told both our office and the Falcons," the NFL said.

That right there could indicate the NFL is NOT going to take this lightly.

 

[kennadog]

Vick contended he knew nothing about a dogfighting operation at the home, where one of his cousins lived, and said he rarely visited. The former Virginia Tech star also blamed friends and family members for taking advantage of his generosity and pledged to be more scrupulous.

That's not contrition at all. That's copping a plea while blaming everyone else and saying he's not really guilty at all.

 

[VF21]

IMHO he agreed to a plea bargain because everyone else involved had already turned against him and it could have gotten really ugly in a trial. I have zero sympathy for him ... and agree with kennadog.

 

[pdxKingsFan]

I'm not going to hold my breath on the lifetime suspension but I'd be extremely disappointed if he didn't do at least one year of jail for his actions and then get an additional suspension matching the length of his sentence. My real preference is that his jail term and suspension combine to a 5 year vacation. Not a career death sentence but pretty close.

 

[uolj]

That's not contrition at all. That's copping a plea while blaming everyone else and saying he's not really guilty at all.

While it is most likely not genuine contrition, it won't be difficult for him to feign remorse and it will be difficult for some people to tell the difference.

Even though the charges here are serious, I just think the way the system works he will eventually be allowed back in if he wishes to come back.

 

[HndsmCelt]

Can't argue wiht Kennadog myself. I understand the limits of the law (should be changed) and IF the NFL lacks the guts to ban him I hope fans will let the owners know that they will NOT support any team scummy enough to play him.

 

[Bricklayer]

I doubt he gets a lifetime ban off of this (at least one that sticks) given the fuzziness about what he did personally as opposed to what the "friends"" did, and of course that it involved dogs as opposed to people. But I think it may work out that way anyway -- be a prison term, LONG suspension with him having to apply to the league for reinstatement, all of his endorsement deals will go away, contract will be cancelled, and then the thing will be, 3 years, 4 years, whatever down the line when maybe technically he could return, what team is going to take him? Who is going to take that PR hit for a 30+ year old guy who's been out of the league and is accused of such ugliness? Think beyond longshots with the big ego owners like Jerry Jones or Al Davis the answer could be nobody.

 

[VF21]

I think his endorsement deals already went away. I know his jerseys have been pulled from the shelves...

 

[Circa_1985_Fan]

I doubt he gets a lifetime ban off of this given the fuzziness about what he did personally as opposed to what the "friends"" did...

Nope...Vick had a hand in EXACTLY the same thing as his friends did, they dimed him out: 'Co-defendant links Michael Vick to killing of at least 8 dogs'.

And they were VERY graphic in the ways in which they said Vick executed these dogs, too. I dont think Goodell will have ANY leniency towards him in this case at ALL! And if he does, he should be reprimanded for not banning him for life, those dogs arent around anymore to enjoy their lives, while Vick is...sick...just sick...

 

[Bricklayer]

Nope...Vick had a hand in EXACTLY the same thing as his friends did, they dimed him out: 'Co-defendant links Michael Vick to killing of at least 8 dogs'.

And they were VERY graphic in the ways in which they said Vick executed these dogs, too. I dont think Goodell will have ANY leniency towards him in this case at ALL! And if he does, he should be reprimanded for not banning him for life, those dogs arent around anymore to enjoy their lives, while Vick is...sick...just sick...

It says "participated", which again fuzzes the issue of his role.

The real hook, if there was to be one, of a lifetime ban might be to try to use the gambling angle, even though that's not what the rules originally envisioned of course.

However, it could be a good PR move for Goodell to try to slap the lifetime ban down and then let it be Vick's lawyers who whittle it back to a shorter period. That way he can say that he abhors the conduct and did everything he could, and its just the mean nasty legal system that forced him to shorten the term. Might actually be the smart play if you are the commissioner.

 

[Rockmeister]

I thought this was interesting read.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/columns/story?columnist=munson_lester&id=2983319

Details of Vick plea agreement will impact NFL future
Munson

By Lester Munson
ESPN.com
(Archive)

Updated: August 20, 2007, 6:20 PM ET


On Monday afternoon, NFL star Michael Vick agreed to admit his guilt in a dogfighting and gambling scheme. Billy Martin, Vick's lead attorney, announced Vick's decision as a federal grand jury in Richmond, Va., was preparing additional charges against the Atlanta Falcons' quarterback. Vick's admission of guilt, as well as the timing of it, raises questions. Here are some answers:

Why did Michael Vick enter into an agreement to plead guilty?

In strictly legal terms, this is an agreement by Vick. In the bigger picture, it's a surrender. Vick is admitting his guilt because he and his legal team realized that there is no escape from the charges related to the federal dogfighting case. They wanted to negotiate with federal prosecutors, and they wanted to negotiate with the NFL. Instead of a negotiation from the prosecutors, Vick and his lawyers kept receiving bad news from them. That trend would have continued with additional charges being filed if Vick's legal team had not given up the fight on Monday afternoon. Instead of a negotiation with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell about the manner in which the league intended to punish Vick, Vick and his legal team received a cold shoulder. When they could not negotiate, they had no alternative. They had to surrender.

If the federal case against Vick is so overwhelming, why would the federal prosecutors agree to accept Vick's plea of guilty?

The job of a federal prosecutor is to seek justice, not to seek revenge or punishment. Whenever an accused individual is willing to admit guilt and accept the consequences, federal prosecutors are interested. A guilty plea brings the case to a final conclusion. It saves hundreds of thousands of dollars in trial preparation, and it avoids any chance something could go wrong in the trial that would allow a guilty defendant to go free. In the dogfighting case, it was important to the prosecution team that Vick admit he was doing wrong. It is a major step forward in a national effort to eliminate dogfighting.

Vick will appear in court again on Aug. 27. What should we watch for?

Vick and the government prosecutors will file papers that give the details of Vick's admissions. The factual details in those papers will be critical. Will Vick admit that in March 2003, he helped Quanis Phillips, one of his co-defendants, hose down a losing dog and then electrocute it? Will he admit that he helped execute eight more dogs in 2004 and 2005, some by hanging, some by drowning and one by slamming it on the ground until it was dead? Will he admit that it was his money that was used in the purses and the side bets in the dogfights described by his cohorts? If he admits a personal role in the execution of dogs and a lead role in the gambling enterprise, he might never return to the NFL. Goodell and NFL officials will scrutinize these papers as they decide what should be done with Vick.

In addition to the details disclosed in the paperwork, watch next Monday for Judge Henry Hudson to set a date for Vick's sentencing. In most federal courthouses, the sentencing comes at least several months after the guilty plea; but in the "rocket docket" procedures that prevail in Richmond, the sentencing will probably come more quickly, perhaps as early as October. Judge Hudson must also determine whether to sentence Vick's co-defendants before he sentences Vick. Tony Taylor, the first of Vick's cohorts to plead guilty and agree to testify against Vick, was to be sentenced on Dec. 14, after he testified at Vick's trial (which had been set for late November). That scheduling was an obvious incentive for Taylor to testify effectively against Vick. But now, with Vick's admission of guilt and the trial off the docket, Judge Hudson may move the date of Taylor's sentencing up, and sentence all three of Vick's co-defendants, including Quanis Phillips and Purnell Peace, before he sentences Vick. All three will be entitled to consideration for leniency because they admitted their guilt and promised to help the federal prosecutors in their case against Vick.

How much time will Vick spend in jail?

Previous reports indicate that the government wanted Vick to spend between 18 and 36 months in a federal penitentiary. Other reports say it could be between 12 and 18. Before the judge issues a sentence, Vick must submit to an investigation by federal probation authorities. Probation officers will investigate his life in painstaking detail, including the dogfighting enterprise. These pre-sentence reports are kept secret and submitted only to the sentencing judge. The report will include a recommendation on a sentence.

Judge Henry Hudson will consider the report's conclusions as he sentences Vick. Hudson has been tough when it comes to sentences. He uses the word "maximum" more often than he uses the words "minimum" or "probation." If Vick cannot convince Hudson that he can be a good citizen, Vick will be doing 24 months or more.

Why did Vick wait until Monday to admit his guilt?

This investigation is not even three months old. It has progressed with incredible speed. The first raid on Vick's 15-acre compound came on April 25. Agents of the U.S. Department of Agriculture quickly entered the investigation and took it over. They have quickly put together an extraordinary amount of high-quality evidence. Until the raid, Vick was living a life of celebrity and success. It must have been very difficult for him to make the adjustments necessary to realize he was in serious trouble and on his way to jail. Not long ago, he was telling Goodell personally that he was not guilty of anything. Today, he surrenders. So his plea of guilty is not late. In fact, it comes earlier than anyone could have imagined.

Are there any winners in this terrible story?

Yes. The winners are the investigating agents, the federal prosecutors and the humane societies. I have never seen an investigation in the sports industry that was done so quickly and so professionally. The only possible comparison is to the virtuoso work of Greg Garrison, the Indianapolis attorney who prepared and tried the rape case against former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson, which led to Tyson's conviction and three years in prison. In most cases against celebrity athletes, the athlete has most of the advantages: better investigators, better lawyers and more money. Vick had the money and the lawyers, but he never caught up with the investigators and prosecutors in Virginia.

The local prosecutor in Surry County, Va., where Vick built his dogfighting compound, says he will now take action against Vick. What can he do to Vick that the federal authorities haven't already done?

Gerald Poindexter, the local prosecutor, can huff and puff and seek attention, but that's about it. Vick need not worry much about Poindexter. The federal authorities have the seven witnesses, the financial records, the e-mails and all the other evidence. Poindexter can charge Vick with dogfighting under a Virginia law that makes it a felony, but any punishment the player might serve on that charge would be done at the same time Vick is serving his federal sentence. Poindexter appears to be a bit embarrassed that the feds took over an investigation that he had started, and so whatever action he ultimately takes might be motivated, at least in part, by a desire to save face.

Lester Munson, a Chicago lawyer and journalist who has been reporting on investigative and legal issues in the sports industry for 18 years, is a senior writer for ESPN.com.

 

[VF21]

Thanks for posting, Rock. It answered several questions I'd been thinking about...

 

[Bricklayer]

As an aside, concerning the competence of the prosecutors in this case, this was the US Attorney's office. You don't mess with the US Attorney's office (took a long look at becoming one early in my career ). In these cases normally you are talking about local prosecutors -- often lesser attorneys with lesser resources. And they CAN be overwhelmed. Done that too. You have 10x their resources and so sometimes you can really press them even if they have a stronger case. Sad but true. But the US Attorneys are a different animal -- they are the United States' enforcement arm and get some of the best trial lawyers in the country passing through their ranks, top law school grads etc.. They are used to trying big cases, trying the mob, RICO cases etc.. You aren't going to intimdate them, and they have the resources to deal with almost anything. Because this dogfighting ring went across state lines it gave them jurisdiction (you cross state lines it becomes federal), and that made things much worse for Vick than if he had been operating entirely within Georgia for instance, in which case he would only have had to deal with a local prosecutor and might have been able to swamp him/her with money and a high level defense team.

 

[Circa_1985_Fan]

Well, I for one cant wait until next Monday to hear what/if Vick admits to anything. I'm not expecting much...but who knows. This whole thing just makes me so sad...we have a pit bull, and he's the biggest teddy bear in the world and we couldnt love him more...just makes me sick...

 

[Mr. S£im Citrus]

I like football slightly more than I like going to the dentist, and I'm not exactly known for being very sympathetic towards animals, so I haven't kept a very close eye on this story... but my best friend is a huge football fan, and when I posed to him the idea of Vick returning to the NFL, these were his exact words: "As long as Al Davis owns the Raiders, there's always going to be at least one person willing to give Vick a second chance."

 

[RIP miyagi]

I would like to believe that he accepted the plea bargain because he realized that there was no way he could win his case. But i think that after all he said, coming out and denying all the accusations, and then to take the plea bargain is just plain hypocritical. I realize he is just trying to save himself, but i think he looks even worse to the public because not only is he agreeing to having commited these horrendous crimes, but he also lied about it to the entire country. I wouldn't be surprised if he never played again, but i would also be dissapointed. Nobody could do the things that he did on the field.

 

[VF21]

He cannot deny all accusations when he actually pleads guilty. He has to admit to being guilty to the charges he's pleading to and I believe he has to detail what he did.

 

[Circa_1985_Fan]

Nobody could do the things that he did on the field.

And its what he 'allegedly' did off the field that will make me FORGET what he did ON the field. Sad...

 

[Gary]

Vick is a horrible person. I can't believe someoen would do somethignlike that to an animal. It's just wrong. In him pleading guilty I can com out an say that he should never ever ever be able to play in the NFL. He broke the rules, and as with any job he should be "fired". Maybe he can get a job in the CFL or something? Or the Arena League. But I don't think he should ever be able to play in the NFL again. A true Disgrace Vick is..

 

[pdxKingsFan]

The CFL actually bars banned NFL players from playing in their league. In Vick's case I'd bet they'd actually even rename the so-called Ricky Williams Rule in his honor.