Vick Pleads Guilty

Now this is what many would have liked to see happen. Unfortunately, Michael Vick is pleading guilty on conspiracy charges and admits to killing dogs without going to trial, where the heinous acts would be recounted in court.

The suspended Atlanta Falcons quarterback entered his guilty plea before U.S. District Judge Henry E. Hudson. He asked Vick whether he knew what evidence the government had against him and whether he had gove over the facts of the case with his legal team.

Vick agreed.

The suspended Atlanta Falcons quarterback arrived at the downtown court building in a sport utility vehicle and walked into court flanked by his attorneys. His supporters erupted in a roaring cheer drowning out his opponents, silently holding signs.

In his written plea filed in federal court Friday, Vick admitted helping kill six to eight pit bulls and supplying money for gambling on the fights. He said he did not personally place any bets or share in any winnings.

The plea agreement calls for a sentencing range of 12 to 18 months. But Hudson, who is known for handing down tough sentences, is not bound by any recommendation or federal sentencing guidelines and could sentence Vick to as much as five years in prison.

The NFL suspended him indefinitely and without pay Friday after his plea agreement was filed. Merely associating with gamblers can trigger a lifetime ban under the league's personal conduct policy.

The case began in late April when authorities conducting a drug investigation of Vick's cousin raided the former Virginia Tech star's rural Surry County property and seized dozens of dogs, some injured, and equipment commonly used in dogfighting.

Of interest is the fact that Vick will also agree to assist prosecutors in grand jury testimony and to testify in court against other individuals in the future on other criminal acts that he was aware of. He's hoping that by becoming an informant on other criminal acts and enterprises, he can stay out of prison by having his sentence reduced over time. His lawyers have done an admirable job of putting him in a position where he might be able to avoid serious jail time, but it really is up to the judge to sign off on the deal and for Vick to hold up his end of the bargain by providing information that prosecutors can use in other criminal cases.

Vick already stands to lose tens of millions of dollars in his football contract and endorsement deals.

Meanwhile, what will happen to all the dogs that survived their fights and are now at animal shelters? They'll likely be euthanized because they are simply unsafe to be kept as pets because they were bred to kill.

Other reports said Hudson will decide the fate of the dogs. Hudson's secretary says that's not true. The pit bulls are in the custody of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, sources with knowledge of the situation say, and will be evaluated by veterinarians and other animal experts to determine whether they can be rehabilitated and placed in other homes.

Since they are fighting dogs, bred to destroy other animals, their chances of making it are slim. Even PETA and the Humane Society of the United States have suggested that the best option is probably euthanasia. So the pit bulls wait, in 4-by-6 kennels. They're fed, watered and cared for, likely awaiting their ultimate death sentences.

"It's almost like they're in a witness protection program," says PETA spokesman Dan Shannon.

"It's very unusual. Normally you wouldn't see a case play out for this length of time. On one hand, it's unfortunate for the animals that their futures are kind of hanging in the balance for this court case. I don't know the details of where they're living, but you've got to figure this has probably been the best four months of their lives at this point."

UPDATE:
Judge Hudson has warned Vick that while he's got a deal with prosecutors who have issued a sentencing recommendation, the Judge is not bound to accept the recommendations. Vick also will have to pay for the continuing care of some 50 dogs that were removed from his property.

This report puts things clearly:

In the plea agreement Vick said he would cooperate with the federal government’s investigations regarding any criminal activity. This includes testifying in front of grand juries, on behalf of the government at trial, and even taking a lie detector test.

In the statement of facts, Vick said that he agreed to the killing of “approximately 6 to 8 dogs that did not perform well in ‘testing’ sessions,” adding that “all the dogs were killed by various methods, including hanging and drowning.”

Vick said that he did not place side bets on any of the fights and did not share in the purses that were won by Bad Newz Kennels, but that he funded the betting and was present when his co-defendants placed bets.

N.F.L. Commissioner Roger Goodell told Vick in a letter on Friday that his actions were “cruel and reprehensible” and that Vick’s involvement in gambling was a violation of the N.F.L.’s personal conduct policy.

If you have access to PACER, you could view the documents in full here.

UPDATE:
The hypocrites at PETA were called out by another group, who took out an ad wondering which has killed more animals - PETA or Vick. The answer is PETA - by several orders of magnitude, and all PETA can do is try to divert attention away from its own horrific practices by claiming that the organization that paid for the ad had an agenda.