Vick pleads not guilty of dogfighting

[RedGlitter]

Vick pleads not guilty of dogfighting

By LARRY O'DELL, Associated Press Writer 4 minutes ago



Michael Vick will spend the next four months defending himself against federal dogfighting charges instead of mastering a new coach's playbook and dissecting game film of opposing defenses.

The Atlanta Falcons quarterback's elite five-member legal team doesn't expect it to be easy and his career could be in jeopardy.

"This is going to be a hard-fought trial," defense attorney Billy Martin told reporters Thursday after Vick pleaded not guilty to participating in a dogfighting ring that allegedly executed underperforming pit bulls by hanging, electrocution or other brutal means.

Three co-defendants also pleaded not guilty. U.S. District Judge Henry Hudson set the trial of all four for Nov. 26 — four days after the 11th of 16 regular-season games the Falcons will play under new coach Bobby Petrino.

The ghastly activities outlined in an 18-page indictment returned last week have sparked widespread outrage. Vick's arrival at the federal courthouse was greeted by protesters holding signs with messages like "Neuter Mike Vick" and "Prosecute All Dogfighters." The protesters' boos and jeers drowned out shouts of encouragement from badly outnumbered Vick supporters.

In a written statement, Vick declared his innocence and pleaded with the public to give him the benefit of the doubt until his day in court.

"I take these charges very seriously and look forward to clearing my good name," Vick said in the statement, which Martin read to reporters. "I respectfully ask all of you to hold your judgment until all of the facts are shown."

He also apologized to his Falcons teammates and to his mother "for what she has had to go through in this most trying of times."

Vick's mother, Brenda Boddie, stood next to Martin as he read the statement but did not speak. The lawyers did not answer questions.

Earlier, in court, Hudson asked Vick how he pleaded to a charge of conspiracy to travel in interstate commerce in aid of unlawful activities.

"Not guilty," the 27-year-old NFL star said firmly.

He asked for a trial by jury, as did his co-defendants.

If convicted, Vick faces up to five years in prison and fines up to $250,000.

Vick was released without bond, but with a series of conditions to meet, including the surrender of his passport, a pledge not to travel outside the immediate area of his primary residence without court approval, and to not sell or possess any dog.

He also was ordered to surrender any animal breeder or kennel licenses.

The court appearance came on the day the Falcons opened training camp. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has barred Vick from attending camp and asked the Falcons to withhold any punishment while the league investigates.

Team owner Arthur Blank said the team wanted to suspend Vick for four games, the maximum penalty a team can assess a player, but held off at Goodell's request. Blank has told his star quarterback to concentrate on his legal problems, not football.

The case began April 25 when investigators conducting a drug search at a massive home Vick built in rural Surry County found 66 dogs, including 55 pit bulls, and items typically used in dogfighting. They included a "rape stand" that holds aggressive dogs in place for mating and a "breakstick" used to pry open a dog's mouth.

Vick contended he knew nothing about a dogfighting operation at the home, where one of his cousins lived, and said he rarely visited. He also blamed friends and family members for taking advantage of his generosity and pledged to be more scrupulous.

His comments Thursday were his first on the case since then.

Charged along with Vick are Purnell A. Peace, 35, of Virginia Beach; Quanis L. Phillips, 28, of Atlanta; and Tony Taylor, 34, of Hampton. All three have retained their own lawyers.

According to the indictment filed July 17, dogs not killed in the fighting pit were often shot, hanged, drowned or, in one case, slammed to the ground. The document says Vick was consulted before one losing dog was wet down and electrocuted.

It alleges that the dogfighting operation began in 2001, not long after Vick was the first overall selection in the NFL draft. His first contract was for $62 million. In 2004, the former Virginia Tech standout signed a 10-year, $130 million deal, then the richest in league history.

The indictment says the fights offered purses as high as $26,000, and that Vick once paid $23,000 to the owner of two pit bulls that had beaten Bad Newz Kennels dogs.

That owner is one of four cooperating witnesses cited in the document.

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[[love]light]

It makes me furious on so many levels. He's degrading the courts & the public by telling such transparent lies. Beyond that, its people like him that give Pitties a bad rap. Its people like him who train such great dogs to be aggressive & mean. Its because of people like him that people are so hysteric about this awesome breed. Animals are killed by the hundreds because of Breed Specific Laws that ban Rotties & Pits alike.

It makes me sick. My dogs, a rottie mix & a pit bull, are two of the kindest, most gentle animals you'd ever meet. The thought of having to surrender them to government hands for slaughtering breaks my heart. I would move. My sympathy gushes for those who have had to go thru it.

He deserves to be hung from his balls to face all the dogs he's ruined. I hope he gets more than his fair share of 'deflowering' in prison.

:-5

[RedGlitter]

Dang, [love]light....you said that just like I would have. :-4

And I couldn't agree with you more.

I don't think he'll pay too hard though, sadly. But we can still hope!

[[love]light]

RedGlitter;669579 wrote: Dang, [love]light....you said that just like I would have. :-4

And I couldn't agree with you more.

I don't think he'll pay too hard though, sadly. But we can still hope!




we should go handle his sorry azz then. it fires me up so badly because its unbelievable cruel to a highly loving animal & it deprives so many people of the opportunity to have a very very good dog.

[RedGlitter]

It does. And then the media get hold of something like this, up their reporting on "scary attack dogs" and then there's a whole new slew of "bad pit" stories happening and people who don't know better get scared all over again and more pits and rotts go down. I read there were something like 66 dogs at his place. I'd like to know who was taking care of them. You can't have that many dogs and properly care for them without a staff of people.

Oh! And now they're crying racism over this!! I expect Al Sharpton to jump out of the woodpile any time soon.

[[love]light]

Pardon me for saying this so bluntly, but how opportunistic to pull that card when you are **** out of luck. he has no defense, so he's trying to bleed the "politically correct". hes going to make this process about something else to hide that he is a total waste of a human being. It is cases like this when i wish we could go back to the old "eye for an eye" way of justice.

[cruelty to animal: what investigators look for when tracking a serial killers history]

[[love]light]

Furthermore, people who are attacked always assume it was a pit bull. In reality, only 1% of dog attacks are pit bulls.

1%

[RedGlitter]

'[love wrote: light;669595']Furthermore, people who are attacked always assume it was a pit bull. In reality, only 1% of dog attacks are pit bulls.

1%


I know!!! That frosts me so much!!! Remember some years ago two dogs attacked a woman and the news was on pit bulls like white on rice? They weren't pits, they were Presas! Presa Canarios. Fighting dogs from the Canary Islands! Did the media retract or do any feel-good stories? Heck no!