More Indictments for Vick

I'll get to the story momentarily, but first I am compelled to comment on the disgusting behavior I observed this evening when I stumbled upon the "Michael Vick Town Hall" meeting on ESPN. What struck me was, first, how ignorant some of the audience was- it seemed about half the audience was comprised of people who stopped in on their way home from demonstrating in Jena. They seemed convinced that Vick is being persecuted solely for the reason that he is a famous black man. Any time a member of the panel mentioned that Vick broke Federal laws, they were shouted down (wisely, ESPN placed the mics where you couldn't here what invectives were being hurled).

They really moronic thing was the attempt to compare the heinous actions of Vick to those of Bill Bellichek, the coach of the New England Patriots. Don't get me wrong- my favorite NFL team is whoever happens to be playing the Patriots at the time, and I cannot stand the hoodie-wearing Bellichek. He was basically caught cheating, and assessed what amounts to a symbolic fine by the League. Do I think the action taken by the NFL was sufficient? No way! I would have suspended his sorry butt for a couple of games at least. But to compare the two incident is the height of idiocy. In the Patriots case, no laws were broken- only the rules of a sports league. In Vick's case, Federal laws were broken. The Jets losing to the Patriots doesn't compare to Vick torturing and mutilating dogs. I have a dog, and if anyone tried to harm my animal, I'd be the one facing charges.

All in all, it was a despicable, disturbing spectacle.

Now on to the story. Vick is now facing additional State charges in Virginia connected to his subhuman dog fighting enterprise. If convicted, Vick can add some State prison time to the anticipated Federal time he's going to receive. It'll be a happy day for me and other dog lovers when they throw his sorry butt in a cell and slam the door behind him. Good riddance to bad rubbish.
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Michael Vick Hit With Local Indictments
Published 09/25/2007 - 11:31 p.m.
(AP) By HANK KURZ Jr.
AP Sports Writer

Michael Vick, already looking at a federal prison term for bankrolling a dogfighting operation in rural Virginia, now faces two state charges that could get him more prison time if he's convicted.

After a Surry County grand jury indicted the Atlanta Falcons quarterback and three co-defendants Tuesday, Vick's lawyers indicated they will fight the state charges on the grounds that he can't be convicted twice of the same crime.

The NFL star, scheduled for sentencing Dec. 10 after pleading guilty to federal dogfighting conspiracy charges, faces state charges of beating or killing or causing dogs to fight other dogs and engaging in or promoting dogfighting. Each felony is punishable by up to five years in prison. Arraignments are set for Oct. 3.

The grand jury declined to indict the 27-year-old Vick and two co-defendants on eight additional counts of killing or causing to be killed a companion animal, felonies that would have exposed them to as many as 40 years in prison if convicted.

Vick defense attorney Billy Martin said in a statement that the state counts concern 'the same conduct covered by the federal indictment for which Mr. Vick has already accepted full responsibility.'

Martin said he will 'aggressively protect his rights to ensure that he is not held accountable for the same conduct twice.'

Vick was convicted of a federal conspiracy count while the state indictment deals with the act of dog fighting, said Steven Benjamin, a Richmond defense lawyer who is not involved in the case. The prosecution will argue that's enough of a difference to allow the charges to proceed, he said.

Surry County Commonwealth's Attorney Gerald G. Poindexter had told The Associated Press on Monday night that he would seek indictments on different crimes than the ones Vick admitted to in federal court. He did not elaborate to reporters outside court Tuesday.

The charges are the first leveled against Vick in the county where he built a home that became the base of the dogfighting operation, where local investigators first uncovered evidence of the enterprise.

None of the defendants nor their lawyers were at the Sussex County courthouse, where the grand jury met because the courthouse in neighboring Surry County is closed for renovations.

Poindexter told reporters he was not disappointed the grand jury passed on the eight additional dog killing counts.

'I'm just glad to get this to the position where it is now and, one day in the not too distant future, we will be rid of these cases,' he said.

In a written statement, Poindexter and Sheriff Harold Brown attempted to diffuse in advance any suggestion that race influenced the grand jury. Brown, Poindexter and the four defendants are black, as are four of the six grand jurors.

'These are serious charges, and we can assure you that this grand jury was not driven by racial prejudice, their affection or lack of affection for professional athletes, or the influence of animal rights activists and the attendant publicity,' the statement said.

In pleading guilty to the federal charges last month, Vick admitted helping kill six to eight dogs, among other things. He faces up to five years in prison.

Vick's co-defendants had pleaded guilty earlier and detailed Vick's role in the grisly enterprise.

In the state case, co-defendant Purnell Peace was indicted on one count of beating or killing or causing dogs to fight other dogs and one count of engaging in or promoting dogfighting. Quanis Phillips was indicted on one count of engaging in or promoting dogfighting.

Tony Taylor, who left the enterprise several years ago and was the first to plead guilty, faces the most serious state charges _ three counts of beating or killing or causing dogs to fight other dogs and one count of engaging in or promoting dogfighting.

Falcons spokesman Reggie Roberts said the team had no comments on the new charges.

The case began in late April when authorities conducting a drug investigation of Vick's cousin raided the former Virginia Tech star's property and seized dozens of dogs, most of them pit bulls, and equipment commonly associated with dogfighting.

Six weeks later, with the local investigation perceived to be dragging and a local search warrant allowed to expire, federal agents arrived with their own search warrants and started digging up dog carcasses buried days before the first raid.

Poindexter, widely criticized for the pace of the investigation, reacted angrily when the feds moved in, suggesting that Vick's celebrity was a draw, or that their pursuit of the case could have racial overtones. He later eased off those comments, saying the sides would simply be pursuing parallel investigations.

Vick has been indefinitely suspended without pay by the NFL and been dropped by all his major sponsors, including Nike.


From USADaily.com.