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I heard rumblings about filing RICO charges against him. Since those are tough cases to prosecute, that's yet another sign they have a load of evidence.
To me it sounds like the evidence is overwhelmingly against vick. The last I saw on a number of sights is that his lawyers were reccomending that he take a plea bargain. They were trying to negotiate the plea down to 1 year or less in jail. As they said they would bring more charges against vick based on the testimony of the co defendants who already took a plea bargain. They also said that several teammates could be called to testify against vick if it went to trial.
The only other reason I think they have not takent the plea yet is because of Goodell. They wanted to know what vicks punishment would be in the NFL if he took the plea bargain ultimately admitting guilt to the charges. Specifically the charge brought for Ileggal Gambling, that is a lifetime ban according to the NFL Players conduct book. Goodell is not talking or negotiating, he said he will bring punishment when the case is concluded, I admire that.
I also read an article that had an interesting take on vicks punishment, it stated that a good punishment would be spending the day working at an animal shelter, cleaning cages, taking care of dogs, etc... and spending nights in jail. It spoke of a story about a Pit Bull that was kidnapped usen in dog fighting and was recovered still alive with a knife stuck into its head, 2 inches into it sinus cavities. They operated and the dog is doing better and is happiest when receiving positive human attention. I watched the HBO special but had to turn it off, couldn't take the cruelty.
Short is Vick is done. He will most likely take the plea and no longer have a career. Thousands of fans in Atlanta have sent their jerseys to the Atlanta Humane society with donations attached. The new clean jerseys are being used as pillows and the older jerseys are being used to clean the cages. Those are the people that will make up the Jury of his peers. He is done.
I heard rumblings about filing RICO charges against him. Since those are tough cases to prosecute, that's yet another sign they have a load of evidence.
If Vick doesn't take the plea now when it's only one count that carries a max of 5 years, and do his 4 to 5 years then he's crazy. I don't see any way he gets out of this without doing time, and if he waits it could get much worse. I'm sure he'll plea right before the next grand jury hearing.
He has until today to accept or the will file a superceding indictment and the Plea bargain will be off the tabel. It appears to be a now or never type thing. If he accepts now it is plea deal based on the current charges, if he accepts a later deal the terms will be based on multiple charges. If in his mind he knows he is guilty then he should just take the deal, because it sounds like they have all the evidence they need. Not to mention Federal prosecuters tend to be much more generous in the beginning of a case and get much tighter as the case goes on.
Also you don't spend 10 hours with your lawyers in one day if you are not seriously considering the plea. As I said the lawyers were reportedly trying to get the jail time to 1 year or less, my guess is that the plea includes around 2-3 years of jail time and a sizable fine. Not to mention that his NFL career would probably be over, he will never have another endorsment deal in his life, he would even be lucky to get a job in Canada or Europe with this black mark following him throughout anything he does going forward.
Vick needs to do 2 years in the pen and undergo counseling. The dude is screwed up in the head.
Aren't there more important things to talk about these days other than Michael Vick, T.O., and Paris Hilton?
I hope Vick gets shot in his ing head after reading
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) -- Two of Michael Vick's alleged cohorts in a grisly dogfighting case pleaded guilty Friday, and one said the Atlanta Falcons quarterback joined them in drowning and hanging dogs that underperformed.
With his NFL career in jeopardy and a superseding indictment in the works to add more charges, Vick and his lawyers have been talking with federal prosecutors about a possible plea agreement.
Now that all three co-defendants have entered plea bargains, Vick is on his own to cut a deal or face trial on federal charges.
The court docket did not list any appearance for Vick. One of his lawyers, Lawrence Woodward, attended Friday's hearings and declined to answer questions as he left the courthouse.
Purnell Peace, 35, of Virginia Beach and Quanis Phillips, 28, of Atlanta entered plea agreements and joined defendant Tony Taylor of Hampton, who struck a similar deal last month. The agreements require the three to cooperate in the government's case against Vick.
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Sentencing is scheduled for Peace and Phillips on Nov. 30 and Taylor on Dec. 14. Vick has been barred from training camp by the NFL and is to go on trial Nov. 26.
A statement signed by Phillips as part of his plea agreement said Vick participated in the execution of about eight dogs, some by drowning and hanging.
"Phillips agrees and stipulates that these dogs all died as a result of the collective efforts of Peace, Phillips and Vick," the statement said.
Phillips and Peace also backed Taylor's assertion that Vick was involved in gambling.
"The 'Bad Newz Kennels' operation and gambling monies were almost exclusively funded by Vick," statements by the two men say.
Peace and Phillips were charged with conspiracy to travel in interstate commerce in aid of unlawful activities and conspiring to sponsor a dog in an animal fighting venture.
"Did you conspire with these folks to sponsor a dogfighting venture?" U.S. District Judge Henry Hudson asked Peace.
He replied, "Yes, sir."
The offenses are punishable by up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine, but the exact sentence will be based largely on federal sentencing guidelines. Hudson told Peace and Phillips that certain elements of their offenses will increase their sentencing ranges.
Purnell A. Peace, a defendant in the Michael Vick dogfighting case, arrives at Federal court in front of protesters in Richmond, Va., Friday, Aug. 17, 2007. Purnell Peace, 35, of Virginia Beach and Quanis Phillips, 28, of Atlanta entered plea agreements and joined another defendant who previously changed his plea to guilty. The agreements require the three to cooperate in the government's case against Vick.
AP - Aug 17, 12:07 pm EDT
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"There are aggravating cir stances in this case, there's no doubt about it," he told Phillips.
While Peace was freed, Hudson found that Phillips violated terms of his release by failing a drug test and ordered him jailed. Phillips also is on probation for a drug conviction in Atlanta, and the guilty plea could mean more jail time in that case, Hudson said.
Any outcome that ties Vick to betting on the dogfights could trigger a lifetime ban from the NFL under the league's personal conduct policy.
The 27-year-old quarterback was linked to betting by a statement signed by Taylor, who pleaded guilty and agreed to cooperate with the government, and the July 17 indictment.
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell withheld further action while the NFL conducts its own investigation. NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said the league had no comment on the latest pleas.
About 30 animal-rights activists gathered outside the courtroom. Afterward, as police officers cleared the scene, protesters continued waving large pictures of a mutilated dog.
"This is one dogfighting ring that's been annihilated," said John Goodwin, a spokesman for the Humane Society of the United States.
The four defendants all initially pleaded not guilty, and Vick issued a statement saying he looked forward to clearing his name.
A statement of facts signed by Taylor as part of his plea agreement placed Vick at the scene of several dogfights and linked him to betting. Taylor said Vick financed virtually all the "Bad Newz Kennels" operation on Vick's property in Surry County.
The case began with a search in April that turned up dozens of pit bulls and an assortment of dogfighting paraphernalia at the property, a few miles from Vick's hometown of Newport News. According to the indictment, dogs that lost fights or fared poorly in test fights were sometimes executed by hanging, electrocution or other
None of that is any more brutal than throwing two dogs into a pit and letting them tear each other apart.
So has the chicken copped a plea yet?
According to local radio, ESPN reports that Vick has accepted some sort of plea.
just heard it here too.
http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2983121
Vick agrees to plead guilty in dogfighting case
ESPN.com news services
Updated: August 20, 2007, 2:36 PM ET
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RICHMOND, Va. -- Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick accepted a plea deal Monday and likely lengthy prison sentence to avoid additional federal charges in a dogfighting case that has driven his NFL career to a halt.
"After consulting with his family over the weekend, Michael Vick has asked that I announce today that he has reached an agreement with federal prosecutors regarding charges pending against him," Vick 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.
The terms of Vick's sentence are not yet known.
All three of Vick's co-defendants have reached plea deals in the case. Vick had been facing a Nov. 26 trial date.
Vick's last two co-defendants pleaded guilty Friday and said he bankrolled gambling on dogfights at the quarterback's property in rural Surry County, not far from his hometown of Newport News. One said Vick helped drown or hang dogs that didn't do well.
Quanis Phillips of Atlanta and Purnell Peace of Virginia Beach entered plea agreements and agreed to testify against Vick. Tony Taylor of Hampton struck a similar deal last month.
The gambling allegations alone could trigger a lifetime ban under the NFL's personal conduct policy.
The NFL has barred Vick from the Falcons' training camp but has withheld further action while the league conducts its own investigation.
Peace, Phillips and Taylor pleaded guilty to the same charges facing Vick: conspiracy to travel in interstate commerce in aid of unlawful activities and conspiracy to sponsor a dog in an animal fighting venture.
The offense is punishable by up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Their sentencings are set for November and December.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
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he will get a year in jail and 5 years probation, and a larger fine than 250,000
Somewhere Leonard Little is having himself a good laugh. Pardon me while I gag on a spoon while hearing Roger Goodell talk about decency and accountability.
Leonard Little was previous regime. And just because he got off light, does that mean that everybody should get off light? If anything - Leonard Little serves as a reminder to the commish to come down hard because you can't trust the players' word.
No, it just means that there's still double standards and hypocrisy. What is stopping Roger Goodell from punishing Little? Did he even get suspended for what he did? Or does some sort of double jeopardy apply in regards to the collective bargaining agreement?
Goodell is going to deal that which happens during his regime - he's not going to try to go back and "fix" any of Tagliabue's mistakes. I think it's safe to say that if Leonard Little committed vehicular manslaughter today - or even if he just picked up his 3rd DUI given his past - he'd be facing a very heavy hit from the commishioner's office.
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