Michael Vick's Attorneys Negotiating Plea Bargain

[The Judge]

Falcons QB would serve prison time if agreement reached
By D. ORLANDO LEDBETTER, BILL RANKIN
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 08/14/07

Michael Vick's attorneys are engaged in plea negotiations with federal prosecutors and the Falcons quarterback could reach an agreement before new dogfighting charges are handed down next week, according to a person with knowledge of the negotiations.

The negotiations follow news that two more of Vick's three co-defendants are scheduled to enter guilty pleas later this week as part of a deal with prosecutors.
Collins Spencer, a spokesman for Vick's lawyers, declined to comment Tuesday on any possible negotiations.

He added that Vick did not meet with his attorneys last night but said they will have a conference call with Vick this morning and may have an announcement this afternoon. Spencer did not indicate what the announcement would be.

On Monday Spencer said the legal team was "very surprised" by the pleas from Purnell Peace and Quanis Phillips and said they would not affect plans to move forward toward a Nov. 26 trial.

Vick's lead attorney, Billy Martin, could not be reached for comment.

If the announcement is that Vick has reached a plea agreement, the embattled star quarterback is expected to be sentenced to some time in prison, according to federal sentencing guidelines.

Vick's motivation to enter a guilty plea is likely fueled by the U.S. Attorney's Office announcement last month that it will seek a new "superseding" indictment against Vick by the end of August. With the cooperation of Vick's three co-defendants, there will likely be new, and more specific, allegations against Vick. The federal grand jury in Richmond is expected to hand up that indictment sometime early next week.

If Vick can reach an agreement by the end of this week, he would not have to answer to any additional charges.

This week, Vick learned that in the criminal justice system, friendship only goes so far.

On Monday, guilty plea hearings were scheduled for two of his co-defendants and long-time associates. Peace, 35, of Virginia Beach, has a plea hearing scheduled for Thursday in U.S. District Court in Richmond at 9 a.m., while Phillips, 28, of Atlanta, has a plea hearing set for Friday at the same time. The hearings showed up Monday on U.S. District Court Judge Henry E. Hudson's docket.

The third co-defendant, Tony Taylor, 34, of Hampton pleaded guilty July 30 and agreed to cooperate with prosecutors in their case against Vick. Just days earlier, Taylor had joined Vick and the others in pleading not guilty.

Attorneys for both Peace and Phillips declined to comment Monday.

"There's no telling until the actual pleas, but this doesn't sound like good news for Michael Vick," said Kent Alexander, once the U.S. attorney in Atlanta and now Emory University's general counsel. "Usually, if people plead guilty early in a case they may be cooperating with the government. That's what it sounds like here."

A federal grand jury indicted the men last month on a single count of conspiracy to cross state lines to engage in illegal gambling; to sponsor a dog in an animal fighting venture; and to buy, transport and receive dogs for animal fighting.

They face up to five years in prison and $250,000 in fines, but defendants often receive more lenient punishment when they accept responsibility and enter guilty pleas.

A 13-page statement of facts Taylor signed with prosecutors last month says Vick, Peace and Phillips set up a business called "Bad Newz Kennels" in rural Surry County, Va., to raise and train pit bulls for dogfights.

It also says the men gambled on the fights in Virginia and several other states and that Vick almost exclusively funded the dogfighting operation and gambling monies.
At various times, Taylor, Peace and Phillips executed dogs they didn't think would fight well by shooting them, the statement says. The indictment issued earlier in July said Vick also executed dogs.

The plea deals for Taylor, Peace and Phillips emerged after federal prosecutors announced at their arraignment hearing last month that they would be seeking a superseding indictment, meaning they could name additional charges and defendants in the case. That indictment is expected to be announced before the end of this month.

Vick's jury trial is scheduled for Nov. 26, deep into the Falcons' schedule. The Falcons will have played 11 of their 16 regular-season games by then. Vick will remain free until the trial, but his availability to appear on field is unclear. The NFL barred Vick, with pay, from being with the team pending the outcome of its own investigation.

A call to Vick's agent, Joel Segal, was not returned Monday. The Falcons declined to comment on the latest developments in Vick's case.

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell is expected to make a decision on Vick's future in a few weeks. Goodell said he is waiting for a report from investigator Eric Holder before rendering a verdict, according to a league spokesman. No timetable has been set for Goodell's decision, NFL vice president of public relations Greg Aiello said.

Tailback Warrick Dunn, who spoke to Vick recently, said Falcons players are already of the mindset that they'll have to play without him.

"Mike is going to be missed, and he has been missed, but at the same time, you have to go on," he said.

Should Holder's report lead Goodell to determine Vick violated the NFL's player conduct policy, he could issue a suspension. Holder's report also could show that Vick did not violate the policy and that no league-ordered suspension or other discipline is warranted.

A high-ranking NFL team official said Goodell likely would meet with Vick or his legal representation before levying any suspension. Such a meeting has yet to take place.

Falcons owner Arthur Blank and president and general manager Rich McKay have said they had enough information to lead them to draw up papers to suspend Vick for four games — the maximum a team can suspend a player for disciplinary reasons. The league could suspend Vick for a year.

Blank and McKay also said there were discussions about cutting Vick.

Coach Bobby Petrino said Monday he had not been told of any developments from the NFL regarding a decision on Vick.

"I'm not aware of any recent updates on this situation," Petrino said.

"We've been proceeding as if — we have to — he's not going to be here, and we're doing the best we can at that."

[Randle Pat McMurphy]

Sure doesnt look good for him. Attorney's are probably pushing like heck to get him to accept a plea. They apparently know the hammer is about to fall.

Wonder if Vick is all for this or not? Are his attorneys the driving force for the plea deal or is Vick calling the shots? Would love to be afly on the wall in those meetings.

[Gerk]

With all his "friends" copping pleas to turn witness against him, I don't think he has much choice but to see the writing on the wall.

Think most lawyers would tell him that would be his best option now with the abundance of evidence and now the human testimony sure to come

[iggs111]

dude will prolly serve like 3 days or something.

[Kramer]

As it now stands, Vick faces up to six years on federal conspiracy charges.

If a new indictment includes counts based on the statutes that, for now, he is merely charged with conspiring to violate, the maximum prison time would be pushed to 27 years, if the terms run consecutively.

Even if all of the terms run concurrently, the worst-case scenario would be 20 years

Under the federal sentencing guidelines, coming clean quickly is a factor that pushes the sentence down.

the fact that Vick will be pleading out only after the other three defendants opted to do so might not get him the full benefit of his decision to acknowledge his responsibility for the crimes

Given that a couple of Vick's long-time friends are now willing to snitch on him, Mike might decide that it's time to snitch on everyone , meaning other NFL players ..., maybe politicians ?

Most likely he'll plead to dogfighting ,
but not guilty to gambling which is strictly against NFL policy
which is a BIG NO NO ...

[revnecro1273]

Originally Posted by Randle Pat McMurphy

Sure doesnt look good for him. Attorney's are probably pushing like heck to get him to accept a plea. They apparently know the hammer is about to fall.

Wonder if Vick is all for this or not? Are his attorneys the driving force for the plea deal or is Vick calling the shots? Would love to be afly on the wall in those meetings.

i would think it is his lawyers that are pushing with it...mr. nfl dude probably thinks he is above the law and by being an american football that could help him beat it...dude doesnt have the brains to know he is toast and to take a lighter punishment

[lakersmetsjets]

call me naive but how come we don't kill roy oswalt & all the deer/animal hunters out there? I know hunting is legal and dogs are man's so called best friend (not mine cause I've never had a pet) but seems like a double standard. Not both animal killing?

[Dr. Jack]

Originally Posted by Gerk

With all his "friends" copping pleas to turn witness against him, I don't think he has much choice but to see the writing on the wall.

Think most lawyers would tell him that would be his best option now with the abundance of evidence and now the human testimony sure to come

Vick will have no choice but to accept a deal. Innocent or guilty everyone has already turned on him. There is no way he can beat this and I am sure we’ll here he has accepted the plea very soon

[The Judge]

Originally Posted by lakersmetsjets

call me naive but how come we don't kill roy oswalt & all the deer/animal hunters out there? I know hunting is legal and dogs are man's so called best friend (not mine cause I've never had a pet) but seems like a double standard. Not both animal killing?

Hey lakersmetsjets, in case you missed the memo, dogs are domesticated animals and it is illegal to fight them for sport. On the other hand deer are wild animals that would overun your neighborhood if it were not for the hunting season which is why licenses are issued by the various state game departments to hunt them legally.

[Trossi3389]

"There's no telling until the actual pleas, but this doesn't sound like good news for Michael Vick," said Kent Alexander, once the U.S. attorney in Atlanta and now Emory University's general counsel. "Usually, if people plead guilty early in a case they may be cooperating with the government. That's what it sounds like here."

Yeah he's fawked.. year and a half or so of prison.

[lakersmetsjets]

Originally Posted by The Judge

Hey lakersmetsjets, in case you missed the memo, dogs are domesticated animals and it is illegal to fight them for sport. On the other hand deer are wild animals that would overun your neighborhood if it were not for the hunting season which is why licenses are issued by the various state game departments to hunt them legally.

Got it. So a pitbull is a domesticated animal that wouldn't overun my neighborhood if Michael Vick didn't breed/fight them. I'm not condoning Vick's actions but it seems to me that although hunting is legal, killing animals for sport isn't right.

[revnecro1273]

Originally Posted by The Judge

Hey lakersmetsjets, in case you missed the memo, dogs are domesticated animals and it is illegal to fight them for sport. On the other hand deer are wild animals that would overun your neighborhood if it were not for the hunting season which is why licenses are issued by the various state game departments to hunt them legally.

well how about implementing your reasoning to thugs in the ghetto and maybe just people in general based on certain prerequisites due to an increasing population growth that could have a negative impact on society as well? humanicide could be worthwhile

[lakersmetsjets]

Originally Posted by revnecro1273

well how about implementing your reasoning to thugs in the ghetto and maybe just people in general based on certain prerequisites due to an increasing population growth that could have a negative impact on society as well? humanicide could be worthwhile

you my friend are a first class idiot. I would expand but its not worth my time. Any chance your company transfers you to North Korea?

[Bobtheicon]

What a waste

[ZIGGYSTARDUST]

Originally Posted by lakersmetsjets

Got it. So a pitbull is a domesticated animal that wouldn't overun my neighborhood if Michael Vick didn't breed/fight them. I'm not condoning Vick's actions but it seems to me that although hunting is legal, killing animals for sport isn't right.

I live in Western, Pa.. and if you did not hunt deer and thin out the herd you could not drive home at night without hitting one in a matter of years ... Plus many would starve to death... It still blows my mind though that a player like Larry Little can kill a HUMAN with a car and do ZERO jail time ( he was drinking) yet kill a pit bull .......