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***UPDATE*** JAN 28, 2008

**UPDATE*** Vick sentenced to 23 months for dogfighting
Judge scolds QB for being part of 'cruel and inhumane sporting activity'
The Associated Press
updated 5:48 p.m. ET, Mon., Dec. 10, 2007
RICHMOND, Va. - Michael Vick was sentenced to prison Monday for running a dogfighting operation and will stay there longer than two co-defendants, up to 23 months, because he lied about his involvement when he was supposed to be coming clean to the judge who would decide his fate.
The disgraced NFL star received a harsher sentence than the others in the federal conspiracy case because of “less than truthful” statements about killing pit bulls.
Vick said he accepted responsibility for his actions, but U.S. District Judge Henry E. Hudson said he wasn’t so sure.
“I’m not convinced you’ve fully accepted responsibility,” Hudson told Vick, who arrived in court wearing the black-and-white striped prison uniform he was issued when he voluntarily surrendered Nov. 19 to begin serving his sentence early.
Despite the early surrender, a public apology and participation in an animal sensitivity training course, Vick was denied an “acceptance of responsibility” credit that would have reduced his sentence. Federal prosecutors opposed awarding Vick the credit.
Dogs that did not perform up to expectations were killed by electrocution, hanging, drowning and other violent means by the dogfighting ring. Hudson said evidence, including statements by the co-defendants, showed Vick was more directly involved than he admitted. Hudson also mentioned that Vick had been deceptive on a polygraph test. Though that evidence was not admissible in court, the results were discussed.
“He did more than fund it,” prosecutor Michael Gill said, referring to the “Bad Newz Kennels” dogfighting operation. “He was in this thing up to his neck with the other defendants.”
The judge agreed.
“You were instrumental in promoting, funding and facilitating this cruel and inhumane sporting activity,” he said.
Flanked by two defense attorneys, Vick spoke softly as he acknowledged using “poor judgment” and added, “I’m willing to deal with the consequences and accept responsibility for my actions.”
Vick apologized to the court and his family members, who along with other supporters occupied most of two rows in the packed courtroom. Before the hearing started, Michael Vick’s brother, Marcus Vick, draped his right arm around their mother and comforted her as she wept.
“You need to apologize to the millions of young people who looked up to you,” Hudson said sternly, reminding Vick of the fans he singled out when he pleaded guilty in August.
“Yes, sir,” Vick answered.
Although there is no parole in the federal system, with time off for good behavior Vick could be released in the summer of 2009.
“This was an efficient, professional, and thorough investigation that well exposed a seamy side of our society,” U.S. Attorney Chuck Rosenberg said in a statement. “I trust Mr. Vick learned important lessons and that his admission of guilt will speed his rehabilitation.”
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. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell was asked after Monday’s ruling if Vick should play again.
“That’s a determination we’ll make later on,” he told The Associated Press from a legislative hearing in Austin, Texas, involving the NFL Network. “As I said earlier when we suspended him indefinitely, we would evaluate that when the legal process was closed.”
On its Web site Monday, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution estimated that Vick has incurred financial losses of $142 million, including $71 million in Falcons salary, $50 million in endorsement income and nearly $20 million in previously paid bonuses.
Federal sentencing guidelines called for a term of 18 months to two years. While prosecutors asked for a sentence on the high end, defense attorney Lawrence Woodward asked for leniency, noting his client’s previously clean record despite growing up in a rough area in Newport News.
But in addition to initially lying about his role in killing dogs, Vick tested positive for marijuana use in violation of the terms set for his release — then gave conflicting accounts about when he used the drug, Hudson noted.
He also said Vick’s conflicting stories about drug use and his role in killing dogs stemmed from frustration with his interrogators and a desire to please people by telling them what he thinks they want to hear.
Vick’s lead attorney, Billy Martin, said Vick had been diagnosed as clinically depressed.
“Mr. Vick in life had numbed himself to a lot of events around him. That was, in a sense, his way of surviving,” Martin said.
That future now includes a stay at a still-undetermined federal prison. He has been held at a jail in Warsaw, Va., since voluntarily beginning his term.
In a plea agreement, Vick admitted bankrolling the dogfighting ring on his 15-acre property in rural Virginia. He admitted providing money for bets on the fights but said he never shared in any winnings.
The gruesome details about the dogfighting enterprise prompted a public backlash against the once-popular Vick and enraged 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 Vick’s 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.
Along with the prison term, Vick was fined $5,000 and will serve three years’ probation after his release.
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.
All four men also are facing animal cruelty charges in Surry County Circuit Court. Trial has been set April 2 for Vick, March 5 for Phillips and Peace, and May 7 for Taylor.

Vick Jerseys Being Used To Clean Kennels

POSTED: 4:34 pm EDT August 17, 2007
UPDATED: 6:00 pm EDT August 17, 2007

ATLANTA -- The Atlanta Humane Society said they are receiving donations from across the country -- and you’ll never guess what people are sending.

More than a dozen Michael Vick jerseys have been sent to AHS, and they are putting them to good use.

“When I first saw them, I was kind of shocked. I was like, ‘Why do they have Vick jerseys here,’ said Julie Sentner.

And the jerseys kept coming. About a dozen or so jerseys were sent from people wanting to make good from a bad situation. In fact, the Humane Society is getting flooded with e-mails about Vick.

So what are volunteers doing with the jerseys?

“We discovered like any donation we get, any shirt or towel, we put it to good use here at Atlanta Humane Society. We’re always using things to clean kennels, use for bedding and stuff like that,” said Smith.

Did she say cleaning kennels?

“We’re not showing any favoritism to these jerseys, they go into our general rotation of towels,” Smith said.

One dog is using his Vick jersey as a pillow.

This dog at the Atlanta Humane Society is enjoying his bed, which is a Vick jersey donated by an upset fan.

“As long as they’re being used for good, then that’s great. If they’re using them to make dogs more comfortable or to clean up after them, then that’s fine,” said Sentner.

Of course, the Vick jerseys being donated mean a lot more to the people than to the puppies -- they’re just loving all the attention.

http://www.wsbtv.com/news/13918614/detail.html

A federal grand jury indicted NFL quarterback Michael Vick and three others today on dogfighting charges. The charges are the first to be filed in an investigation that began in late April when police searched Vick’s Surry County property and found more than 50 pit bulls and items associated with dog fighting. The other men named in the indictment – all known Vick associates – are Purnell Peace, Quanis Phillips and Tony Taylor. They and Vick were indicted on one count of conspiracy to travel in interstate commerce in aid of unlawful activities and to sponsor a dog in an animal fighting venture. Federal prosecutors filed a document earlier this month that detailed a dog fighting operation known as “Bad Newz Kennels” run out of Vick’s Surry County property at 1915 Moonlight Road. The outfit conducted dog fights from 2002 to 2007 with people from several other states and sometimes killed the losing dogs by electrocution, shooting, strangulation or drowning, according to the document, which did not name any of the suspected participants. Surry County authorities are also investigating the property but have not filed charges. Source: HamptonRoads - July 17, 2007

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Case Updates One of Falcons quarterback Michael Vick's co-defendants in the federal dog fighting case reversed himself and pleaded guilty today as part of a deal with prosecutors, a troubling sign for Vick's legal defense. Tony Taylor, who along with Vick pleaded not guilty to the charges just four days ago, agreed this morning to cooperate with federal prosecutors in their case against Vick and two other co-defendants, Purnell Peace and Quanis Phillips. "It is not good news for Vick," said Carl Tobias, a University of Richmond law professor who specializes in Constitutional law and the federal courts. "(Taylor) has all these incentives to cooperate fully with the government in order to reduce his possible exposure to a sentence and a fine." Judge Henry E. Hudson set Taylor's sentencing date for Dec. 14. Vick, Peace and Phillips' trial date is still set for Nov. 26 before Hudson. Prosecutors could recommend a lighter sentence for Taylor depending on how cooperative he is, legal experts said, and that is why the court set Taylor's sentencing for a date after the trial. "You have to give up everything" as part of a plea deal, said David P. Baugh, a former federal prosecutor and now a criminal defense attorney who has represented clients before Hudson. "There are no non-snitching plea agreements. He probably has already been debriefed." Taylor, 34, of Hampton, Va., said little in court during his 15-minute long hearing this morning. He and his attorney, Stephen A. Hudgins, declined to comment as they left the courthouse. A spokesman for Vick also declined to comment. A federal grand jury indicted Taylor, Vick and the two others on a single count of conspiring to violate three laws: the interstate travel act by crossing state lines to engage in illegal gambling; sponsoring a dog in an animal fighting venture; and buying, transporting and receiving dogs for animal fighting. Taylor pleaded guilty this morning to conspiring to travel in interstate commerce in aid of unlawful activities and to sponsor a dog in an animal fighting venture. Taylor confirmed during the hearing this morning that he pleaded guilty without a promise of a lighter sentence. He faces up to five years in prison and $250,000 in fines. The 18-page indictment says Taylor, Vick and the others set up a business called "Bad Newz Kennels" in rural Surry County, Va. to raise and train pit bulls for dogfights. The men gambled on the fights in Virginia and several other states, the indictment says. Federal prosecutors revealed additional details about their case in a 13-page statement of facts they filed with Taylor's plea agreement today. The statement says Vick almost exclusively funded the dog-fighting operation and gambling monies. It also says the proceeds from their gambling wins were split by Taylor, Phillips and Peace. Taylor used a large portion of his money for living expenses, the statement says, because he devoted his time to caring for and training the pit bulls. The gambling wins also were funneled back into the dog fighting operation, to pay for food, medicine and supplies, according federal prosecutors. Taylor left the business after a disagreement with Phillips and others in September of 2004, according to the statement of facts. At Vick and Taylor's arraignment Thursday, federal prosecutors announced they would be seeking a "superceding" indictment before the end of August, meaning they could identify additional charges or defendants in the case. Coincidentally or not, Taylor's plea hearing showed up on Hudson's schedule the following day. "There certainly looks like there might be some linkage," Tobias said. "He may have been afraid of what might be in that superceding indictment." Taylor played a key role in the operation in May of 2001, federal prosecutors say, by identifying the Surry County property as a suitable location for housing and training the dogs. Vick bought the property the following month. In June of 2002, Taylor signed the articles of incorporation for a business based at that property called MV7 LLC, Vick's initials and jersey number. After they set up their business, the four men boldly used shirts and headbands to represent and promote their dog fighting operation, the indictment says. At various times, the men executed dogs they didn't think would fight well by gruesome means, including hanging and drowning, according to federal prosecutors. In 2002, for example, Taylor executed at least two dogs by shooting one and electrocuting the other, the indictment says. Vick figures prominently in the indictment. It says the ex-Virginia Tech football star, who now has a $130 million contract with the Falcons, sponsored dogs in fights with purses as low as $3,000, according to the indictment. Authorities said they found numerous dog fighting-related items on his property in Surry County, including sheds and kennels, treadmills used to condition dogs and a "break" stick used to pry open a dog's mouth during fights. They also found 54 pit bulls on Vick's property, some of which had scars and other injuries they said were consistent with dogfights. Vick received more bad news over the last several days. Last week, Nike suspended Vick's endorsement contract without pay and Reebok halted sales of jerseys bearing his name. Source: Atlanta Journal Consitution - July 30, 2007