North Country Gazette



Vick Sentenced To 23 Months, Out Date Summer 2009

Posted on Monday, 10 of December , 2007 at 9:36 pm

RICHMOND, VA—Suspended Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick won’t be playing football anytime soon unless it’s a scrimmage inside prison walls.Vick, 27, was sentenced to 23 months in prison Monday for his role in felony dog fighting conspiracy charges and then lying about it.

Vick could have been sentenced up to five years by U.S. District Court Judge Henry E. Hudson but nevertheless, the term is considered harsh.  With credit for good time, Vick could be released three months early during the summer of 2009.

He appeared in court in black and white striped prison garb, having voluntarily surrendered to U.S. Marshals on Nov. 19 to begin serving his term.

Vick has already placed nearly $1 million in an escrow fund to pay for the care of the 54 pit bulls seized earlier this year from his Bad Newz Kennels property in Surry County, VA.  The dogs had been part of his dog fighting operation, labeled “cruel and inhumane”.

Federal prosecutors had ordered Vick to pay for the dogs’ care and as part of his guilty plea, he agreed to pay “restitution for the full amount of the costs associated with the disposition of the all dogs” involved in the case.

Vick has admitted that he financed the dog fighting operation and had participated in the killing of at least six pit bulls which had not performed well in “testing sessions” but said that he had never gambled on the dog fights.

In court Monday, Vick said he had used “poor judgment” and told the judge that he was “willing to deal with the consequences and accept responsibility for his actions”.

He apologized to his family and the court and when the judge told him he needed to “apologize to the millions of young people who looked up to you”, Vick quietly responded, “Yes sir”.

The state trial in the case is scheduled to begin on April 2 in Surry County.

As part of the plea agreement, prosecutors had recommended the minimum sentence which is 18 months in prison but ultimately, the final decision in sentencing rested with the judge. 

Vick has agreed to cooperate with the government’s investigations into the dog fighting operation including testifying before grand juries.

He has been indefinitely suspended by the NFL and has lost all of his endorsement contracts.  The Falcons are attempting to recover $22 million of Vick’s signing bonus from the 10-year, $130 million contract he signed with the team in 2004. At the earliest, Vick would not be eligible to play again until 2009.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has said that the decision as to whether Vick will play again in the NFL would be evaluated at the conclusion of the legal process.

The judge did not grant Vick any credit for his “taking responsibility” for his crime, agreeing with a federal probation officer that Vick had lied about his killing of dogs and about his drug use.  He had tested positive for marijuana on Sept. 13 which violated the conditions of his release prior to sentencing.   12-10-07

 

Category: Animals, Courts, Crime, Sports

COPYRIGHT 2007 - NORTH COUNTRY GAZETTE All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the express written permission of the publisher.