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Oh, and don't get me started on Micheal Vick!
- Thread starter Liz66
- Start date
This whole story sickens me. I was reading somewhere that there were 53 pit bulls seized from his property that will probably have to be put to sleep. I believe the he should have to spend one month in prison for every pit pull that he executed as well as the additional 53 dogs that will most likely have to be put down. I also agree that the NFL needs to take a stand and ban him from the league. The NFL is facing so many problems with player that they need to put their foot done - and if it takes making an example out of Vick I am fine with that. I do not think he should be aloud a second chance - those dogs certainly werent given that opportunity.
Some journalists' perspectives:
A dogfighting sentence with an exclamation point on it
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
By Gene Wojciechowski
ESPN.com
Her name is Little Mama. She's, oh, about 1½ years old. Just the sweetest pit bull you could ever pet. And then somebody stuck the blade of a 4-inch hunting knife into her skull.
"The worst case of animal abuse I've ever seen," says Carl Leveridge, president of the Atlanta Humane Society.
That's where they brought Little Mama, to the 58,000-square-foot nonprofit shelter and clinic in northwest Atlanta. She was terrified and in pain, yet Leveridge said Little Mama allowed one of the staff veterinarians to lift her lip and inspect her teeth. Like I said, a sweetie.
Surgery was needed to remove the knife blade, which had been pushed nearly 2 inches into her sinus cavity and lodged in bone. Miraculously, the stabbing missed her brain. And as of Thursday afternoon, the patient was in stable condition and showing signs of improvement.
"A half-hour ago I was over there petting her," said Leveridge, who has offered a $1,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of the creep who did this. "Her tail was wagging against the cage."
See, this is why prison is too good for people capable of this kind of cruelty. This is why Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick, if he cops his own plea or is eventually found guilty of federal dogfighting conspiracy charges, should have to join the rest of his Bad Newz Kennels crew and do some hard time at the Atlanta Humane Society.
Just prison? Nuh-uh. Instead, doghouse during the day, then federal big house at night.
"Do you think a judge might impose something like that?" asks Leveridge. "Maybe they'll make him work here a year. That would be good."
That would be justice. Or the beginnings of it.
Of course, if it were up to me, I'd also sentence all guilty parties of the Bad Newz group to work as Alaskan Husky No. 7 in next year's Iditarod. At the very least, I'd have them chase mechanical rabbits at Mile High Greyhound Park in Commerce City, Colo. Or have them fetch Joey Harrington's jockstrap -- post-practice -- with their teeth. And, sorry, no showers for the Bad Newz crew. Tongue baths only.
Yeah, I'm a dog person. I don't want to go all "Marley & Me" on you, but the night I brought my Cocker Spaniel puppy Elvis home, I slept next to him on the kitchen floor so he'd feel safe and wouldn't whimper so much. Twelve years later, I slept next to him on the living-room floor as his breathing became more shallow and his blood count worsened by the minute. He died later that day. But at least he didn't die alone.
We've got another pooch now -- a pain-in-the-butt, pig-in-a-dog-suit Cocker named Oskie. And even though he's been known to sneak on top of the Thanksgiving dinner table for a slice of just-carved turkey, I can't imagine a day without him.
So pit bull torture sessions? Drownings? Electrocutions? Hangings? Shootings? Rape stands? Fights to the death? There isn't an adjective in existence that describes my level of disgust, astonishment and sadness at the inhumanity of such acts.
Vick will get his day in court and, for his sake, I hope he's able to -- as he put it -- clear his "good name." But if there's a plea (and it appears such an option is being discussed), Vick and his accomplices deserve more than merely prison; they really should spend time working at the humane society.
Weird how this works out. Leveridge recently met with representatives of the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation. Blank happens to be the owner of the Falcons and has contributed to the Atlanta Humane Society for years. He has two old Labradors that he adores.
"He's a true animal-welfare advocate," says Leveridge. "For this to happen to him, I feel so bad for him."
If I'm the federal judge in charge of sentencing, I make Vick and the others report to the AHS Monday through Sunday at 8 a.m. sharp. There are about 100 cages that need to be cleaned twice each day. Sadly, there are few vacancies at the Humane Society.
Vick could walk dogs. He could help groom them. He could cut the grass and help maintain the grounds. He could stuff envelopes in the administrative offices. He could work with the on-site dog behavior expert. He could offer to work in the AHS wellness clinic, which provides free animal-health services for pets whose owners can't normally afford such care. He could attend the monthly support-group meeting, where animal owners who have lost their pets help each other through the hurt.
"It's a cliché term, but it is like losing a family member," says Leveridge. "If he went to some of these sessions, saw some of these people sobbing their eyes out ... and yet [Bad Newz allegedly] is killing them for sport."
Most of all, Vick could write a check. Something in the two commas, six-zero variety. It wouldn't bring back the dogs that were allegedly tortured and killed at Bad Newz, but it would save others.
The AHS has an annual operating budget of about $4.5 million. It cares for about 400 animals, including about 200 dogs. A Michael Vick Endowment Fund of, say, $5 million, would help bankroll the AHS for the next 20 years. Now that's a legacy.
"That would be the best way, giving money," says Leveridge. "People would say, 'He realized he did the wrong thing and he wants to help animals.'"
It beats what some of them are saying now. Angry Falcons fans have sent more than 100 Vick jerseys or T-shirts to the AHS, occasionally with a charity check attached. Just the other day a woman handed Leveridge a bag full of Vick T-shirts with his familiar No. 7 on them.
The jerseys and T-shirts don't go to waste, though. The nice ones are used as pillows for the animals. The others are used as rags to clean the kennels.
Including Little Mama's.
Gene Wojciechowski is the senior national columnist for ESPN.com. You can contact him at [email protected].
Details of Vick plea agreement will impact NFL future
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
By Lester Munson
ESPN.com
On Monday afternoon, NFL star Michael Vick agreed to admit his guilt in a dogfighting and gambling scheme. Billy Martin, Vick's lead attorney, announced Vick's decision as a federal grand jury in Richmond, Va., was preparing additional charges against the Atlanta Falcons' quarterback. Vick's admission of guilt, as well as the timing of it, raises questions. Here are some answers:
Why did Michael Vick enter into an agreement to plead guilty?
In strictly legal terms, this is an agreement by Vick. In the bigger picture, it's a surrender. Vick is admitting his guilt because he and his legal team realized that there is no escape from the charges related to the federal dogfighting case. They wanted to negotiate with federal prosecutors, and they wanted to negotiate with the NFL. Instead of a negotiation from the prosecutors, Vick and his lawyers kept receiving bad news from them. That trend would have continued with additional charges being filed if Vick's legal team had not given up the fight on Monday afternoon. Instead of a negotiation with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell about the manner in which the league intended to punish Vick, Vick and his legal team received a cold shoulder. When they could not negotiate, they had no alternative. They had to surrender.
If the federal case against Vick is so overwhelming, why would the federal prosecutors agree to accept Vick's plea of guilty?
The job of a federal prosecutor is to seek justice, not to seek revenge or punishment. Whenever an accused individual is willing to admit guilt and accept the consequences, federal prosecutors are interested. A guilty plea brings the case to a final conclusion. It saves hundreds of thousands of dollars in trial preparation, and it avoids any chance something could go wrong in the trial that would allow a guilty defendant to go free. In the dogfighting case, it was important to the prosecution team that Vick admit he was doing wrong. It is a major step forward in a national effort to eliminate dogfighting.
Vick will appear in court again on Aug. 27. What should we watch for?
Vick and the government prosecutors will file papers that give the details of Vick's admissions. The factual details in those papers will be critical. Will Vick admit that in March 2003, he helped Quanis Phillips, one of his co-defendants, hose down a losing dog and then electrocute it? Will he admit that he helped execute eight more dogs in 2004 and 2005, some by hanging, some by drowning and one by slamming it on the ground until it was dead? Will he admit that it was his money that was used in the purses and the side bets in the dogfights described by his cohorts? If he admits a personal role in the execution of dogs and a lead role in the gambling enterprise, he might never return to the NFL. Goodell and NFL officials will scrutinize these papers as they decide what should be done with Vick.
In addition to the details disclosed in the paperwork, watch next Monday for Judge Henry Hudson to set a date for Vick's sentencing. In most federal courthouses, the sentencing comes at least several months after the guilty plea; but in the "rocket docket" procedures that prevail in Richmond, the sentencing will probably come more quickly, perhaps as early as October. Judge Hudson must also determine whether to sentence Vick's co-defendants before he sentences Vick. Tony Taylor, the first of Vick's cohorts to plead guilty and agree to testify against Vick, was to be sentenced on Dec. 14, after he testified at Vick's trial (which had been set for late November). That scheduling was an obvious incentive for Taylor to testify effectively against Vick. But now, with Vick's admission of guilt and the trial off the docket, Judge Hudson may move the date of Taylor's sentencing up, and sentence all three of Vick's co-defendants, including Quanis Phillips and Purnell Peace, before he sentences Vick. All three will be entitled to consideration for leniency because they admitted their guilt and promised to help the federal prosecutors in their case against Vick.
How much time will Vick spend in jail?
Previous reports indicate that the government wanted Vick to spend between 18 and 36 months in a federal penitentiary. Other reports say it could be between 12 and 18. Before the judge issues a sentence, Vick must submit to an investigation by federal probation authorities. Probation officers will investigate his life in painstaking detail, including the dogfighting enterprise. These pre-sentence reports are kept secret and submitted only to the sentencing judge. The report will include a recommendation on a sentence. Judge Henry Hudson will consider the report's conclusions as he sentences Vick. Hudson has been tough when it comes to sentences. He uses the word "maximum" more often than he uses the words "minimum" or "probation." If Vick cannot convince Hudson that he can be a good citizen, Vick will be doing 24 months or more.
Why did Vick wait until Monday to admit his guilt?
This investigation is not even three months old. It has progressed with incredible speed. The first raid on Vick's 15-acre compound came on April 25. Agents of the U.S. Department of Agriculture quickly entered the investigation and took it over. They have quickly put together an extraordinary amount of high-quality evidence. Until the raid, Vick was living a life of celebrity and success. It must have been very difficult for him to make the adjustments necessary to realize he was in serious trouble and on his way to jail. Not long ago, he was telling Goodell personally that he was not guilty of anything. Today, he surrenders. So his plea of guilty is not late. In fact, it comes earlier than anyone could have imagined.
Are there any winners in this terrible story?
Yes. The winners are the investigating agents, the federal prosecutors and the humane societies. I have never seen an investigation in the sports industry that was done so quickly and so professionally. The only possible comparison is to the virtuoso work of Greg Garrison, the Indianapolis attorney who prepared and tried the rape case against former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson, which led to Tyson's conviction and three years in prison. In most cases against celebrity athletes, the athlete has most of the advantages: better investigators, better lawyers and more money. Vick had the money and the lawyers, but he never caught up with the investigators and prosecutors in Virginia.
The local prosecutor in Surry County, Va., where Vick built his dogfighting compound, says he will now take action against Vick. What can he do to Vick that the federal authorities haven't already done?
Gerald Poindexter, the local prosecutor, can huff and puff and seek attention, but that's about it. Vick need not worry much about Poindexter. The federal authorities have the seven witnesses, the financial records, the e-mails and all the other evidence. Poindexter can charge Vick with dogfighting under a Virginia law that makes it a felony, but any punishment the player might serve on that charge would be done at the same time Vick is serving his federal sentence. Poindexter appears to be a bit embarrassed that the feds took over an investigation that he had started, and so whatever action he ultimately takes might be motivated, at least in part, by a desire to save face.
Lester Munson, a Chicago lawyer and journalist who has been reporting on investigative and legal issues in the sports industry for 18 years, is a senior writer for ESPN.com.
A dogfighting sentence with an exclamation point on it
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
By Gene Wojciechowski
ESPN.com
Her name is Little Mama. She's, oh, about 1½ years old. Just the sweetest pit bull you could ever pet. And then somebody stuck the blade of a 4-inch hunting knife into her skull.
"The worst case of animal abuse I've ever seen," says Carl Leveridge, president of the Atlanta Humane Society.
That's where they brought Little Mama, to the 58,000-square-foot nonprofit shelter and clinic in northwest Atlanta. She was terrified and in pain, yet Leveridge said Little Mama allowed one of the staff veterinarians to lift her lip and inspect her teeth. Like I said, a sweetie.
Surgery was needed to remove the knife blade, which had been pushed nearly 2 inches into her sinus cavity and lodged in bone. Miraculously, the stabbing missed her brain. And as of Thursday afternoon, the patient was in stable condition and showing signs of improvement.
"A half-hour ago I was over there petting her," said Leveridge, who has offered a $1,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of the creep who did this. "Her tail was wagging against the cage."
See, this is why prison is too good for people capable of this kind of cruelty. This is why Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick, if he cops his own plea or is eventually found guilty of federal dogfighting conspiracy charges, should have to join the rest of his Bad Newz Kennels crew and do some hard time at the Atlanta Humane Society.
Just prison? Nuh-uh. Instead, doghouse during the day, then federal big house at night.
"Do you think a judge might impose something like that?" asks Leveridge. "Maybe they'll make him work here a year. That would be good."
That would be justice. Or the beginnings of it.
Of course, if it were up to me, I'd also sentence all guilty parties of the Bad Newz group to work as Alaskan Husky No. 7 in next year's Iditarod. At the very least, I'd have them chase mechanical rabbits at Mile High Greyhound Park in Commerce City, Colo. Or have them fetch Joey Harrington's jockstrap -- post-practice -- with their teeth. And, sorry, no showers for the Bad Newz crew. Tongue baths only.
Yeah, I'm a dog person. I don't want to go all "Marley & Me" on you, but the night I brought my Cocker Spaniel puppy Elvis home, I slept next to him on the kitchen floor so he'd feel safe and wouldn't whimper so much. Twelve years later, I slept next to him on the living-room floor as his breathing became more shallow and his blood count worsened by the minute. He died later that day. But at least he didn't die alone.
We've got another pooch now -- a pain-in-the-butt, pig-in-a-dog-suit Cocker named Oskie. And even though he's been known to sneak on top of the Thanksgiving dinner table for a slice of just-carved turkey, I can't imagine a day without him.
So pit bull torture sessions? Drownings? Electrocutions? Hangings? Shootings? Rape stands? Fights to the death? There isn't an adjective in existence that describes my level of disgust, astonishment and sadness at the inhumanity of such acts.
Vick will get his day in court and, for his sake, I hope he's able to -- as he put it -- clear his "good name." But if there's a plea (and it appears such an option is being discussed), Vick and his accomplices deserve more than merely prison; they really should spend time working at the humane society.
Weird how this works out. Leveridge recently met with representatives of the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation. Blank happens to be the owner of the Falcons and has contributed to the Atlanta Humane Society for years. He has two old Labradors that he adores.
"He's a true animal-welfare advocate," says Leveridge. "For this to happen to him, I feel so bad for him."
If I'm the federal judge in charge of sentencing, I make Vick and the others report to the AHS Monday through Sunday at 8 a.m. sharp. There are about 100 cages that need to be cleaned twice each day. Sadly, there are few vacancies at the Humane Society.
Vick could walk dogs. He could help groom them. He could cut the grass and help maintain the grounds. He could stuff envelopes in the administrative offices. He could work with the on-site dog behavior expert. He could offer to work in the AHS wellness clinic, which provides free animal-health services for pets whose owners can't normally afford such care. He could attend the monthly support-group meeting, where animal owners who have lost their pets help each other through the hurt.
"It's a cliché term, but it is like losing a family member," says Leveridge. "If he went to some of these sessions, saw some of these people sobbing their eyes out ... and yet [Bad Newz allegedly] is killing them for sport."
Most of all, Vick could write a check. Something in the two commas, six-zero variety. It wouldn't bring back the dogs that were allegedly tortured and killed at Bad Newz, but it would save others.
The AHS has an annual operating budget of about $4.5 million. It cares for about 400 animals, including about 200 dogs. A Michael Vick Endowment Fund of, say, $5 million, would help bankroll the AHS for the next 20 years. Now that's a legacy.
"That would be the best way, giving money," says Leveridge. "People would say, 'He realized he did the wrong thing and he wants to help animals.'"
It beats what some of them are saying now. Angry Falcons fans have sent more than 100 Vick jerseys or T-shirts to the AHS, occasionally with a charity check attached. Just the other day a woman handed Leveridge a bag full of Vick T-shirts with his familiar No. 7 on them.
The jerseys and T-shirts don't go to waste, though. The nice ones are used as pillows for the animals. The others are used as rags to clean the kennels.
Including Little Mama's.
Gene Wojciechowski is the senior national columnist for ESPN.com. You can contact him at [email protected].
Details of Vick plea agreement will impact NFL future
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
By Lester Munson
ESPN.com
On Monday afternoon, NFL star Michael Vick agreed to admit his guilt in a dogfighting and gambling scheme. Billy Martin, Vick's lead attorney, announced Vick's decision as a federal grand jury in Richmond, Va., was preparing additional charges against the Atlanta Falcons' quarterback. Vick's admission of guilt, as well as the timing of it, raises questions. Here are some answers:
Why did Michael Vick enter into an agreement to plead guilty?
In strictly legal terms, this is an agreement by Vick. In the bigger picture, it's a surrender. Vick is admitting his guilt because he and his legal team realized that there is no escape from the charges related to the federal dogfighting case. They wanted to negotiate with federal prosecutors, and they wanted to negotiate with the NFL. Instead of a negotiation from the prosecutors, Vick and his lawyers kept receiving bad news from them. That trend would have continued with additional charges being filed if Vick's legal team had not given up the fight on Monday afternoon. Instead of a negotiation with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell about the manner in which the league intended to punish Vick, Vick and his legal team received a cold shoulder. When they could not negotiate, they had no alternative. They had to surrender.
If the federal case against Vick is so overwhelming, why would the federal prosecutors agree to accept Vick's plea of guilty?
The job of a federal prosecutor is to seek justice, not to seek revenge or punishment. Whenever an accused individual is willing to admit guilt and accept the consequences, federal prosecutors are interested. A guilty plea brings the case to a final conclusion. It saves hundreds of thousands of dollars in trial preparation, and it avoids any chance something could go wrong in the trial that would allow a guilty defendant to go free. In the dogfighting case, it was important to the prosecution team that Vick admit he was doing wrong. It is a major step forward in a national effort to eliminate dogfighting.
Vick will appear in court again on Aug. 27. What should we watch for?
Vick and the government prosecutors will file papers that give the details of Vick's admissions. The factual details in those papers will be critical. Will Vick admit that in March 2003, he helped Quanis Phillips, one of his co-defendants, hose down a losing dog and then electrocute it? Will he admit that he helped execute eight more dogs in 2004 and 2005, some by hanging, some by drowning and one by slamming it on the ground until it was dead? Will he admit that it was his money that was used in the purses and the side bets in the dogfights described by his cohorts? If he admits a personal role in the execution of dogs and a lead role in the gambling enterprise, he might never return to the NFL. Goodell and NFL officials will scrutinize these papers as they decide what should be done with Vick.
In addition to the details disclosed in the paperwork, watch next Monday for Judge Henry Hudson to set a date for Vick's sentencing. In most federal courthouses, the sentencing comes at least several months after the guilty plea; but in the "rocket docket" procedures that prevail in Richmond, the sentencing will probably come more quickly, perhaps as early as October. Judge Hudson must also determine whether to sentence Vick's co-defendants before he sentences Vick. Tony Taylor, the first of Vick's cohorts to plead guilty and agree to testify against Vick, was to be sentenced on Dec. 14, after he testified at Vick's trial (which had been set for late November). That scheduling was an obvious incentive for Taylor to testify effectively against Vick. But now, with Vick's admission of guilt and the trial off the docket, Judge Hudson may move the date of Taylor's sentencing up, and sentence all three of Vick's co-defendants, including Quanis Phillips and Purnell Peace, before he sentences Vick. All three will be entitled to consideration for leniency because they admitted their guilt and promised to help the federal prosecutors in their case against Vick.
How much time will Vick spend in jail?
Previous reports indicate that the government wanted Vick to spend between 18 and 36 months in a federal penitentiary. Other reports say it could be between 12 and 18. Before the judge issues a sentence, Vick must submit to an investigation by federal probation authorities. Probation officers will investigate his life in painstaking detail, including the dogfighting enterprise. These pre-sentence reports are kept secret and submitted only to the sentencing judge. The report will include a recommendation on a sentence. Judge Henry Hudson will consider the report's conclusions as he sentences Vick. Hudson has been tough when it comes to sentences. He uses the word "maximum" more often than he uses the words "minimum" or "probation." If Vick cannot convince Hudson that he can be a good citizen, Vick will be doing 24 months or more.
Why did Vick wait until Monday to admit his guilt?
This investigation is not even three months old. It has progressed with incredible speed. The first raid on Vick's 15-acre compound came on April 25. Agents of the U.S. Department of Agriculture quickly entered the investigation and took it over. They have quickly put together an extraordinary amount of high-quality evidence. Until the raid, Vick was living a life of celebrity and success. It must have been very difficult for him to make the adjustments necessary to realize he was in serious trouble and on his way to jail. Not long ago, he was telling Goodell personally that he was not guilty of anything. Today, he surrenders. So his plea of guilty is not late. In fact, it comes earlier than anyone could have imagined.
Are there any winners in this terrible story?
Yes. The winners are the investigating agents, the federal prosecutors and the humane societies. I have never seen an investigation in the sports industry that was done so quickly and so professionally. The only possible comparison is to the virtuoso work of Greg Garrison, the Indianapolis attorney who prepared and tried the rape case against former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson, which led to Tyson's conviction and three years in prison. In most cases against celebrity athletes, the athlete has most of the advantages: better investigators, better lawyers and more money. Vick had the money and the lawyers, but he never caught up with the investigators and prosecutors in Virginia.
The local prosecutor in Surry County, Va., where Vick built his dogfighting compound, says he will now take action against Vick. What can he do to Vick that the federal authorities haven't already done?
Gerald Poindexter, the local prosecutor, can huff and puff and seek attention, but that's about it. Vick need not worry much about Poindexter. The federal authorities have the seven witnesses, the financial records, the e-mails and all the other evidence. Poindexter can charge Vick with dogfighting under a Virginia law that makes it a felony, but any punishment the player might serve on that charge would be done at the same time Vick is serving his federal sentence. Poindexter appears to be a bit embarrassed that the feds took over an investigation that he had started, and so whatever action he ultimately takes might be motivated, at least in part, by a desire to save face.
Lester Munson, a Chicago lawyer and journalist who has been reporting on investigative and legal issues in the sports industry for 18 years, is a senior writer for ESPN.com.