Mike Vick........Guilty Or Not Guilty...what do you think???

[kandykitty20012]

GUILTY....I cannot believe with all the evidence against him.....he is saying he did not know what was going on at his own residence...... ;:"

[Mary]

He needs to get what he did to those dogs have you seen the video they found at his house the sob  !@#$

[gator8_24]

Oh, he's guilty, but because he's a "Football Star" nothing will happen, Atlanta and fans will welcome him with open and ignorant arms!  People in the sports and entertainment business get preferencial treatment.

[gator8_24]

(nice place he had, included a 'rape stand'! for dogs not pll )

Vick due in court to face charges   

NFL.com wire reports 



RICHMOND, Va. (July 26, 2007) -- Amid boos from spectators, NFL star Michael Vick arrived at a federal courthouse to answer accusations that he was involved in a brutal dogfighting operation.

The Atlanta Falcons quarterback was to appear at a bond hearing and enter a plea on dogfighting conspiracy charges. He said nothing as he walked into the courthouse, which was lined by spectators who began gathering at dawn.

Vick arrived at 3 p.m. in a black sport utility vehicle and was booed by a crowd of hundreds.

Wearing a dark suit and blue shirt, Vick looked straight ahead as he walked up the ramp to the courthouse.

Vick is accused with three others of conspiracy involving competitive dogfighting, procuring and training pit bulls for fighting, and conducting the enterprise across state lines. Federal prosecutors allege the operation -- known as Bad Newz Kennels -- operated on Vick's property in Surry County.

The allegations detailed in a graphic, 18-page indictment sparked protests by animal rights groups at the headquarters of the NFL and the Falcons, and NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has barred Vick from training camp while the league investigates.

Falcons owner Arthur Blank said the team wanted to suspend Vick for four games, the maximum penalty a team can assess a player, but the NFL asked the Falcons to wait. Instead, Blank has told Vick to focus on his legal problems, not football.

Thursday, the Falcons opened their first camp under coach Bobby Petrino.

The case began April 25 when investigators conducting a drug search at the property found 66 dogs, including 55 pit bulls, and equipment 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. He has since declined comment, citing his attorney's advice.

Attorney Lawrence Woodward of Virginia Beach, who has also represented Allen Iverson and Vick's younger brother, Marcus, has not returned several phone messages.

Animal rights organizations have seized on the case as an opportunity to raise awareness of the largely underground and always gruesome world of dogfighting, where two dogs are trained to fight to the death -- sometimes for hours -- until the end.

Early Thursday, activists, Vick fans and the media gathered outside the federal courthouse. Some members of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals dressed in dog costumes and carried signs, including one with the image of a battered pit bull and the words "Dogfighting Victim." Some people brought their dogs.

According to the indictment filed July 17, dogs not killed in the fighting pit often were shot, hanged, drowned or, in one case, slammed to the ground. The document alleges that Vick was consulted before one losing dog was wet down and electrocuted.

It alleges that the dogfighting operation began in 2001, not long after Vick parlayed a dazzling two-year run as the quarterback at Virginia Tech into being the first overall selection in the NFL draft.

The indictment alleges the fights offered purses as high as $26,000, and that Vick once paid $23,000 to the owner of two pit bulls that had beaten Bad Newz Kennels dogs.

That owner is one of four cooperating witnesses cited in the document.

Charged along with Vick are Purnell A. Peace, 35, of Virginia Beach; Quanis L. Phillips, 28, of Atlanta; and Tony Taylor, 34, of Hampton. They all face up to six years in prison, $350,000 in fines and restitution if convicted of both charges.

http://www.nfl.com/teams/story/ATL/10270093

[gator8_24]

 


ajc.com > Sports > Falcons
Vick pleads not guilty
Falcons QB free on bond, dogfighting trial to start Nov. 26

By JEREMY REDMON, D. ORLANDO LEDBETTER
Published on: 07/26/07
Richmond, Va. -- Michael Vick and all three co-defendants pleaded not guilty to federal dog fighting related charges and asked for a jury trial during an appearance in federal court Thursday.

The judge set the trial date for Nov. 26.

Federal prosectors announced that a "superceding" indictment will be entered by August, meaning more charges are possible.

Vick will remain free. No bond was set, but Vick and the defendants must meet several restictions.

Vick, dressed in a black suit, dark blue shirt and dark and light blue two-tone colored tie was flanked by three attorneys.

To his left sat, Bill Martin, the noted Washington, D.C. attorney. To his immediate left was Lawrence H. Woodward Jr., his longtime attorney and next to Woodward was Atlanta attorney Daniel Meachum.

Judge Dennis W. Dohnal presiding over the hearing for Vick and his three co-defendants -- Purnell Peace, Quanis Phillips and Tony Taylor. After he read the charges to Vick and asked if he understood them, Vick rose and said, "Yes sir."

Dohnal determined that Vick was not a flight risk or a threat to safety of the community and ordered his release with some restrictions. All of the defendants had the "common restrictions of being placed under the supervision of the pre-trial services, no violations of any state or federal laws including traffic violations, he must reside at his primary residence, surrender all travel documents, can't travel outside of his federal district, no contact with anyone that may have been involved in the case, no contact with any defendant or being involved in the sale or purchase of any dog, no possession of a firearm or dangerous weapon and no excessive abuse of alcohol.

In addtion to the common restrictions, Vick was ordered to surrender his breeder's license.

The federal prosecutors made it clear that the maximum penalty Vick was facing was five-years, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervisions if convicted on the conspiracy to travel in interstate commerce in aid of unlawful activities. If convicted of sponsoring a dog in an animal fighting venture, he could be convicted for one-year, fined $100,000 and face one-year of supervision.

Vick's co-defendants, because of prior records, received much stiffer restrictions from the court.

for the rest of the article-http://www.ajc.com/sports/content/sports/falcons/stories/2007/07/26/vickhearing_0726.html

[kandykitty20012]

Mikey should get the same treatment as he gave all those poor poor dogs......All dogs should Pee on Mike Vick....<a href="http://plugin.smileycentral.com/http%253A%252F%252Fwww.smileycentral.com%252F%253Fpartner%253DZSzeb008%255FZNxmk762LXUS%2526i%253D10%252F10%255F2%255F13%2526feat%253Dprof/page.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/10/10_2_13.gif" alt="SmileyCentral.com" border="0">..... :)))

[ICER]

That man just lost a lot of $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$..he can kiss the 2007 NFL football season goodbye..next court date is Nov.26 no way they let him play in 2007! It's his property..he has to make sure all is ok...seems he didn't. ::)

[Monkey]

He's guilty.. I think that part is pretty obvious.

An even better question: Who's life is more of a trainwreck, Michael Vick or Marcus Vick?  :ll

[ICER]

Here's another case for the Justice system..special treatment for the RICH & FAMOUS..court date over 4 months from now..if it was us...we be sitting in a jail cell right now! ;:" ::) :oo

[Homer]

They should put a steak on his  and set loose some pit pulls. !@#$

[ICER]

They should put a steak on his  and set loose some pit pulls. !@#$

:)) :)) :))  like that hotdog part..with a steak yes those pit bulls would enjoy hotdog with a steak and Vick's little mushroom!

[harley89]

I live in the Metro Altanta area and I am SICK of this whole thing. It is all you hear on the Tv and see in newspapers. I will not judge. Too many people did the same thing regarding Duke unviersity students the evidence seemed overwhelming there too. Personally I think he sucks as a player and a person  

[Homer]

They should also spay and neuter Vick so he doesn't breed another generation of  :o0 :o0 :o0

[Tara]

I think he's guilty and his career is overrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

[kandykitty20012]

They should put a steak on his  and set loose some pit pulls. !@#$

Omg Homer...your just to funny....... :)) :)) :)) :)) :))....But I agree with ya 100% all the way.

[harley89]

In case you are not hearing this in your areas. At the Falcons training camp people are protesting at the camp carring signs calling them the Atlanta DogKillers. One person even hired a plane to fly over with a banner with Atlanta Dogkillers on it.  Seems even though Vick is the accused the entire team is being convicted

[Tara]

That's just wrong.

[kandykitty20012]

In case you are not hearing this in your areas. At the Falcons training camp people are protesting at the camp carring signs calling them the Atlanta DogKillers. One person even hired a plane to fly over with a banner with Atlanta Dogkillers on it.  Seems even though Vick is the accused the entire team is being convicted

I agree with Bratty tara on that one....The team is not the ones at fault....its Mike vick...... (O+O) :{: :%# :.@

[Cowboy]

I know it must be hard but the team just has to put it aside and move on. I sure wouldnt want to be in there shoes that is for sure,talk about distractions!!! As for Mr. Vick and i use that term litely,they should put him in a pen with about 10 hungry pit bulls and turn them loose for about a minute and have him see what it feels like. Talk about disgust!!!!! All these athletes, movie stars and singers make too much money and are bored with there lives and there actions prove it...(LOHAN,SPEARS,VICK,Pac-man Jones,Hilton) and the list will go on forever!! :OO

[harley89]

They have setup a perimeter around the camp keeping protesters and news crews as far away as possible. One funny thing was the plane that was flying overhead with the banner one of the defensive linebackers said we kept hoping he would run out of gas and come see us