Michael Vick to plead guilty...

[sweetrebel]

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 convicts, 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.

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


Michael Vick indicted





News:

Vick accepts a plea deal



"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."


"We totally condemn the conduct outlined in the charges, which is inconsistent with what Michael Vick previously told both our office and the Falcons. We will conclude our own review under the league's personal conduct policy as soon as possible."


—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 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.

[sweetrebel]

Shit, I am all screwed up!
I swear when I first read this article not ten minutes ago, at the bottom it was talking about donated jerseys with Vick's name or number that went to the local humane societies. It said that they used them for dog blankets and to clean up after the dogs...can't seem to find it now...

He sure is singing a different tune now that his buddies are willing to testify against his ass. I hope he goes to jail and is never allowed to participate in any sports related field. That includes broadcasting and such.

[celeb_2006]

Well well, so a pro sports athlete finally pleads guilty when at first claiming innocence, what else is new?

So now he "apologizes" and plea bargains and will get a slap on the wrist as usual?

Again, when's the oprah winfrey show to rehabilitate his image (I am not a monster), the people magazine cover, and the 20/20 barbara wa wa interview with his wife in hand, crying crocodile tears of "guilt?"

Makes me wanna barf.

[PaintTheTownRed]

I think he's done and good riddance. He wasn't playing well anyway so I doubt any team will want him after he is sentenced. Now Virginia is thinking about bringing charges against him and he was gambling on the dog fights so he may be banned from playing football for life. I'm so glad, Vick is a sick f*ck.

[LtlBoPeep]

Sorry Paint the town Red I don't think we have seen the last of this joker. I heard that he pleaded to the lesser federal charge of transporting dogs for fighting, instead of a secondary one that was in the works of racketeering which had a longer prision time. Since the NFL won't take a stand at this point my prediction is you will see him in 2 - 3 years, after his prision time and a image makeover, many ASPCA public service messages - blah, blah, blah. Unfortunately the public will give him a second chance, unlike the 8 underperforming dogs that were killed at his hands........

[celeb_2006]

Exactly, short of some really nasty sexual crimes or murder a la O.J., no celebuturd or pro sports athlete will face any sort of punishment or ostracization from the general public. People have short attention spans and vick will be back in a uniform in no time. In the greater scheme of things, dogfighting is rather "tame" compared to what other things he could have been guilty of.

Ahh, to be rich and famous and above the law (not that I like dog fighting mind you).

[happy8]

I do have to say, it was refreshing for him to keep quiet, accept he did wrong and deal with the punishment. I'm so sick of high profile people denying it and saying "wait until the facts are out" then backpedaling and blaming someone else.

[celeb_2006]

I do have to say, it was refreshing for him to keep quiet, accept he did wrong and deal with the punishment. I'm so sick of high profile people denying it and saying "wait until the facts are out" then backpedaling and blaming someone else.

In the above article:


"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."

[Chimera]

It's all over for this guy - I still don't understand why he did such an inhumane and stupid thing when he had it all.

[sweetrebel]

Vick is through as far as the NFL is concerned. I guarantee you they won't touch him with a ten foot pole when this is over. I read this morning that he will lose the rest of his 130 million/13 year contract and may have to pay back like 22 million that included a signing bonus.
As if the gambling alone didn't wipe him out, they allegedly have pictures of him with some of the dogs...not sure if it is the dogs he killed or the ones fighting.
The article also said that the reason (possible reason) he didn't go to trial was because there was no way his defense team could put up a credible defense-the pictures maybe?
There have been a lot of professional atheletes in trouble for drugs, sex, you know, the usual, but I don't think anyone has done something this heinous and walked away. This man will serve time. It may not be what he deserves, but he will go to jail. The judge has the option of rejecting the plea deal and sentence him to what he sees fit.
So much money and so little sense...Ain't that just the way it goes?

[curlysem]

im sure, he's crying his puddle. i can't understand how someone can do these things to poor animals!!!

[Laxmobster]

Vick is through as far as the NFL is concerned. I guarantee you they won't touch him with a ten foot pole when this is over. I read this morning that he will lose the rest of his 130 million/13 year contract and may have to pay back like 22 million that included a signing bonus.

Actually not so, read this:

What will the Falcons do?
Atlanta owner Arthur Blank likely would not let a felon convicted of dogfighting run his team. The question is how Blank would handle Vick's exodus. Cutting him would be the easy thing to do, but terminating Vick's contract could disqualify the franchise from claiming more than $22 million of signing bonus proration.
Vick has three years left on his contract, including this season. If he is unable to play in any of those seasons because of legal action, the Falcons can make a legal case that he failed to fulfill his contract, then claim the annual $7.5 million of signing bonus proration. Vick signed a 10-year, $130 million contract, and the Falcons can't go back and get money he earned by playing. But it makes good business sense to go after the money he collected in signing bonus even if it means keeping him on the roster while he serves any prison sentence and a possible NFL suspension.



ESPN - Clayton: Vick's NFL future could be bleak - NFL

The article points out a lot of good info.

I hope he doesn't play, but he's too damn good of a player for the NFL to let him go. Now he certainly won't be a falcon but I'm sure some team will want pick him up. I was at Tech when Vick was there and he was a supreme A-HOLE! He would have been a fool to not take the plea deal...

[sweetrebel]

Hmmm who knows, the article I read this morning said...
Same article talked about how he wasn't that great of a player, either...will add it, too


Vick can say goodbye to much — if not all — of the remaining money on the 10-year, $130M contract he signed in 2004, and the Falcons may try to recover some of the $22M already paid Vick as part of his signing bonus. It's safe to say that Arthur Blank believes Vick has violated the personal-conduct clause of his contract. It seems doubtful that, once Vick formalizes his plea next week, the Falcons will ever pay him another penny.


He's simply not a good enough quarterback to merit the s---storm signing him would unleash. What owner would invite the public backlash to acquire a QB with a 75.7 career rating?


Fox Sports on MSN.com


I just hope they punish him. Jail time just doesn't seem like enough. Hit him where it hurts-his money...his "fame"....his career. I think most of these articles are just the writer's opinions anyway...

[cataroo]

I just hope they punish him. Jail time just doesn't seem like enough. Hit him where it hurts-his money...his "fame"....his career.

Personally, I would like to see him thrown into an arena with a gabillion pit bulls! Then after he "underperforms", someone can take him out back and shoot or electrocute his dumb ass!

[rockchick]

animal abusers aren't human.