Vick gets 23 months for dogfighting

Posted: Mon Dec 10, 2007 8:26 pm

Vick gets 23 months for dogfighting

By LARRY O'DELL, Associated Press Writer
41 minutes ago

Michael Vick was sentenced to 23 months in prison Monday for running a "cruel and inhumane" dogfighting ring and lying about it.

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."

"Yes, sir," Vick answered.

The 27-year-old player acknowledged using "poor judgment" and added, "I'm willing to deal with the consequences and accept responsibility for my actions."

Although there is no parole in the federal system, rules governing time off for good behavior could reduce Vick's prison stay by about three months, resulting in a summer 2009 release.

"You were instrumental in promoting, funding and facilitating this cruel and inhumane sporting activity," Hudson told Vick.

Before the hearing, Michael Vick's brother, Marcus Vick, sat with his right arm around their mother, comforting her as she buried her head in her hands and wept.

Falcons owner Arthur Blank called the sentencing another step in Vick's "legal journey."

"This is a difficult day for Michael's family and for a lot of us, including many of our players and fans who have been emotionally invested in Michael over the years," Blank said. "We sincerely hope that Michael will use this time to continue to focus his efforts on making positive changes in his life, and we wish him well in that regard."

Vick was suspended without pay by the NFL and lost all his lucrative endorsement deals. The league had no comment Monday on the judge's ruling.

One of Vick's attorneys, Lawrence Woodward, asked for leniency. He said Vick "grew up on some of probably the meanest and roughest streets in this commonwealth," but had never been in trouble with the law and had done much for charities.

Vick was denied any credit for taking responsibility for his crime. Hudson agreed with a federal probation officer's finding that Vick had lied about his hands-on killing of dogs and about his drug use. Vick tested positive for marijuana Sept. 13, violating conditions of his release while he awaited sentencing.

Hudson recalled that Vick at one point said he only handed over two dogs to co-defendant Quanis Phillips, who killed them. On another occasion, Vick said he dropped a dog after Phillips tied a rope around the animal's neck, the judge added.

"I'm not convinced you've fully accepted responsibility," Hudson told Vick.

Federal sentencing guidelines called for a term of 18 months to two years. Federal prosecutor Michael Gill asked for a sentence at the high end, meaning Vick would get more time than either of the two co-defendants sentenced last month.

"He did more than fund it," Gill said, referring to the "Bad Newz Kennels" dogfighting operation. "He was in this thing up to his neck with the other defendants."

Outside court, Woodward said Vick didn't want anyone feeling sorry for him.

"He just wants a chance to prove himself when all this is over," he said. "But the other thing he said to me, which I also think is important for everyone to know, is that he understood that some of the things he was doing in life and off the field were dangerous, and he told me he feels lucky that he's alive and not hurt and now it's all about the future."

U.S. Attorney Chuck Rosenberg sounded a similar theme.

"This was an efficient, professional, and thorough investigation that well exposed a seamy side of our society," he said in a statement. "I trust Mr. Vick learned important lessons and that his admission of guilt will speed his rehabilitation."

Vick pleaded guilty in August, admitting he bankrolled the dogfighting operation and helped kill six to eight dogs. He has been held at a jail in Warsaw, Va., since he voluntarily began serving his sentence.

In a plea agreement, he admitted bankrolling the dogfighting ring on his 15-acre property in rural Virginia and helping kill pit bulls that did not perform well in test fights. He also admitted providing money for bets on the fights but said he never shared in any winnings.

At a news conference after pleading guilty last summer, Vick apologized to the NFL, the Falcons and youngsters who viewed him as a role model and vowed: "I will redeem myself."

Court papers revealed gruesome details about Vick's dogfighting operation, including the execution of underperforming dogs by electrocution, drowning, hanging and other means. Those details prompted a public backlash against the once-popular NFL star and outraged animal-rights groups, which used the case to call attention to the brutality of dogfighting.

John Goodwin of the Humane Society of the United States called the sentence appropriate.

"People that are involved in this blood sport are on notice. You can throw your life away by being involved in this," he said.

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

The case began in April when a drug investigation of Vick's cousin led authorities to the former Virginia Tech star's Surry County property, where they found dozens of pit bulls — some of them injured — and equipment associated with dogfighting.

Vick initially denied any knowledge about dogfighting on the property. He changed his story after the three co-defendants pleaded guilty and agreed to cooperate with the government.

By 8 a.m. Monday, about 50 people were in line outside the courthouse waiting for the doors to open. About two dozen animal rights activists stood across the street holding posters showing injured pit bulls and the messages, "Report Dogfighters" and "Dogs Deserve Justice."

"We want to make sure the focus on the animals in this case isn't lost," said Dan Shannon, spokesman for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.

Julia Novak arrived with her small beagle, Frankie, who wore a sandwich board with the message on one side: "Dogfighters use dogs like me for bait."

Ryan Eanes, 27, of Richmond, wore his No. 7 Vick jersey as he waited in line.

"We all make mistakes," Eanes said. "I don't support the situation with the animals, but I support him. I believe his apology is sincere."

___

Associated Press writers Hank Kurz Jr. and Zinie Chen Sampson contributed to this report.

(This version CORRECTS SUBS 17th graf to correct attribution of quote to Gill sted judge. Moving on general news and sports services. AP Video.)

Copyright © 2007 The Associated Press

Posted: Mon Dec 10, 2007 8:36 pm

if he's not out in Paris Hilton time, there should be problems..... but there won't be....

Joined: 15 Mar 2005 Posts: 2847 Location: Illuminati Witch

JDee...... wrote:

if he's not out in Paris Hilton time, there should be problems..... but there won't be....

Dude, don't you know that driving while intoxicated, and on a suspended license, is just something that rich people do and really doesn't harm anyone? Dog fighting, on the other hand, is simply barbaric. BARBARIC! Even the winner of a dog-fight commonly suffers from massive bleeding, ruptured lungs, broken bones, or other life-threatening injuries. The training of these poor creatures, weigh those words, the training of these poor creatures, weigh them, the training of these poor creatures to turn themselves into fighting machines is simply barbaric, barbaric, BARBARIC! BARBARIC! Let that word resound from hill to hill, and from mountain to mountain, from valley to valley, across this broad land, barbaric, barbaric. May God help, those poor souls, who'd be so cruel. Barbaric! Hear me! Barbaric!

Joined: 22 Apr 2004 Posts: 14012 Location: Dublin, Ireland

Why do they say 23 months and not two years?

Man, that is harsh as hell. Rapists tend to get less.

Posted: Mon Dec 10, 2007 9:07 pm

because there's 12 months in a year.

Joined: 22 Apr 2004 Posts: 14012 Location: Dublin, Ireland

LOL don't be smart, JDee.

Joined: 21 Apr 2004 Posts: 1471 Location: Xenia, Ohio

Dr Mark Essex, PhD., BSc. wrote:

Why do they say 23 months and not two years?

Man, that is harsh as hell. Rapists tend to get less.

He got 2 years technically, but has already done a month.

It's harsh but he really fucked himself multiple times. It's not just fighting dogs, and killing dogs, it's the fact he finacially backed the whole thing and the illegal gambling, etc. All of that I think would have been 12-14 months... 24 months max., but after his arrest and saying he was cleaning up his act and totally changing his ways etc., he gets caught in a lie to the judge and tests positive for weed... both of which really pissed the judge off I guess and he throws the book at him.

Peace,

Marcus J

Posted: Mon Dec 10, 2007 9:31 pm

some breeds of dogs are made to fight.
Why else would you have to kill sheep dogs, or dogs in general after they taste fresh blood?

Sure, dog fighting is 'cruel', but if you don't like it, ignore it. It's not like nature is friendly and happy. It's ok to go take an unnatural rifle into the woods and shoot bears, or deer, or drift net fish, and hunt whales and dolphins etc, but it's cruel to let a dog fight another dog?

The world needs to make it's mind up.

Joined: 02 May 2004 Posts: 8322 Location: Pittsburgh PA

JDee...... wrote:

some breeds of dogs are made to fight.
Why else would you have to kill sheep dogs, or dogs in general after they taste fresh blood?

Sure, dog fighting is 'cruel', but if you don't like it, ignore it. It's not like nature is friendly and happy. It's ok to go take an unnatural rifle into the woods and shoot bears, or deer, or drift net fish, and hunt whales and dolphins etc, but it's cruel to let a dog fight another dog?

The world needs to make it's mind up.

Eh, I see your point, and that point would be legit if Vick was eating the dogs afterwards, but he wasn't.

How I wish he was though. That would of put a pretty awesome twist on the whole thing now wouldn't it?

MaggotEater

Posted: Tue Dec 11, 2007 4:08 am

what if someone has a bear skin rug and doesn't eat the bear?

Joined: 02 May 2004 Posts: 8322 Location: Pittsburgh PA

JDee...... wrote:

what if someone has a bear skin rug and doesn't eat the bear?

Was the bear used for something after it's death? Yes.

Did Vick skin the dogs and put their furs as a welcome mat? No.

He starved the dogs, made them fight, killed them, and did nothing of any substance with their remains.

He didn't eat them, mount their heads, skin them and take the fur, or even make chairs and other furniture out of the bones.

He didn't even give them to a Chinese take-out place.

Hell, at least Jeff Dahmer ejaculated in the viscera.

MaggotEater

Posted: Tue Dec 11, 2007 4:59 am

What if this would have been Brett Favre? Would he have gotten such a harsh sentence?

Joined: 02 May 2004 Posts: 8322 Location: Pittsburgh PA

G.O.D.F.A.T.H.A. wrote:

What if this would have been Brett Favre? Would he have gotten such a harsh sentence?

I imagine he would of, but I doubt Brett would of been caught smoking weed. Who knows though.

Once again, in our society we value dogs over people. Dogs are viewed as more important than people. Hell, any animal pretty much is.

Sometimes I wonder if those protests from PETA actually influence a judge when he makes a sentence. PETA killed more dogs than Vick though.

To me, he shouldn't of gotten that sentence. I mean, they were just dogs.

I don't think the real question should be would someone else get a harsher sentence, but rather why would anyone get such a harsh sentence for this?

I remember when I used to torture slugs with salt. Or ants with a magnifying glass. Frankly, that is more harsh than what Vick did if you think about it. That was pure torture and mass slaughter of the ants and slugs on my part.

Maybe it is because slugs and ants aren't "cute" little animals.

If you kill something cute you are in trouble.

MaggotEater

Joined: 22 Apr 2004 Posts: 1757 Location: Albany, NY

When a society fights harder to protect an animal than for nearly 3000 U.S. soldiers who died in a war based on a lie by a president, that society is doomed for destruction.

I've always said that Vick's TRUE crime was loyalty in a team that ultimately betrayed him at the moment of truth. What people said was his greatest asset became his greatest liability. Maybe if Vick had Greg Anderson as part of his inner circle, he would still be free.

I still find it interesting that the NFL used this case to distract the media AND the public from focusing on concussions, dementia and the retirement packages for older players. Once the retirement benefits issue got to Capitol Hill, they roll out the Vick dogfighting case, making the people and the press chase an ambulance while the league folds its arms and lets one of its flagship players twist in the wind.

Now that Vick is incarcerated, we will see who his TRUE friends really are.

Posted: Wed Dec 12, 2007 1:12 am

Quote:

What if this would have been Brett Favre? Would he have gotten such a harsh sentence?

No, he would receive a reward.