Possible Michael Vick deal

Clock ticks on possible Vick plea deal

RICHMOND, Virginia (CNN) -- Michael Vick is considering joining two co-defendants who will ask a judge Friday to sign off on their plea agreements in a federal dogfighting case, according to a spokesman and published reports.

NFL star Michael Vick after a court appearance last month.

The deal offered by federal prosecutors recommends that the Atlanta Falcons quarterback serve a year in prison, The Virginian-Pilot reported in its Thursday editions. The newspaper quotes two anonymous sources.
Without an agreement in place by the end of the week, Vick could face new, more serious charges when a grand jury reconvenes on Monday.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution quotes its sources as saying Vick is waiting to hear from the NFL how a guilty plea might affect his football career.
If he does not agree to a deal, the newspaper reported, Vick could be charged with racketeering in a superseding indictment.
Co-defendants Purnell Peace, 35, and Quanis Phillips, 28, are due in court Friday to seek approval for their plea deals. A third co-defendant, Tony Taylor, 34, has pleaded guilty July 30 and agreed to cooperate with prosecutors.
That leaves only Vick to negotiate for a deal.
When asked about the possibility, Vick spokesman Collins Spencer III told CNN: "Nothing has been decided yet."
The Atlanta Falcons quarterback pleaded not guilty in July after a federal grand jury alleged he organized bloody and vicious dog fights on a Virginia property bought in 2001.
He also is accused of transporting and delivering dogs across state lines.
On one occasion, earlier this year, Vick participated in killing eight dogs, prosecutors alleged.
The charges could put Vick in prison for up to six years and result in a $350,000 fine.

Vick, 27, one of pro football's highest-profile and highest-paid players, was released after entering his plea, but U.S. Magistrate Dennis Dohnal ordered him to surrender his passport and dog-breeding license; not to travel outside the district where his primary residence is located without approval; and not to buy or sell any dogs.
According to documents filed in court last month, Taylor said he and co-defendants, including Vick, decided to start a dogfighting venture in early 2001 and that Vick paid for the property in Smithfield, Virginia, used for the operations.
The four launched the venture, Bad Newz Kennels, in early 2002, Taylor said.
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has barred Vick from playing with the Falcons until the completion of a league investigation into the case. The league could suspend him for up to a year.
Athletic shoe giant Nike has suspended Vick's contract and the sale of products bearing his name at Nike retail stores. Various other companies also have stepped away from Vick-related merchandise.
Vick is under a 10-year, $130 million contract with the Falcons. He was a standout at Virginia Tech and the first player chosen in the 2001 NFL draft.


http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/law/08/16/vick/index.html

Now what do I think of this? I am all in favor of plea bargains. It saves time, and money that is already stretched too thin, and cuts out a lot of unnecessary appeals (although you can appeal from a guilty plea). But ONE YEAR? That is a pretty sweet deal. A little too sweet for my taste. And don't tell me the fine makes a damn bit of difference. He probably made thatmuch money on this deal, and with his football contract, $350K is a drop int eh bucket.

The thought of those poor dogs being electrocuted makes my heart hurt. I am even more sickened by the idea that all of this was done for money, but torturing the dogs was done for fun. It takes a whole lot more work to do what they did to those dogs than to just shoot them and put them out of their misery. What kind of sick bastard thinks it is okay to do that? I hope he does not take the plea and they hammer him with the new charges.