Vick INDICTED! [Archive] - Page 2

lady_zana

09-04-2007, 04:36 PM

It's okay because he's from the South? That's the "well, everyone else is doing it so it must be okay" excuse.

I'm from a rural Kentucky town. Therefore, I guess I must be pregnant and on welfare...I wish I had known this! Just because of where you live and the fact a certain action (like dogfighting) is seen or done there often, doesn't make it right.

I don't want to be stereotyped as a certain way just because I'm from a rural area and now Goldberg is saying that it's okay for him to dogfight because that's why people from around there do? A thumbs down for her in my book, on the dogfighting account and another one down because of the okaying of stereotyping.

I never watch The View anymore and haven't in a long time. I'm glad, though, they have reminded me why I stopped. :p

lizbud

09-04-2007, 04:44 PM

I found the article & did read it. I am super disappointed in Whoopi for
even bringing his name up at all. :( What's she doing, playing for ratings?

It's understandable because he was raised that way? BS. It is against the
law in every state & has been for years.. The culture thing won't get it.

K9soul

09-04-2007, 08:36 PM

Check this out: http://www.tmz.com/2007/09/04/humane-society-auctions-off-vicks-talking-points/

The Humane Society is auctioning off his talking points.

I went to the ebay auction for Vick's speech notes and see it has 25 bids already and up to $1000. I wonder what that will go for. Here is the item description on the auction:

This sheet of paper was discarded at the podium after Michael Vick's apology on August 28th, 2007 at the Omni Hotel in Richmond. Found by an HSUS employee, it appears to be Vick's own talking points from his first public statement after his guilty plea for crimes related to dogfighting.

Ironically, Vick never got to the last three words, "dogs have suffered", which had clearly been added as an afterthought.
This piece of memorabilia culminates the nation's most notorious celebrity cruelty case. It is a symbol of the downfall of a superstar's career but also of the historical event that brought light to the cruel and illegal business of dogfighting in America.

Auction is here: Ebay auction (http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=200149223837)

lady_zana

09-05-2007, 09:16 AM

UGH, you have GOT to be joking!! How can they POSSIBLY think they can justify his actions by saying its "part of his cultural upbringing"?! So you're saying if part of my cultural upbringing was being racist and having blacks as slaves, and I was caught having a black slave, that would be ok?!?!?!

That's a good example of how cultures can change. It hasn't been socially acceptable to own a slave in close to two hundred years....but at one time it was.

Just because it was socially acceptable at one time to do an action doesn't mean it will always be that way. If enough people realize the stupidity of their actions, things will change. The "it's my culture" excuse doesn't wash with me.

catmandu

09-07-2007, 03:08 PM

Lets Hope That Somewhere Somehow The Punishment Will Fit The Crime And These Creeps Spend An Eternity In The Hell So Richly Decribed By Dante In Dantes Inferno.
That Would Be Proper Justice.

lizbud

09-07-2007, 04:24 PM

I hope people don't forget these victims. :(

Give Vick Dogs a Fighting Chance at Life

Ask U.S. Attorney to allow rescue organizations to adopt qualified dogs

No matter what punishment Michael Vick gets for his days of dogfighting, the fate that may await the 53 pit bulls rescued from a life of deadly combat at his now-defunct Bad Newz Kennels is far worse than anything the disgraced quarterback will face. That is, the dogs he so cruelly abused will likely be killed within a few short weeks—not by Vick and his dogfighting partners in crime, but by lethal injection at the hands of licensed government agents.

Granted, humane euthanasia is a far sight better than death by shooting, hanging, drowning, or electrocution—these being some of the methods Vick admits he used to dispatch dogs who were not skilled fighters. Yet, no matter how it's done or who does it, killing the remaining dogs will still have the same tragic result: the unnecessary end of these innocent animals' lives. These would not be "mercy killings" of terminally ill animals, but merely the deliberate destruction of terribly abused creatures whose suffering might still be alleviated by a systematic regimen of kindness and compassion.

When pit bulls are taken into custody during raids on dogfighting rings, they are almost always killed because they are believed to be dangerous and unfit for society. Yet there are numerous success stories of fighting dogs being completely rehabilitated and recovering from their violent conditioning to become loving animal companions. Therefore, rather than simply write these animals off because they've been damaged by hellish treatment, we must commit to giving them the best chance at a decent life that we possibly can.

Vick could have spared the lives of dogs who lost fights, but chose not to for his own convenience, because dogs who cannot win future fights were of no use to him. IDA believes we must do everything we can for these canine victims, and, thankfully, so do many of our colleagues in the animal protection movement.

IDA commends the ASPCA for agreeing to temperament-test all 53 dogs to determine how dangerous they actually are, and whether they can be properly socialized through retraining. Thankfully, several highly-respected shelters—including Mariah's Promise in Colorado and Best Friends Sanctuary in Utah—have already stepped forward with offers to house the dogs and work with them until they are ready for new homes and new lives. Both of these organizations have direct experience handling aggressive pit bulls, as well as rigorous screening procedures in place to ensure that all dogs adopted out go only to responsible guardians.

As the highest-paid football player in NFL history, Vick is a celebrity athlete on par with the most famous names in any professional sport today, so his indictment has done more to awaken Americans to the scourge of dogfighting than any other event in our nation's history. Such a high-profile animal abuse case demands from us the highest consideration for the lives of those most directly impacted by these unique circumstances. We have a responsibility therefore not only redouble our efforts to end dogfighting in this country, but also to do everything in our power to redeem the lives it has ruined—starting with these 53 dogs.

What You Can Do

1) Please write a letter to U.S. Attorney Michael Gill urging him to allow all dogs who pass temperament evaluations to be taken by qualified rescue organizations:

U.S. Attorney Michael Gill
Case No 307CV397
600 East Main Street, Suite 1800
Richmond, VA 23219

2) Also email the two ASPCA behavioral specialists who will be evaluating the dogs to thank them for their efforts:

http://idausa.org/campaigns/sport/dog/images/070905.jpg

- Steve Zawistowski – [email protected]
- Randall Lockwood – [email protected]

RICHARD

09-07-2007, 08:43 PM

Terrell Owens made the same arguement for Vick that the Whoopster did.

IT was in an interview w/Jim Gray of ESPN that aired on a few days ago.

--------

I want to say that the 'talking bowling ball' Tiki Barber made some other stupid comments about the case...But I was tired and didn't listen all the way.

Another interesting Letter to the Editor in yesterday's newspaper regarding the "cultural excuse" that people are giving.

It said something like...

Wecan forgive law breakers for their culture- we can forgive illegal aliens for crossing the border, Murders for killing and KKK members for their hate.

I am sure Whoppi can get behind those cultures. :confused:

joycenalex

09-24-2007, 09:06 PM

from msnbc.....RICHMOND, Va. - The prosecutor in the rural county where Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick has admitted to bankrolling a dogfighting operation plans to present “a host of bills of indictment” regarding the case to a grand jury on Tuesday.

“Yes, I’m presenting matters to the grand jury that involve dogfighting at 1915 Moonlight Road,” Surry County Commonwealth’s Attorney Gerald G. Poindexter told The Associated Press in a telephone interview Monday night.

Moonlight Road is the address of the two story home on 15 mostly undeveloped acres that has been host to “Bad Newz Kennels” since 2001. It’s where dozens of pit bulls were found in April, and where they were trained, fought and brutally executed.
“Most of the matters that I’m presenting have already been admitted in sworn statements authored by the defendants in the federal proceedings,” Poindexter said.

He couldn’t detail the exact indictments he will pursue, but said the local investigation and the federal investigation largely focused on different crimes.

“The killing of dogs is one of those statutory prohibitions. Dogfighting is a crime, the mistreatment of animals is a crime, so you could take your pick, or take them all,” Poindexter said before cutting the conversation short. “I don’t have anything else to say about it. I’m through with it. Hopefully it’s coming to an end.”

Vick, his co-defendants and lawyers will not attend the closed proceeding.

Efforts to reach Vick’s lawyers by telephone and e-mail were not successful.

Vick and three co-defendants have already pleaded guilty to conspiracy charges in the case, and all are awaiting sentencing in federal court before the end of the year.

Vick, who faces up to five years in prison, also has been indefinitely suspended without pay by the NFL and been dropped by all his major sponsors, including Nike.

The local charges, and a conviction, could spell an end to any hope he has of resuming his NFL career after serving a likely federal prison term. An animal cruelty charge in Virginia is punishable by up to five years in prison, and he admitted in his written plea to helping kill six to eight pit bulls days before the first raid.

That alone could expose him to as many as 40 years in prison.

Vick, in his written plea, also admitted to supplying money for gambling on the fights involving Bad Newz Kennels dogs. He said he did not personally place any bets or share in any winnings, but gave his three co-defendants all those proceeds.

The co-defendants, all of whom pleaded guilty before Vick and detailed what they said was his involvement, agreed to testify against him had the case gone to trial.
The case began in late April when authorities conducting a drug investigation of Vick’s cousin raided the former Virginia Tech star’s property and seized dozens of dogs, most of them pit bulls, and equipment commonly associated with dogfighting.

Six weeks later, with the local investigation perceived to be dragging and a search warrant allowed to expire, federal agents arrived with their own search warrants and started digging up dog carcasses buried days before the first raid.

Poindexter, who had been widely criticized for the pace of the investigation, reacted angrily when the feds moved in, suggesting that Vick’s celebrity was a draw, or that their pursuit of the case could have racial overtones. He later eased off those comments, saying that the sides would simply be pursuing parallel investigations.

cassiesmom

09-26-2007, 03:36 PM

What is a temperament examination?
Please write a letter to U.S. Attorney Michael Gill urging him to allow all dogs who pass temperament evaluations to be taken by qualified rescue organizations Is it something specific to the pit bull? Is it conducted by an expert? I would hate for a dog to be deemed unrescueable and put down, or for a dog found rescueable to be involved later in an accident with a person.

Can you re-train a pit bull (or any aggressive dog, really) to learn to get along with people? Look at retired racing greyhounds, they really have no experience with being part of a family until they go through an adoption program. Once they retire, they have to learn everything about living in a home and being a pet. Those folks must have expertise with identifying the few who can't successfully adapt to a life after racing, but it seems like the great majority of greyhound "retirees" do just fine.

Lady's Human

09-26-2007, 04:57 PM

Vick isn't even intelligent enough to avoid the dope while in a court monitored program awaiting sentencing. The fool popped hot on a urinalysis.

Have fun with your future cellmates.

lizbud

09-26-2007, 06:30 PM

Vick isn't even intelligent enough to avoid the dope while in a court monitored program awaiting sentencing. The fool popped hot on a urinalysis.

Have fun with your future cellmates.

How smart do you have to be to throw a ball in a straight line? :rolleyes:

Probably under the impression that the rules apply to OTHER people.

Cinder & Smoke

09-26-2007, 06:42 PM

:D

Mikey's getting *dummer* than a Box a Rocks!

Been a bad week for the boy star ...

------------------------------------------------
"Local Charges" good for a few more years in the slammer AFTER the Feds
get done with him ... MSNBC.com article >>>

"Vick indicted on state dogfighting charges" at
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20962932/
-----------------------------------------------------------------

Then we have the Failed Drug Test >>>

"More troubles: Vick positive for marijuana
QB, already facing sentencing for dogfighting, can't leave house at night" ... article at
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20994016/
--------------------------------------------------

Now for TODAY'S NEW Development >>>

Bank says Vick defaulted on $2.5 million loan
Royal Bank of Canada files lawsuit against embattled Falcons quarterback ...

And they want their money BACK! ... article at >
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20993051/
-----------------------------------------------------

How much do they pay Prisoners to *stamp out* license plates?

I'll bet paying off $2.5 Million will take a LOTTA license plates!

:D

crow_noir

09-27-2007, 01:25 AM

They are done all over the nation on many breeds almost every day. Mostly done in pounds.

Expert is all a relative term. Some people perform the test that shouldn't.

Some pitties are rehabable, others aren't. The same with any dog. (Many points are debated on this. There are many ill-informed out there. Also you have people that believe very strongly on one side or the other of Nature vs. Nurture. Genes or Environment.

Some dogs should never be adopted out, but unfortunately are and it only serves to make a bad name for the very dogs so many people are trying to rescue. Sometimes these people get too attached and are blinded by their own devotion. I say that some should be put down to make room for ones that are rehabable. That's my biased opinion. (Rescue is hard though... To think with a clear head is a difficult feat and an admirable rare quality.)

What is a temperament examination? Is it something specific to the pit bull? Is it conducted by an expert? I would hate for a dog to be deemed unrescueable and put down, or for a dog found rescueable to be involved later in an accident with a person.

Can you re-train a pit bull (or any aggressive dog, really) to learn to get along with people? Look at retired racing greyhounds, they really have no experience with being part of a family until they go through an adoption program. Once they retire, they have to learn everything about living in a home and being a pet. Those folks must have expertise with identifying the few who can't successfully adapt to a life after racing, but it seems like the great majority of greyhound "retirees" do just fine.

Cincy'sMom

09-27-2007, 10:46 PM

What do you say we stick Michael Vick and Mike Tyson in a cell together and throw away the key?

Cinder & Smoke

09-27-2007, 10:58 PM

:D

What do you say we stick Michael Vick and Mike Tyson in a cell together and
throw away the key?

Hey ~~ OK!! :)

Can we BET on the outcome?

:p

lizbud

09-29-2007, 12:05 PM

I wonder if this is connected to the Canadian bank's action or is it a
separate transaction? Either way, Vick is in deep trouble.Couldn't happen
to a more deserving creep.

Indiana Bank Sues Michael Vick Over Unpaid Car Loans
Bank Claims $2 Million In Damages

POSTED: 11:22 am EDT September 28, 2007

SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- An Indiana bank has sued embattled Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick for not repaying loans involving a car rental business.

South Bend-based 1st Source Bank claimed in a federal lawsuit that it had suffered damages of at least $2 million as Vick and Divine Seven LLC of Atlanta had refused to pay for the vehicles.

Vick signed loan agreements as the CFO of Divine Seven, which bought at least 130 vehicles, including many Kia Spectra and Ford Taurus cars, through 1st Source Bank loans, according to documents filed in U.S. District Court in South Bend on Wednesday.

A phone call Friday to a number listed on loan documents for Divine Seven was answered by a clerk at a Payless Car Rental office in Atlanta. The Associated Press left a message there for Art Washington, who signed some of the loan documents as Divine Seven's CEO.

According to the lawsuit, 1st Source Bank made a written demand for payment on Aug. 24, but Vick and Divine Seven have "failed and refused to pay."

The bank has been able to repossess most of the cars, which will limit Vick's financial liability in the lawsuit, said John Griffith, the corporate counsel for 1st Source Bank.

The lawsuit, which seeks unspecified damages, said Vick and the company agreed to their first loans with the bank in January, about three months before authorities began investigating his involvement in a Virginia dogfighting operation.

He pleaded guilty to a dogfighting conspiracy charge in federal court last month and was indicted Tuesday on state charges in Virginia related to the dogfighting ring. He faces up to five years in prison on the federal charge when he is sentenced Dec. 10. He also has been indefinitely suspended by the NFL.

The Royal Bank of Canada sued Vick last week in federal court in Virginia for more than $2.3 million that it said he had planned to use for real estate investments.

A message seeking comment was left Friday at the law firm representing Vick in his criminal cases.

Cinder & Smoke

09-29-2007, 12:27 PM

:D

I wonder if this is connected to the Canadian bank's action or is it a
separate transaction? Either way, Vick is in deep trouble. Couldn't happen
to a more deserving creep.

Indiana Bank Sues Michael Vick Over Unpaid Car Loans
Bank Claims $2 Million In Damages

Good Old Mike!!
Way to GO, Mikey!!

Keep stampin out those license plates! :D

This is a NEW Mikey Scam coming to light - and an Additional $2 Million to add to his increasing tab!

OK - who's NEXT in line?
:rolleyes:

lizbud

09-29-2007, 01:01 PM

:D

Good Old Mike!!
Way to GO, Mikey!!

Keep stampin out those license plates! :D

This is a NEW Mikey Scam coming to light - and an Additional $2 Million to add to his increasing tab!

OK - who's NEXT in line?
:rolleyes:

Hey Phred, how'd you like the name of Vick's business, "Devine Seven" ?

What a joke. :rolleyes:

Lady's Human

10-01-2007, 11:12 PM

http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/10/01/vick.dogs/index.html

Good NEWS! All but one of the idiot's dogs have been placed in sanctuaries or rehomed!

momoffuzzyfaces

10-02-2007, 04:13 PM

http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/10/01/vick.dogs/index.html

Good NEWS! All but one of the idiot's dogs have been placed in sanctuaries or rehomed!
Sadly that one had to be put down because it was too agressive around people. Too bad they didn't let it bite Vick good bye!!! :(

lizbud

10-02-2007, 06:06 PM

Sadly that one had to be put down because it was too agressive around people. Too bad they didn't let it bite Vick good bye!!! :(

I agree. I am glad they were able to help all the others though. It is so
time to shut down this brutal business for good. :mad:

Cinder & Smoke

10-03-2007, 12:22 PM

Sure hope ya didn't spend it all ... 'cause
:eek: the Foosball Guys want Their Money BACK!! :D

Falcons reportedly want $16 million from Vick

Team seeking bonus money paid to disgraced quarterback ...

MSNBC News Services
The Atlanta Falcons are asking Michael Vick (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21113170/#) for their money back.

The team is seeking $16 million in bonus money they paid to the disgraced quarterback, according to an ESPN (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21113170/#) report.

The team believes Vick's guilty plea to federal dogfighting charges violates his 10-year, $130 million contract he signed in December 2004, according to ESPN. The case will be argued in a hearing Thursday, sources told ESPN.

The entire MSNBC.com article is at: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21113170/

/s/ Phred

lizbud

10-03-2007, 05:13 PM

Well Vick has mended his cruel ways & found religion. He'd do about
anything to lessen his sentence. :rolleyes:

http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/law/10/03/vick.class.ap/index.html

Lady's Human

10-10-2007, 08:18 AM

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/football/nfl/10/09/vick.bonus.ap/index.html

Think the next idiot will think twice before breaking the law?

I doubt it, but it will certainly set a good precedent for the NFL in the future.

Cinder & Smoke

11-19-2007, 03:15 PM

Mikey must not have wanted to cook a turkey ...

Vick surrenders, begins serving sentence early

Falcons QB is not due to be sentenced on dogfighting charges until Dec. 10 ...

http://msnbcmedia1.msn.com/i/msnbc/Components/Sources/Art/APTRANS.gif updated November 19, 2007 -

RICHMOND, Va. - Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21886083/#) surrendered to U.S. marshals Monday, three weeks before his sentencing on a dogfighting charge and was being held in a regional jail.

Vick is scheduled to be sentenced Dec. 10 on the dogfighting conspiracy charge, but turned himself in because he was anticipating a prison term, according to a court document. Vick could be sentenced to up to five years in prison.

Vick is being held at Northern Neck Regional Jail in Warsaw until his sentencing, U.S. marshals told The Associated Press. The mixed-gender facility houses about 450 inmates.

The order filed in U.S. District Court said “Vick has indicated his desire to voluntarily enter custody prior to his sentencing hearing. It appearing appropriate to do so, the U.S. Marshal is ordered to take custody of the Defendant immediately upon his surrender.”

The order added that Vick was taken into custody “based solely on his desire to begin his period of incarceration prior to his sentencing hearing and not because of violation of any condition of his bond.”

Original MSNBC.com article at:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21886083/

lizbud

11-19-2007, 04:20 PM

I didn't know he plead guilty. I am surprised that he's getting to do this.
Maybe his penalty time is short & he wants to get it over with. :confused:

Lady's Human

11-19-2007, 05:45 PM

He doesn't know what his sentence will be, as he has yet to be sentenced. It's possible he just wanted to surrender without the publicity.

lizbud

11-19-2007, 06:08 PM

He doesn't know what his sentence will be, as he has yet to be sentenced. It's possible he just wanted to surrender without the publicity.

What I meant was, how can they hold him when he hasn't been legally
sentenced ? How can he start to repay the state's requirements when
the sentence hasn't been given?

momoffuzzyfaces

11-19-2007, 07:29 PM

Maybe he's hoping he will get a lighter sentence by starting early.

Lady's Human

11-19-2007, 08:12 PM

Liz,

Vick was out on bond pending sentencing.(Many, many criminals are held pending sentencing) Essentially he revoked his own bail and turned himself in.

Cinder & Smoke

11-29-2007, 09:09 PM

Mickey's been saving his quarters :rolleyes: ...
(November 29, 2007)

Vick agrees to fund to care for seized dogs ...

Suspended QB set aside close to $1 million to pay for care of 54 pit bulls.

MSNBC staff and news service reports
updated 3:15 p.m. ET, Thurs., Nov. 29, 2007

Suspended Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22028294/#) has agreed to set aside close to $1 million to pay for the care of the 54 pit bulls seized from his dog fighting operation.

In court documents obtained by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Billy Martin, one of Vick's attorneys, said Vick will deposit $928,073 on Friday into an escrow account controlled by Martin's Washington law firm.

The money is being set aside "to pay whatever restitution amount is ultimately ordered in this case," a court filing said, according to the Journal-Constitution.

In court papers filed last week, the government asked U.S. District Judge Henry Hudson to issue a restraining order that essentially would freeze the money to fulfill Vick's legal obligation to cover the costs of caring for the dogs and finding homes for them.

Vick faces a prison term of up to five years when he is sentenced Dec. 10 on a federal dog fighting conspiracy conviction. He voluntarily began serving his prison term on Nov. 19 in Warsaw, Va.

The pit bulls were confiscated from his Bad Newz Kennels (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22028294/#) property in Surry County.

On Tuesday, a judge scheduled for April 2 a jury trial on state dog fighting charges.

The dogfighting operation known as Bad Newz Kennels operated since 2001 on Vick's 15-acre spread in Surry County. A drug investigation of a Vick relative led authorities to the property, where they found more than 50 pit bulls and equipment commonly used in dogfighting.

Cinder & Smoke

12-10-2007, 11:49 AM

:)

Vick sentenced to 23 months for dogfighting

Star QB tells judge he's 'willing to accept responsibility for my actions'

RICHMOND, Va. - Michael Vick (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22171754/#) was sentenced to 23 months in prison Monday for his role in a dogfighting conspiracy that involved gambling and killing pit bulls.

The suspended Atlanta Falcons quarterback could have been sentenced up to five years by U.S. District Judge Henry E. Hudson. Vick, who turned himself in Nov. 19 in anticipation of his sentence, was wearing a black-and-white striped prison suit.

After Vick apologized to the court and his family, Hudson told him: “You need to apologize to the millions of young people who looked up to you.”

Federal rules governing time off for good behavior could reduce Vick’s prison stay by about three months, resulting in a summer 2009 release.

Vick was suspended without pay by the NFL and lost all his lucrative endorsement deals.

Two of Vick’s co-defendants were sentenced Nov. 30. Purnell Peace of Virginia Beach got 18 months, Quanis Phillips of Atlanta 21 months. Another co-defendant, Tony Taylor, will be sentenced Friday.
------------------------------------------------------------------------

THANKS, Judge Hudson, for setting the penalty above the minimum.
We need a few more Judges who treat dogfighting as the Serious CRIME that it is!

/s/ :) Phred

gemini9961

12-10-2007, 04:00 PM

23 months works for me. I would have liked longer but this will do. :)

lizbud

12-10-2007, 04:42 PM

23 months works for me. I would have liked longer but this will do. :)

Vick still has to go through the State charges against him. He could have
another sentence on those charges. I hope he gets more time on them.

I am so glad to see the subject of dog fighting being brought out by news
groups. Hopefully, more people can realise it is a big problem that needs
more attention by law makers.

anna_66

12-11-2007, 08:46 AM

Yeah! I'm glad to see Vick is going to prison.

Did anyone see the game last night? It really bothered me that people are still wearing his jerseys and supporting him. What's wrong with them :confused: :rolleyes:

lbaker

12-11-2007, 10:05 AM

I also saw the pictures from last nights game - phooey. Can't help but wonder if Obama agrees with his newest buddy Ophra that dog fighting can be pardoned because "it's a cultural thing". How embarrassing for him.

joycenalex

12-14-2007, 09:53 AM

he rolled over on vick, i'm glad vick is serving, but 2 months doesn't strike me as enough...By LARRY O'DELL, Associated Press Writer
RICHMOND, Va. - The man who provided prosecutors most of the information that led to Michael Vick's downfall was sentenced to two months in prison Friday for his role in the NFL star's dogfighting ring.

Tony Taylor of Hampton helped establish Vick's "Bad Newz Kennels" operation and joined in killing dogs but later became the government's chief informant in the case, prosecutor Michael Gill said at Taylor's 10-minute sentencing hearing.

"He was the most significant source of information in this case," Gill told U.S. District Judge Henry Hudson. "He did not hesitate in any way."

Gill said it would have taken the government significantly longer to build a case against Vick and his three co-defendants had it not been for Taylor, who provided details of more than half of the "overt acts" outlined in the indictment.

Vick, who financed the operation, was sentenced Monday to 23 months in prison for a dogfighting conspiracy Purnell Peace of Virginia Beach and Quanis Phillips of Atlanta previously were sentenced to 18 months and 21 months, respectively.

Gill asked Hudson to sentence Taylor only to probation because of his cooperation. Hudson agreed that Taylor was entitled to some leniency, but he said he did not believe such a "gross disparity" in sentencing between Taylor and the other defendants was appropriate.

"You were as much an abuser of animals as any other defendant in this case," Hudson said.

Taylor apologized for his crime.

"I realize those were inhumane and stupid decisions I did make," Taylor told the judge.

Taylor's attorney, Stephen A. Hudgins, urged Hudson to consider Taylor's good behavior since leaving the dogfighting enterprise in 2004.

"He left behind everybody involved with that and did not get back involved in that activity," Hudgins said.

All four men initially pleaded not guilty. Taylor changed his plea on July 30 and agreed to cooperate with the government in its prosecution of the others. Peace and Phillips soon changed their pleas as well, and Vick followed suit on Aug. 23.

Taylor scouted for a location for the dogfighting operation in 2001 and recommended a 15-acre tract in Surry County, in rural southeastern Virginia. Vick paid about $34,000 for the property the following year.

In a summary of facts that accompanied his plea agreement, Taylor said he maintained and trained the dogs for about three years. He admitted executing two dogs, shooting one and electrocuting the other, when they did not perform well in test fights.

Vick received a harsher sentence than Peace and Phillips after Hudson concluded that the suspended Atlanta Falcons quarterback lied about his direct involvement in killing dogs and about his marijuana use, which was detected in a drug test.

Taylor said he left the operation after a falling out with Phillips and others.

cassiesmom

01-07-2008, 04:19 PM

I think it's wrong that he gets out early if he completes drug rehab. He should do all the time.

Vick Finishing 23-Month Term in Kansas
By KRISTEN GELINEAU | Associated Press Writer
3:51 PM CST, January 7, 2008

RICHMOND, Va. - Michael Vick left Virginia on Monday and was transferred to a Kansas prison to serve the rest of his 23-month sentence on a federal dogfighting charge. The suspended Atlanta Falcons quarterback is at the federal prison camp in Leavenworth, Kan., said Traci Billingsley, a spokeswoman for the Federal Bureau of Prisons.

Vick plans to enter a drug treatment program at Leavenworth, and a successful completion of the program may allow him to be released after serving 12 months, Yahoo! Sports reported.

Billingsley said federal prison records wouldn't immediately show if an inmate was accepted into such a program.

Vick was accompanied by U.S. marshals when he left the Northern Neck Regional Jail on Monday morning, said Maj. Ted Hull of the Warsaw, Va., jail.

Messages left with Billy Martin, Vick's lead attorney, were not immediately returned.

Vick and three co-defendants raised pit bulls and trained them for fighting behind the property he owned in rural Surry County. Several dogs that did not perform well in test fights were executed.

The 27-year-old player pleaded guilty in August, admitting he bankrolled the dogfighting operation and helped kill six to eight dogs. He had been held at the Warsaw jail since he surrendered Nov. 19 in anticipation of his sentence.

Vick was suspended without pay by the NFL, lost all his lucrative endorsement deals and has additional legal woes: He and co-defendants Purnell Peace, Quanis Phillips and Tony Taylor are facing state animal cruelty charges in Surry County. Vick's trial is set for April 2.

Lady's Human

01-07-2008, 04:39 PM

I think it's wrong that he gets out early if he completes drug rehab. He should do all the time.

I disagree. He has been convicted and sentenced in accordance with the law of the land. The rules for him should be the same as anyone else. If the program is available for some prisoners, it should be available for all.

lizbud

01-07-2008, 05:48 PM

I disagree. He has been convicted and sentenced in accordance with the law of the land. The rules for him should be the same as anyone else. If the program is available for some prisoners, it should be available for all.

Hello. He wasn't convicted on a drug offense. It was more serious than that.

cassiesmom

01-07-2008, 06:07 PM

He wasn't convicted on a drug offense.
LH, that's what I am thinking too. The offense for which he was convicted was not related to drugs, so I don't think he should be entitled to early release on an unrelated charge just for completing a drug rehab program. Which makes me wonder, too, how was he able to continue as a successful NFL player if he had a substance use problem? He's young, and I have to ask if "the bigger they are, the harder they fall" might factor in with him too.

Lady's Human

01-07-2008, 06:44 PM

The reason the drug rehab is available is because many crimes are related to drug use. The program has nothing to do with Vick's conviction being a drug related offense or not. The though is that if you can eliminate the drug use, you can have a more stable ex-con.

Vick has had several brushes related to drug paraphernalia, but has never tested hot by the NFL. Prior to going to prison, however, he tested positive for marijuana use.

Freckles

08-21-2008, 08:31 PM

There will be a show on Animal Planet entitled "Animal Witness - the Michael Vick Case" on Sunday evening, August 24th.

Early next month National Geographic will be presenting a similar show. I'll have exact date later.

Grace

08-21-2008, 09:42 PM

Here's a link to the National Geographic Channel site - complete with info about DogTown. That's the show they filmed out at Best Friends with the Vicktory dogs.

http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/series/dogtown

cassiesmom

10-16-2012, 06:24 AM

pomtzu

10-16-2012, 06:49 AM

I'm bumping up this old thread because I saw this blog entry on Chicago Now. I really don't think that Michael Vick should have a dog in his home EVER again. I think aggressive action needs to continue to stop dog fighting altogether.

http://www.chicagonow.com/sex-money/2012/10/in-defense-of-michael-vick/

I agree 100000% I was appalled when I heard this news. So big deal - he has paid his debt to society. Once a monster - always a monster, and I don't believe that this leopard can change his spots. What happens when he is no longer in the limelight and under scrutiny for every move he makes??? - back to his old ways??? I would like to think not, but...............:mad:

momcat

10-16-2012, 07:40 AM

pomtzu

10-16-2012, 08:06 AM

If anyone should be prominently placed on a Do Not Adopt list it's this creep. I thought it interesting that in the interview I saw he wouldn't tell what breed of dog they have. Knowing his history with dogs, it's beyond me why anyone would allow him to adopt a pet.

To quote a very popular T-shirt around here:

HIDE YOUR BEAGLE _ VICK'S AN EAGLE!

I read somewhere that he got the dog from a family member. I don't believe that any shelter, rescue, or breeder would ever have let him adopt/buy one of their animals. It would be my hope that morals would override a monetary profit.

Catty1

10-16-2012, 10:05 AM

He said it was not a pit bull, and that his kids wanted a dog...I imagine the local AC will be keeping a pretty close eye on him.

moosmom

10-16-2012, 03:41 PM

I would not believe a word that comes out of that jerks mouth.

moosmom

10-16-2012, 03:42 PM

I wouldn't believe a word that comes out of that jerks mouth

Catty1

10-16-2012, 07:07 PM

The world is watching him, Donna, as are law enforcement people. He'd be an idiot to lie.

Alysser

10-16-2012, 09:04 PM

Abuse another dog and loss all that money again?? Something tells me that dog is going to be pretty well taken care of! God forbid he losses his million dollar contract again! :eek:

Catty1

10-16-2012, 10:19 PM

It's ONE dog. Why should his kids not have a pet because their dad had a dog-fighting ring? That's pretty much the point he made.

Alysser

10-17-2012, 05:54 AM

I guess I could say I "see" his point. Growing up without any sort of pet must suck, I wouldn't know, I always had pets. I guess my issue is, did he care about what his kids were seeing when he HAD the dog-fighting ring? Maybe he hid it well, but it doesn't matter. I'm sure they SAW him go to jail for killing dogs, right? Key word here is killing, and this is why he shouldn't have another one, regardless of what his kids want. I'm sorry, I'm not a believer in "old habits die hard". I am with some things, but abuse ain't one of them.

I am always up for givin' someone a second chance, but there's just some people who have had the opportunity to change too many times as it is. Something tells me if he hadn't gotten busted he would not have stopped the dog-fighting ring, and I think that disgusts me the most.

pomtzu

10-17-2012, 03:08 PM