GUILTY VA - NFL QB Michael Vick, 3 others indicted for dog fighting, Surry County, 2007

[Jeana (DP)]

WTF? Let that have his day in court!

Question, if he accepts a plea deal isn't that essentially admitting guilt? Can the NFL suspend him indefinitely after that?

There's probably already a thread for this but I couldnt find it.

The NFL can do what it wants regardless of what happens in criminal court. A player can be suspended simply because he makes the league look bad. I think I heard that he's already been suspended for the season, so I'm not sure that this deal would change that. I can't see the NFL taking on PETA even before the start of the regular season. It will be horrible for them if PETA gets angry enough to make an example out of Vick, and I see that happening if they allow him to play while this is still fresh in people's minds.

 

[Lurker]

The NFL can do what it wants regardless of what happens in criminal court. A player can be suspended simply because he makes the league look bad. I think I heard that he's already been suspended for the season, so I'm not sure that this deal would change that. I can't see the NFL taking on PETA even before the start of the regular season. It will be horrible for them if PETA gets angry enough to make an example out of Vick, and I see that happening if they allow him to play while this is still fresh in people's minds.

The ticker on CNN is saying that Goodell is denying suspending him for the year. I think he's waiting to see if he takes the plea or not since the deadline is Friday. I think he should fry! Even if he goes to court and gets convicted, he's only facing 6 years right? That's despicable!

 

[Jeana (DP)]

The ticker on CNN is saying that Goodell is denying suspending him for the year. I think he's waiting to see if he takes the plea or not since the deadline is Friday. I think he should fry! Even if he goes to court and gets convicted, he's only facing 6 years right? That's despicable!

I think that Vick is waiting for the NFL to decide his fate before he decides whether to take the plea. However, its really not good for him either way. If he is suspended from the league for life, then he'll refuse the deal and the Feds will add RICO charges. If they do that, he's facing a 20-year prison sentence. Even more charges could be added depending on what his co-defendants say during their plea deals.

Without these new charges being added, I believe he's facing five years and a hefty fine. So, if the NFL decides that they'll only ban him for this year, I believe he'll take the plea so he can get on with his career as soon as the NFL will allow him to do so.

 

[Lurker]

I think that Vick is waiting for the NFL to decide his fate before he decides whether to take the plea. However, its really not good for him either way. If he is suspended from the league for life, then he'll refuse the deal and the Feds will add RICO charges. If they do that, he's facing a 20-year prison sentence. Even more charges could be added depending on what his co-defendants say during their plea deals.

Without these new charges being added, I believe he's facing five years and a hefty fine. So, if the NFL decides that they'll only ban him for this year, I believe he'll take the plea so he can get on with his career as soon as the NFL will allow him to do so.

He only has until Friday to accept the deal. The NFL has already "suspended" him for pre-season right? I think Goodell is going to ride it out. If he doesn't take the plea, he can suspend him for the season and if he does he can suspend him for life? Is that right? This is all so confusing! LOL
I have a hard time seeing any team wanting to take a chance on him and the disruption he'd bring in the future though.

 

[Buzz Mills]

No escape route?
Vick's options narrowing, his career in jeopardy

Two more of Michael Vick's co-defendants will reportedly reach a plea agreement in the federal dogfighting case.

Michael Vick is all alone now. As his remaining two co-defendants prepare to enter plea agreements later this week in their federal dogfighting case, Vick's increasing state of isolation has been underlined in the most dramatic terms.

The corporate sponsors who once lavished him with attention and income have retreated, one by one. The NFL, which had him take a very public bow as recently as April's draft, ordered him to become invisible. And the Atlanta Falcons have turned the page on the Vick era in a way that seemed almost unimaginable a few weeks ago.

Whatever is looming as the next shoe to drop in this saga -- be it a plea agreement from Vick, a league-issued suspension, or some other development -- the scenario that grows a little closer to a certainty by the day is that Vick has played his last game of football for quite some time. Perhaps ever. The Falcons, the NFL and the federal authorities seem to know it. It's as if now we're all waiting for Vick to come to the same realization, and begin facing whatever this next painful chapter in his life holds.

Vick's goal of "clearing his good name'' would appear to be the longest of long shots in the current field of potential outcomes. His choices are narrowing to the lesser of two evils. Cut the best possible deal he can still get in exchange for a guilty plea, or go to trial in a case where his three co-defendants would be prepared to testify against him. And let's not forget the potential filing of a superseding indictment by federal investigators, which could stack more dogfighting charges against Vick.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/writers/don_banks/08/14/vick/

 

[tennessee]

I have a hard time seeing any team wanting to take a chance on him and the disruption he'd bring in the future though.

Me too. I would think that his career is pretty ruined anyway unless he can prove himself innocent and that I don't look for that to happen any time soon. I mean, surely they will suspend him for life either way. Won't they? Then again, probably not.

 

[Buzz Mills]

Toobin: Vick case plea deal could lead to more charges

(CNN) -- One of the co-defendants in the Michael Vick federal dogfighting case pleaded guilty on Monday and pledged to fully cooperate with prosecutors. Tony Taylor, 34, of Hampton, Virginia, entered the guilty plea in U.S. District Court in Richmond. He will be sentenced December 14.

CNN legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin says the first defendant to flip usually gets the best plea deal.

We asked CNN legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin for some background on how plea bargains work. Toobin does not know the specifics of Tony Taylor's plea bargain, but talked to us in general terms.

CNN.com: Why do people make plea deals?

Toobin: What the prosecutors are doing here is federal prosecution 101. This is the basics of how almost every major case against multiple defendants works.

Prosecutors always have a specific target in mind. All defendants are not created equal. They want some more than others. And they work their way up the chain, they offer good deals to the lesser defendants in return for testimony against the high-profile defendants. ...

You certainly indict multiple people in the hope that some will flip, and it looks like one has flipped against Michael Vick. And cases with cooperators are stronger than cases without.

CNN.com: Would you think that prosecutors contacted Taylor's attorneys, or his attorneys contacted prosecutors?

Toobin: The first initiative is usually taken by the defense attorneys. The prosecutors generally wait by the phone, but it usually doesn't take long to ring.

Vick is really between a rock and a hard place here, because most dogfighting cases end in plea bargains that keep the defendants out of jail, they get them probation. And in normal circumstances certainly I would imagine Vick's lawyers would be looking for that kind of deal.

However Vick is not just concerned about his criminal exposure, he has to deal with his football career. How can he plead guilty and preserve his football career? Does he go to trial in a case that's going to be probably very difficult to defend? Or does he plea and try to salvage some kind of football career? Or does he go to trial and get convicted and have the worst of all possibilities?

http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/law/07/30/toobin.plea.deal/

 

[SadieMae]

Me too. I would think that his career is pretty ruined anyway unless he can prove himself innocent and that I don't look for that to happen any time soon. I mean, surely they will suspend him for life either way. Won't they? Then again, probably not.

Seems taking a plea deal is admitting guilt, and I would thnk the NFL should suspend him permanently as a convicted felon. Don't they have rules (clauses) about what voids their contract? After taking a plea deal none of his sponsors, Nike, etc. will have anything to do with him.

 

[Lurker]

This is a cute tongue in cheek opinion piece on Vick.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20255876/

 

[Squishified]

Seems taking a plea deal is admitting guilt, and I would thnk the NFL should suspend him permanently as a convicted felon. Don't they have rules (clauses) about what voids their contract? After taking a plea deal none of his sponsors, Nike, etc. will have anything to do with him.

This is what I'm thinking will happen. I'm sure his football career is over (and it should be!).

 

[dr dona]

If he takes a plea I would like to see him serve time in animal rescue and taking care of abused animals- work for Peta. Call it animal rehab. He shouldn't walk with a fine. He needs to build a conscience- but it may be too late. If he pleas he probably won't get prison time!!!

 

[Lurker]

If he takes a plea I would like to see him serve time in animal rescue and taking care of abused animals- work for Peta. Call it animal rehab. He shouldn't walk with a fine. He needs to build a conscience- but it may be too late. If he pleas he probably won't get prison time!!!

I don't think that would bother him one bit. You actually have to care about animals for that job to get to you. He would consider it a silly chore that was a waste of his time. And he wouldn't give those animals the love they deserve.

 

[Lurker]

CNN ticker is reporting Vick's attorneys are negotiating a possible plea bargain.

Hmm, that's funny. They acted so surprised when his buds copped a plea and said they were fully prepared to go to trial.

 

[imthemom]

I don't think that would bother him one bit. You actually have to care about animals for that job to get to you. He would consider it a silly chore that was a waste of his time. And he wouldn't give those animals the love they deserve.

True that, Lurker.

 

[Jeana (DP)]

He only has until Friday to accept the deal. The NFL has already "suspended" him for pre-season right? I think Goodell is going to ride it out. If he doesn't take the plea, he can suspend him for the season and if he does he can suspend him for life? Is that right? This is all so confusing! LOL
I have a hard time seeing any team wanting to take a chance on him and the disruption he'd bring in the future though.

The NFL can do whatever it wants, simply because he already made them look bad. From what I understood, if there was a chance in hell that the NFL was going to let him back anytime soon, he was going to take the deal. However, if the NFL suspends him for life, he has nothing to loose and will fight the charges, hoping to change their minds later.

 

[Jeana (DP)]

Seems taking a plea deal is admitting guilt, and I would thnk the NFL should suspend him permanently as a convicted felon. Don't they have rules (clauses) about what voids their contract? After taking a plea deal none of his sponsors, Nike, etc. will have anything to do with him.

I believe they have already pulled his merchandise from the shelves. If the NFL takes him back one day, they may sell it again, but not until the stink wears off.

 

[Jeana (DP)]

This thread was getting too long. Please go to thread no. 2.

 

[Jeana (DP)]

Please continue.

 

[Enrique Sparta]

Didn't Goodall suspend Pacman Jones before his case went to court? I don't see the difference here.
Although, it should be interesting to see how fans react when/if he takes the field. I know how he'd be received at FedEx Field and it wouldn't be pretty.

This is why the NFL commissioner Goodell is a p*ssy who is all talk. He claims to be all high and proper when it involves a lesser known, less popular player. But when it involves one of the stars of the league, the #1 jersey seller, then the rules don't apply.

Just like in real life, the rules don't apply to big time athlete and this piece of shiit Michael Vick will probably plea and get NO prison time. Probably some weak azz fine that won't put a dent in his net worth of millions and millions of dollars. This is stupid. Don't give a plea, take him to trial, add racketeering charges and put him in jail for 20 years. Or better yet just put a bullet in his head now.

Or maybe force into a cage to fight? If he doesn't wanna fight, he will be doused with water and electrocuted or maybe beaten to death. Sound familiar?

 

[Lurker]

This is why the NFL commissioner Goodell is a p*ssy who is all talk. He claims to be all high and proper when it involves a lesser known, less popular player. But when it involves one of the stars of the league, the #1 jersey seller, then the rules don't apply.

He's not the #1 jersey seller anymore! Way to go Reebok for pulling his jersey from the stores!