Vicks got the money for top notch lawyers and the feds don't want to waste their time and effort with this piece of shit garbage so they'll accept a plea deal and essentially get the same amount of jail time with out going to trial and spending all the money a trial takes. At this point everyone know what he has done and opinions have been formed that will be lasting. Lock his sorry ass up. I believe the NFL will come down much harsher than the feds. Indefinite ban that could be up to three years. Then its' off to the CFL!
Bye Bye Mikey!!!
Vick files plea agreement admitting to dogfighting
ESPN.com news services
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<!-- end story header --><!-- begin left column --><!-- begin page tools -->Updated: August 24, 2007, 1:28 PM ET
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RICHMOND, Va. -- Michael Vick filed a plea agreement in federal court Friday admitting to a dogfighting charge and agreed the enterprise included killing fighting dogs and gambling.
However, according to the statement of facts that accompanies the plea, Vick did not place side bets and did not receive proceeds from purses from the fights.
The Atlanta Falcons quarterback is scheduled to formally enter his plea Monday in U.S. District Court.
In the agreement, Vick agreed to plead guilty to the first count of the indictment against him -- that he was part of a conspiracy to operate a dogfighting ring across state lines. The charge carries a potential sentence of up to 5 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000 and up to three years' probation.
"Most of the Bad Newz Kennels operation and gambling monies were provided by Vick," a summary of facts in the case said.
The statement said that when the kennel's dogs won, the gambling proceeds were generally shared by Vick's three co-defendants -- Tony Taylor, Purnell Peace and Quanis Phillips. All three co-defendants earlier agreed to plead guilty and assist the government's prosecution of Vick.
"Vick did not gamble by placing side bets on any of the fights. Vick did not receive any of the proceeds of the purses that were won by Bad Newz Kennels," the summary said.
"Vick agrees and stipulates that these dogs all died as a result of the collective efforts of Peace, Phillips and Vick."
According to court documents, Vick was aware that his co-defendants killed a number of dogs that did not perform well in testing sessions.
Last April, Vick and two co-defendants tested the fighting skills of dogs and the three agreed to kill six to eight dogs that didn't measure up. All were killed by methods including hanging and drowning.
In the plea agreement, Vick agreed to enter the plea "because the defendant is in fact guilty of the charged offense" and cooperate with the government's investigation. He also knowingly agreed to waive his right to an appeal in exchange for concessions made by prosecutors.
Both sides agreed that due to aggravating circumstances from the facts of the case -- namely, the "the victimnization and killing of pit bulls" -- that prosecutors would go above the federal sentencing guidelines for the charge, but would recommend a sentence at the low end of the scale following that adjustment.
However, U.S. District Judge Henry Hudson is not bound by that recommendation or by federal sentencing guidelines that will call for less than the five-year maximum.
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. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Vick files plea agreement admitting to dogfighting
ESPN.com news services
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<!-- end story header --><!-- begin left column --><!-- begin page tools -->Updated: August 24, 2007, 1:28 PM ET
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RICHMOND, Va. -- Michael Vick filed a plea agreement in federal court Friday admitting to a dogfighting charge and agreed the enterprise included killing fighting dogs and gambling.
However, according to the statement of facts that accompanies the plea, Vick did not place side bets and did not receive proceeds from purses from the fights.
The Atlanta Falcons quarterback is scheduled to formally enter his plea Monday in U.S. District Court.
In the agreement, Vick agreed to plead guilty to the first count of the indictment against him -- that he was part of a conspiracy to operate a dogfighting ring across state lines. The charge carries a potential sentence of up to 5 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000 and up to three years' probation.
"Most of the Bad Newz Kennels operation and gambling monies were provided by Vick," a summary of facts in the case said.
The statement said that when the kennel's dogs won, the gambling proceeds were generally shared by Vick's three co-defendants -- Tony Taylor, Purnell Peace and Quanis Phillips. All three co-defendants earlier agreed to plead guilty and assist the government's prosecution of Vick.
"Vick did not gamble by placing side bets on any of the fights. Vick did not receive any of the proceeds of the purses that were won by Bad Newz Kennels," the summary said.
"Vick agrees and stipulates that these dogs all died as a result of the collective efforts of Peace, Phillips and Vick."
According to court documents, Vick was aware that his co-defendants killed a number of dogs that did not perform well in testing sessions.
Last April, Vick and two co-defendants tested the fighting skills of dogs and the three agreed to kill six to eight dogs that didn't measure up. All were killed by methods including hanging and drowning.
In the plea agreement, Vick agreed to enter the plea "because the defendant is in fact guilty of the charged offense" and cooperate with the government's investigation. He also knowingly agreed to waive his right to an appeal in exchange for concessions made by prosecutors.
Both sides agreed that due to aggravating circumstances from the facts of the case -- namely, the "the victimnization and killing of pit bulls" -- that prosecutors would go above the federal sentencing guidelines for the charge, but would recommend a sentence at the low end of the scale following that adjustment.
However, U.S. District Judge Henry Hudson is not bound by that recommendation or by federal sentencing guidelines that will call for less than the five-year maximum.
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. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
CBABE asks: Amen, and since when was the Fed Govt. worried about how much of our money they spend ?
SH: Plea bargains at the federal level are not motivated by cost of going to trial, though that's a factor.
Rather, they are motivated because they have so many pending cases that unless they plea bargain over 90% (which has been the standard pace for at least 20 years now) they could not successfully prosecute the cases in timely fashion.
There's literally not near enough (by about 10x) manpower to take all cases to trial.
"Manpower" would include, but not be limited to: Prosecutors, baliffs, courtroom personnel, actual physical courtrooms, judges etc
SH: Plea bargains at the federal level are not motivated by cost of going to trial, though that's a factor.
Rather, they are motivated because they have so many pending cases that unless they plea bargain over 90% (which has been the standard pace for at least 20 years now) they could not successfully prosecute the cases in timely fashion.
There's literally not near enough (by about 10x) manpower to take all cases to trial.
"Manpower" would include, but not be limited to: Prosecutors, baliffs, courtroom personnel, actual physical courtrooms, judges etc
