Vick Takes Plea Deal

The sentencing hearing is set for December 10th with some preliminary documents required before that hearing. If you want to express your opinion to the court (=the judge) on what should happen to Vick, you may call Judge Hudson's office or write to the judge.

The plea agreement does not bind the judge.

BREAKING NEWS: Vick has been suspended indefinitly. His football career is basicly over. More news to come.

You are right southerndogmom..what is the difference?

I just read the statement of facts Vick agreed to. While he claims he didn't kill any dogs, he does admit that he was involved in the decision to kill 6 to 8 dogs in April of this year who didn't test well by hanging and drowning.

I'm not sure how much different that is to me. Ok, so he denies he put his hands on the dogs. He still admits that they died because of him.

Kendra - I share your frustration. I think I'll feel better if Vick receives punishment beyond what Judge Hudson can dish out. I'm referring to his career. If Vick is banned from the NFL or is barred from playing for x number of years, that may be greater punishment than our legal system could ever impose. Of course I want him to pay big, big money toward animal welfare (specifically related to dog fighting and the breeds typically used to fight). I don't want him to tell me he's sorry. I could really care less because I know the words are not true. Even his own father said this is "Mike's thing" and Vick has done this for years. I want him to show his remorse (as fake as it may be) through money which can change how our society treats these animals.

I also believe it is an attempt to side step the emotional judgement issue; the only people protesting every step of the way of his indictment to court appearances where animal activists. The barbaric nature of the way he executed those beautiful animals will last a lifetime in the court of public opinion - the gambling charge is easier for many people to swallow.

Ultimately it is a gimmick by Vick and his legal team to reduce the negative press and to probably help him after his jail term to get back in the good graces of those more horrified over the brutality of his actions rather than the actual felony law he broke.

Just my opinion

Lee Ellen

But....what about our rights to have possibly dangerous criminals tried in a court of law? He should have to prove his innocence, or someone should have to prove his guilt concerning the things he is still pleading not guilty to. I mean, if they were just going to take his word for it in the long run, why not just do that to begin with and save the taxpayers all that money? This is such bull : (

The Statement of Facts to which Vick will agree won't be posted for public viewing until Monday. My understanding is that Vick pleads to the one charge in order to avoid having other charges brought against him. Yes - that means essentially that he's being allowed to skate on admitting certain facts to which the other three defendants would have testified that would implicate him in what I consider the murder of the dogs. I'm not sure why the federal government would let him off the hook so easily.

Vick can still face state law criminal charges if Surry County and other jurisdictions pursue the issue. Dog fighting is a felony in Virginia. Animal cruetly is a misdemeanor.

This is outrageous. I cannot believe the prosecutors allowed the plea deal to come off like this. Our legal system is such a farce.

http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/7151408?MSNHPHMA

The civil complaint filed by the feds regarding the dogs says nothing at all about their condition. Only that at the expiration of adequate notice, they become the property of the federal government to do with as the feds see fit.

I called the U.S. attorney handling the civil case (W. Wingate Grant) and ended up in voicemail. If I get a call back and can get a realistic idea of whether or not these dogs can be spared, I'll share that here.

The main stream media often exaggerates to grab attention. Just because today is the last day for anyone to claim the dogs doesn't mean they'll be euthanized today. I don't think.

Do any of you remember Spencer from Mobile, Alabama? He's a pit bull who was going to be euthanized just for being a pit. Best Friends swooped in, saved him and last I heard he was at Hearts of Gold Rescue in TN and would ultimately go to Kanab to live out the rest of his days.

The point of this blast to the past is this: I believe in Best Friends with all my heart. I'm sure if there's anything to be done to save any of the confiscated animals, they're working on it. I don't know if that means transporting dogs to Kanab or placement elsewhere. I also believe that if it turns out that none of the dogs is spared, it will not be for lack of effort on the part of Best Friends.

My first major case when I moved to Alabama had to do with dog fighting. Fifteen pitbulls seized from a fighting operation were treated and evaluated. In the end, they were all euthanized. If memory serves, 13 of them were in such poor health that they were suffering and in a great deal of pain. The other two were younger and in better health but were extremely aggressive. A state court judge ruled that it was too risky to allow them to be adopted out. Could they have been saved? No one will ever know.

Cesar Millan has a number of ex-fighting dogs he has rehabilitated, who are peacefully cohabitating at his Dog Psychology Center in LA. I resent PETA's assertion that killing any healthy, sentient being is 'humane'. Perhaps we could convince Millan to offer to take some of the dogs -- or if Best Friends took some, Millan may be willing to come to the Sanctuary to help. I'm sure it would be a win-win of positive publicity for all involved -- not to mention having dog ambassadors to help spread the message about this cruel bloodsport.

*rolls eyes* so basically what I got out of that article is that it's not okay for Michael Vick to kill the dogs, but it's certainly okay for the government to kill them. Somehow it's more "humane" that way. In my opinion, killing is killing. At the very least, they should allow those who want to attempt to rehabilitate the dogs the chance to do that.

Well, at least this is pretty amusing. My boyfriend emailed it to me last night:
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/object/dayinpictures?o=5&f=/g/a/2007/08/21/dip.DTL&type=dayinpictures

Wow, southerndogmom, I was going to post the same thing. I live in VA and heard this morning on the radio that today is indeed the deadline for the dogs seized. I wish these dogs could go to a sanctuary - they didn't ask to be in the situation they are in.

Changing subjects just slightly, this was posted this morning regarding the fate of the dogs:

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/football/nfl/08/22/bc.fbn.vick.dogs.ap/index.html

I thought since the dogs are probably being held by local authorities, their fate would be decided by a state court judge following an evidentiary hearing on their health and temperament. I guess I was wrong.

If any Best Friends folks read this and have any information on efforts being made to spare at least some of the dogs, please do let us know. I'm sure they can't all be saved...but there must be a few who could make their way to Kanab. With Vick footing the bill for their care for the rest of their lives.

What got me in the Fox article were his friends saying he was really "hurting." Did they think about how "hurting" all the dogs he tortured felt? Yeah, they were "hurting" so much they died by his hand.

I think this cruel person and his friends all should get a taste of what it feels like to be treated as inhumanly as they treated those dogs. I truely feel sick to my stomach. If there is indeed justice, this sadist and all his friends should spend time in prison and have pain inflicted on them and see how they like it. Animals feel pain and fear as well as anyone. This man is not changed, he denied it in the beginning and only admitted it when it was proven. Do we really want him for a role model for our children? NO! Does he deserve to go back to football? NO! Does he deserve prison? I SAY YES!

Okay, I can’t keep my mouth shut about this. I’ll keep it G-rated, and I’ll do my best not to babble. Here are my opinions*:

1. Vick plead guilty, therefore he is guilty. It is not as if he doesn’t have enough money to fight these allegations in court if he so desired. If he was truly innocent, he would have fought the allegations in court to clear his name of such heinous crimes and to win back the many adoring fans he lost when the discovery of his true nature defiled his name.
2. Did anybody actually say anything about Vick being black before the NAACP did? I live in Georgia, and I have heard the locals here come up with some very…colorful and hurtful racist slurs, but I have not once heard anyone utter a single thing about Michael Vick being African American. The first I heard about race was straight from the mouth of the NAACP. The NAACP is quick to accuse everyone else of racism even though no one (to my knowledge) was judging Michael Vick at all by the amount of melanin his body produces. Wouldn’t a better stance by the NAACP have been something along the lines of “We are disgusted that an African American, particularly one admired so much by the public, would partake in an activity as cruel and heinous as dog fighting. After all the African American citizens of this country have been through, it is outraging to think that any one of them would extend such violence and cruelty to another innocent life, especially one as loyal and beautiful as that of Man’s Best Friend.”? But no, they had to go and say** “Hurting a few dogs shouldn’t stop him from playing football or avoiding any punishment he can charm or buy his way out of. I mean, come on, he’s a famous football player. Isn’t everyone being a little selfish by expecting him to be a nice guy and a model citizen too?”
3. Personally, I think it is time that the NAACP stops defending every heinous crime committed by a famous African American just because that person is black. Martin Luther King Jr. must be rolling in his grave right now. He was a NON-VIOLENT person after all, the complete opposite of Michael Vick and those who defend his actions. I don’t want to overtly offend anybody or spark any non-animal-related debates, but basically I feel that the NAACP*** demands equality for African Americans, but then they demand to be exempt from equality whenever it doesn’t suit them. And that to me is hypocritical and hindering to all anti-racist actions. That’s all I will say on that subject.
4. As far as the whole “other people made him do it” thing goes, Vick made choices, and his choices hurt other living creatures. He could have, at any point, made different choices, but he didn’t. And I don’t care how much he apologizes; he has not given me any proof that he understands WHY what he did was wrong. If the NAACP really wants him to continue playing football and providing “hours of enjoyment” for fans (if by hours of enjoyment they mean “feeling like I’m going to vomit whenever I see his stupid dog-killing-face on the TV”), then they should be pushing for community service as part of his punishment “or rehabilitation” as they termed it. If Vick really wants to even begin redeeming himself in the eyes of animal lovers, he needs to get in there with the abused dogs. He needs to get dirty, and see them at the most pivotal and dramatic parts of their lives. He needs to be involved with rehabilitating dogs that have been abused by people like himself. Only then can he even begin to understand why and how what he did was wrong. And only when he understands and truly feels guilt and remorse, will I ever consider forgiving him for the crimes he committed. Perhaps “God,” or whatever you want to call the divine spirit of life, will be more forgiving, but I will not. Not until Vick truly understands the pain he caused, not until he is capable of the selflessness of turning his own frustration in on himself and forcing himself to suffer instead of venting his frustration through causing the suffering of others, not until the images of those sweet faces, battered and bruised, and those dead bodies that he was responsible for wakes him from a dead sleep, and not until the mere thought of animals suffering by the hands of others keeps him awake at night will he ever gain my forgiveness.

*My opinions meaning not the opinions of Best Friends or anyone else who posts on this forum. If you have a problem with them, attack me and no one else.
**The NAACP did not actually say this; this is only my interpretation of what they said, which, again, is my opinion and only my opinion.
***The NAACP is not the only group that presents this kind of hypocritical behavior. Many other groups from many other backgrounds do it too, and I will gladly call any one of those groups hypocrites too (PeTA…), so please don’t call me racist. I’m not, and I will be offended if you assume that I am.

southerndogmom, you have it exactly right.

He chose to do what he did. Now he must face the consequences. We are all responsible for our selves and our actions, it just doesn't fly to blame society, or upbringing, our parents, or racism,or peer pressure.
It seems his only remorse is for his own losses, without one shred of thought for the pain and fear he inflicted.

Per the foxsports article..who cares if Michael Vick is hurting?? He is only hurting because his career is over and he knows the majority of his fans hate him.
Half of those football players are such idiots..someone needs to tell them not to do interviews..they only prove to us what morons they really are. Stick to the only thing you will ever be good at..running, throwing and catching a ball, and jumping on each other.

I lied. I couldn't contain myself after reading the whole article about the stand of the NAACP and so I wrote to Roger Goodell at the one e-mail address I had to encouarge him to ban Vick, and any other player found to have engaged in similar activities, from the NFL for life.

The spokesperson from the NAACP said that Vick made "a mistake." I beg to differ. A mistake is failing to pay your utility bill on time