Jail Time Likely For Vick

NFL Star's Career In Jeopardy After He Agrees To Plead Guilty To Dogfighting Charges

(CBS/AP)  Less than a month after saying he looked forward to clearing his name, Michael Vick now acknowledges the heinous acts associated with his name are true.

The Atlanta Falcons quarterback said through a lawyer Monday that he will plead guilty to federal dogfighting conspiracy charges, an admission that likely will mean prison time.

Vick may never play anywhere in the NFL again, reports CBS News correspondent Mark Strassmann. If he put up most of the gambling money, as his co-defendants claim, the NFL could ban him for life.

But for now, any hopes of salvaging his NFL career are secondary to his impending confinement.

"His focus is on his family, his focus is on answering to this judge," Vick's lead defense attorney, Billy Martin, told The Associated Press after announcing the plea agreement Monday.

U.S. District Judge Henry Hudson can sentence Vick to up to five years in prison and fine him $250,000, although federal sentencing guidelines will call for less. A government official, speaking on condition of anonymity because the terms are not final, told the AP that prosecutors will recommend a sentence of a year to 18 months.

The official said such a sentence would be more than what is usually recommended for first-time offenders, reflecting the government's attempt to show that animal abusers will receive more than a slap on the wrist.

Vick will return Monday to the same courthouse where he pleaded not guilty and resolved to prove his innocence just 25 days ago. This time he will plead guilty, and Hudson will schedule a date for sentencing.

Since that initial court appearance, all three of Vick's co-defendants have pleaded guilty and agreed to cooperate in the government's case against him, including testifying against him if the case had gone to trial in November as scheduled.

The co-defendants said Vick bankrolled virtually the entire "Bad Newz Kennels" operation in rural southeastern Virginia, including providing gambling funds, an act that could trigger a lifetime ban from the NFL under the league's personal conduct policy.

Two of them also said Vick participated in the brutal executions of at least eight underperforming dogs.

Facing those allegations and the prospect of a superseding indictment from a new grand jury that began meeting Monday, Vick opted to change his plea.

"Mr. Vick has agreed to enter a plea of guilty to those charges and to accept full responsibility for his actions and the mistakes he has made," Martin said in a statement. "Michael wishes to apologize again to everyone who has been hurt by this matter."

CBS News legal analyst Rikki Klieman said Vick had little choice but to accept the plea deal.

"This was a deal that he had to take at this point. It's one thing to have one person testifying against you. When you have three co-defendants, plus others testifying against you, even a great lawyer like Billy Martin knows his limits," Klieman said.

Even with his plea deal, Vick's legal troubles still aren't over, reports Strassman. That just takes care of business with the feds; state prosecutors in Virginia say they plan to bring their own charges against Vick for dogfighting sometime late next month.

[kailumego1]

Nggr like I said you''ve got to be the "stupidest" person on the face of the earth, or DAM close to it...

Nowhere did you read I was absolving Vick of his actions, quite the opposite, I stated and please don''t misinterpret what''s being stated, TIRED OF SEEING BLACK MALES ASSIMILATETHE NEGATIVE IDIOCYNCRATIC BEHAVIOR OF THIS "SOCIETY", OF WHICH THEY HAVE ENOUGH PSYCHO-DRAMA FROM THEIR AFRICAN ROOTS TO CONTEND , WITHOUT ADDING TO THE MIX SOMEONE [ETHNICITY%u2019S] PSYCHO-DRAMA, AND PRODUCTIVE MINDED BLACK FOLKS SHOULD BE FED UP OF SEEING ONE BLACK MALE AFTER THE OTHER TAKING A TUMBLE TO THIS TYPE OF NONSENSE.

Stop confusing the issue, I wasn''t apologizing to you, only clarifying myself, because it''s obvious you have a "bad" habit of picking words, sentences, etc. out of context...

And just as blacks have influenced this society both negatively and positively the identical can be stated for whites.

[kailumego1]

And as the idiot as you are, the %u201Cdog fighting%u201D phenomenon is an old %u201Cbloody%u201D business which roots are planted in Southern rural white%u2019s backyards, so I%u2019ll dismiss the lying %u201CBS%u201D you stated earlier on, that this behavior is typical of black neighborhoods.

You know absolutely nothing about the "social dynamics" of how individuals interact within a society, which in any given society individuals are influenced by their environment, and it doesn''t matter what ethnicity.

For example, Middle-Easterners or Arabs here in America have been dramatically influenced either positively or negatively, most have argued negativenly, by the cultural environment, i.e. food, dress, educational system particularly what''s taught, political system, constitutional values, social ills, behavioral mannerisms, the climate, work scheduling, etc., obviously you''re too narrow-minded to comprehend.

Similar to other ethnicities, including African Americans that doesn''t negate the fact they came to America with their own idiocycrasises, but from observation one can clearly see which behavior is learned or influenced by the environment, and which is indigenous.

During slavery Southern whites were greatly influenced by the behavior of African slaves and thereafter, you can visibly see the assimilation in past and present white artists and musicians, through the music style, vocalizations, dance, etc., as well there were negatve influences.

[kailumego1]

Secondly, yes white folks have negative idiosyncrasies, something a lot of white folks have conveniently forgotten.
Thirdly, white folks such as you have a tendency to overlook the white contribution to the decadence and degradation within this society, through falsely blaming others, i.e. liquor introduced to Native Americans, African Americans, etc. by whites, drugs introduced to Native Americans, African Americans, Chinese, etc. by whites, bastardization of African slaves, introduced by whites, embezzlement grand larceny alias stealing introduced to African slaves/African Americans by whites, drug dealing introduced to Native Americans, Blacks, Chinese, etc. by whites, %u201Cgangs, mobs, etc%u201D, introduced to African Americans, by whites, etc. etc. etc.
So, when are individuals such as you start taking responsibility for your actions and stop using others as %u201Cscapegoats%u201D, which you have been blatantly doing through your obnoxious post...

[kailumego1]

Secondly, yes white folks have negative idiosyncrasies, something a lot of white folks have conveniently forgotten.
Thirdly, white folks such as you have a tendency to overlook the white contribution to the decadence and degradation within this society, through falsely blaming others, i.e. liquor introduced to Native Americans, African Americans, etc. by whites, drugs introduced to Native Americans, African Americans, Chinese, etc. by whites, bastardization of African slaves, introduced by whites, embezzlement grand larceny alias stealing introduced to African slaves/African Americans by whites, drug dealing introduced to Native Americans, Blacks, Chinese, etc. by whites, %u201Cgangs, mobs, etc%u201D, introduced to African Americans, by whites, etc. etc. etc.
So, when are individuals such as you start taking responsibility for your actions and stop using others as %u201Cscapegoats%u201D, which you have been blatantly doing through your obnoxious post...

[nggr]

look, i just dont believe in racial in-equality like you do. i think blacks have the capacity to not "assimilate" any kind of behavior they should know is wrong. and if they do, i certainly don''t blame white men, thats just a cop-out.
to me, if someone "assimilates" a behavior such as this then they are a criminal by their own right.
I never suggested you condone his actions, mabey you should work on your reading comprehension skills too.
my point was that you are making an argument that attempts to partly absolve this a$$hole of his responsibility, by blaming white men.
and that attitude is what hinders true equality in this country.

[nggr]

"I was criticizing his and others like him behavior for consistently assimilating the negative elements or cultural idiocycracies of some "white" folks behavior while disregarding positive ones."

you think you are correct, don''t you.
amazing.
so his crime was doing what the bad things white folks do?
you aren''t around many black folk, are you.

[nggr]

"But white folks need to find another scapegoat to circumvent their deviant idiosyncrasies."
Posted by kailumego1 at 09:48 PM : Aug 22, 2007

wow, by saying that the responsibility rests partly on white men for vicks actions, aren''t you scapegaoting white people for vicks "deviant idiosyncrasies."
of course i''m dumb as hell, so tell me i''m wrong.

[nggr]

i thought you were an apologist, trying to elevate the argument in such a way to say that vick wasn''t fully responsible for his actions, by scapegaoting the white man as the genesis of our societal ills.
and then asserting that a black man/woman white woman/ other ethnicity assimilate these behaviors,
ipso facto, never being 100 percent responsible because, apparently, the white men did it all first.
i was under the impression that for generations blacks have been free, and have every right that anyone else has. and that this might propogate an equality among all citizens.
i was wrong though. the white man is still master and everyone else is a slave. not in the literal sense, but as you say, in such a way that they assimilate negative aspects emmbeded into our society by white males.
look at me, i feel foolish! i didn''t know that pitting two animals in a cage to the death origionated in colonial america by white males! i had no idea that pedophelia was a white male creation. i had no idea that alchoholism was the white males gift to the world.
and since i''m black, now that you have enlightened me, i know the origions of bad behavior rest soley on the white mans door step.
its always nice to know who to blame.
now i can not condone vicks actions and at the same time blame it on people who had nothing to do with it as well.

[kailumego1]

PartII

And yes blacks were denied equal opportunities, as you should very well know this from U.S. history classes.
I merely stated a fact, which individuals such as you like to "make a mountain out of a mole-hill" when it comes to deviant black behavior.
And yes black males have been and still are disempowered in this society, as any other non-Anglo that has been "negatively targeted".
Now does that mean blacks can''t rise above trepidation? Yes they can.
But white folks need to find another scapegoat to circumvent their deviant idiosyncrasies.
And black males/females need to stop assimilating negative aspects of this society.

[kailumego1]

nggr, You know it takes someone like you to take what is written totally out of context, no where in my post did you read that I was condoning Vick''s, behavior, quite the opposite. You obviously need to go back to secondary school and re-learn reading and comprehension.

You got to be either the "stupidest" person in the world, or DAM close to it, which makes your level of intellectual thought no better than Vick.

Stop taking sentences out of context, I was criticizing his and others like him behavior for consistently assimilating the negative elements or cultural idiocycracies of some "white" folks behavior while disregarding positive ones.

And yes a majority has negative idiocyncratic behavior, because as individuals such as you have failed to collect all the "facts" in this matter, the "dog fighting" industry is an old maligancy exclusive to Southern/rural white populations, which some blacks have assimilated it into their cultural schema.

I presume you are a mature adult, so go back and re-read the entire post and tell me where is it stated that I support brutality against animals, as this would make me an oxymoron, because I also have two sons[dogs], which I consider family.

[nggr]

denied automobiles, homes, etc, homeowner and auto insurance rates, health care, upward mobility, etc. etc., then after rendering them %u201Cpowerless%u201D and destitute underhandedly manipulating them into becoming the %u201Cself-fulfilling prophecy%u201D of self-degradation, some white folks, like vultures, want to sit back and pick the bones%u2026
Posted by kailumego1 at 03:43 PM : Aug 22, 2007

What the hell are you talking about. We are talking about a man who has a 150 MILION dollar contract to play a GAME?
we are talking about a co-alition of blacks apologizing for tyis peice of $hit saying that he should be allowed to colect his 150 MILLION Dollars.
this a$$hol3 has not been deprived of anything that is normally granted a citizen, black white yellow, whatever.
I''ll take a dog over most people any day.
GEEZ, the man hung eight dogs, 5 died, then he yanked the other ones down and drowned them 1 by 1 in a 5 gallon bucket.
and thats just the instance we know of.
i love dogs, i have two. they have souls, feelings, thay can problem solve and reason.
if you dont think so then you''ve got your head stuck way up your A$$.
killing a dog in this manner, cold blooded for no reason, to me there is no distinction between a dog and a human., now self defense, something to that effect, thats different.
quit apologizing for this cretin, its sickening

[nggr]

%u2019ve heard a lot of blacks that find Vick%u2019s behavior disgusting and unforgiving, so stop with your racist pandering and scapegoating.
Posted by kailumego1 at 11:13 PM : Aug 21, 2007

except for the NAACP

[kailumego1]

Want to talk about societal influence; the sport of %u201Cdog fighting%u201D isn%u2019t a new phenomenon, but a very old one, which originated in the rural areas of the Deep South.

[kailumego1]

Watch Bryant Gumbel%u2019s HBO special for some %u201Cenlightenment%u201D on its origins, the unfortunate circumstance is when African Americans males take it upon themselves to assimilate %u201Call%u201D the negative qualities of a culture, while omitting the positive, as Michael Vick has done.

The sport of %u201Cdog fighting%u201D is decades old which roots in white Southern cultural norms, not blacks, African Americans, etc. maybe this is what Trueprogress meant by the %u201Cbus driver%u201D%u2026

The unfortunate for many blacks, particularly black males, is being an alien within a society that has discounted, belittled, dehumanized, disenfranchised, emasculated, etc., not only among themselves but to other ethnicities [Arabs, Asians, East Indians, etc] as well, they have been often denied equal access which has been granted to other ethnicities, for example, business loans, quality education, adequate housing, credit/interest rates, purchasing power, negotiable terms on products, i.e. automobiles, homes, etc, homeowner and auto insurance rates, health care, upward mobility, etc. etc., then after rendering them %u201Cpowerless%u201D and destitute underhandedly manipulating them into becoming the %u201Cself-fulfilling prophecy%u201D of self-degradation, some white folks, like vultures, want to sit back and pick the bones%u2026

[kailumego1]

Now white America did set into motion this self-destructive behavior, but doesn%u2019t mean blacks or African Americans have to continue to assimilate this propagandist vile discourse.

Trueprogress might not fault blacks for their current dilemma, but I do, because as well meaning as you are, there are 100x%u2019s as many which are the total opposite, and it%u2019s about time black folks %u201Cwake-up%u201D and smell the %u201CBS%u201D.

Black folks should be fed up by now from watching one black male after the other degrade himself through assimilating the negative, vile, and barbaric behavior of this society.


I%u2019m appalled at Vick and others like him, for consistently and stupidly assimilating the negative aspects of this society, i.e. be it this %u201Cdog fighting%u201D barbarianism, which is a white man%u2019s mental disease, post-slavery bastardization, white men%u2019s deviant behavior, pedophilia, a white man%u2019s innate psychological perversion, stealing, again a white man%u2019s social ill, covert deception, a white man%u2019s narcissism, alcoholism and drug abuse, a white man%u2019s loathsome pleasure, dividing or pitting one up against the other, a white man%u2019s strategic maneuver, mass murder, serial killing, etc., a white man%u2019s pathological maladaptiveness, etc. etc.-- people of African descent have enough psychological burdens of their own to overcome from the dysfunctional/cultural origins of Africa, so why consume others idiosyncrasies. .

[kailumego1]

It should infuriate all productive minded blacks trying to overcome the hypocrisy and double-standards within this society, to only have years of %u201Cblood, sweat, and tears%u201D from the Civil Rights Movement, the leaders, and participants, to shaved off%u2026

It%u2019s a grievous shame, through all the sacrifices past leaders like: Martin Luther King, Malcolm X, Merger Evers, etc. had made so black folks could have the right to vote, decent housing, enfranchisement, political representation, adequate education, etc. to have all those achievements and %u201Cgood works%u201D spit upon by these vandals.

This is the issue!

[phil-in-fin]

trueprogress said (in quotations),
"Mr. Phil - You must be a stuffy old administrator who have never taught a class, or explored the meaning of what we daily ponder - "right and wrong."

Funny! At forty-three to be called stuffy and old. It must be nice for you, to have a job that someone else gave you ... I am certain that whomever hired you (some other "stuffy old administrator") regrets it tremendously ...

"!!!!!Have you considered, that Mr. Vick.... In fact, this man of steel...is a modern day gladiator, who risks his life everyday for everyone, in some type of superhuman exhibition that "male/plantatation/hetero/dominance white men demands, otherwise he most likely goes to jail as a threat just because he exists ? Is he not expressing himself and his "job" as a mirror to our societal ills , when he exhibits his dogs in battle ?"

That''s it? That''s your thesis?

To think for a second that Vick is a "gladiator (do you really use this word when you talk about him)" that this has anything to do with honor is pure irrationality.

According to your thesis, then everyone in the NFL, or in all the other professional (aggressive) sports and occupations are also committing similar crimes or worse (rape and murder for instance), when clearly this is not the case, except for the exceptions which have been both exceptional and sensational.

[colonieny]

Excuse me ! I think what this man did is very very bad, and he should go to jail, but I am just pointing out the there is a sub culture of fooball/basket ball others who "are used to " getting away with bad stuff. I say send them all to jail. I am amazed however that this story has "legs" but the rape of the 11 year old faded.
To Trueprogress. I hope my tax dollars are not going to support your nut case "blatherings", and I would never send any kid of mine to sit in your class rooms. Where do you "teach" - on the moon ?

[trueprogress]

Mr. Phil - You must be a stuffy old administrator who have never taught a class, or explored the meaning of what we daily ponder - "right and wrong".

Your focal point is so small that you miss the fabric and interwoven meanings of life itself.

!!!!!Have you considered, that Mr. Vick.... In fact, this man of steel...is a modern day gladiator, who risks his life everyday for everyone, in some type of superhuman exhibition that "male/plantatation/hetero/dominance white men demands, otherwise he most likely goes to jail as a threat just because he exists ? Is he not expressing himself and his "job" as a mirror to our societal ills , when he exhibits his dogs in battle ? We force upon him and others and they force battle upon the dogs . Simplistic but not without temitity and chysalitic irony. To punish is blame is not

[phil-in-fin]

So, trueprogress, how about ColonieNy''s story (published at 01:02 AM)?

I would love to hear your comments ...