Judge: Vick Can Keep $20M Signing Bonus

Ruling Says Falcons Cannot Demand Forfeiture Of Bonus From Jailed QB Michael Vick

(CBS/AP)  Jailed quarterback Michael Vick can keep nearly $20 million in bonus money he received from the Atlanta Falcons following a ruling Monday by a federal judge.

The Falcons sought to recover the bonuses after Vick pleaded guilty to federal charges in a dogfighting operation. The bonuses were paid from 2004-2007.

A special master ruled in October that the Falcons were entitled to recover the bonuses. The Falcons argued that Vick used proceeds from a contract he signed in 2004 to finance his illicit activities.

But U.S. District Judge David Doty of Minneapolis ruled that the Falcons' recovering the bonus money would violate the NFL collective bargaining agreement. The agreement does not allow signing bonuses to be forfeited for years a player has already performed.

Arguments turned on interpretations of the collective bargaining agreement. At a November hearing, a union attorney argued that Vick's "roster bonus" should be treated the same as a "performance bonus," which can't be forfeited under the agreement. The league maintained that the roster bonus should be treated like a "signing bonus allocation," which could be forfeited.

Doty ruled that once Vick made the Falcons' 80-man roster, he earned the roster bonuses and the team cannot demand their forfeiture.

Vick received a 23-month jail sentence. He entered a minimum-security prison in Leavenworth, Kan., last month.

Vick is scheduled to be released from federal prison in October 2009, but with good behavior, his legal team is hoping the quarterback will be released in 18 months. Vick will go to trial on state charges in Virginia in April, reports CBS News affiliate WGCL-TV in Atlanta.

[korinsha]

Whether or not I agree with it, I understand.

Say, hypothetically, there is a man who works for a big company and he gets paid really well. This man is a real jerk and decides he wants to kill his wife since it''s cheaper than a divorce and he''s been carrying on with his receptionist.

Say this man hires a hitman. The hitman kills his wife. Eventually the man gets caught. Does his employer demand the money (and bonuses) back after he''s convicted because he used some of that money to fund a very serious criminal act?

Maybe they should, but to my knowledge it doesn''t work that way.

[tireslinger]

That emotional dog loving part of me, wants to call that judge, everything but his name. However, I agree with an earlier post, in that playing for the Falcons, was his job. He earned a pre-negotiated amount for his performance on the playing field. No employer has a right to take back, money that was earned. My hope is that he''ll take a portion of that money, and do something worthy of helping to crush the disgusting, scummy, activity of dogfighting.

[auntieconnie]

For my self I am glad he gets to keep it. That was money he earned. And while I hate what he did to the poor dogs. It was his money to do what he wanted. Employers don''t have the right to tell you what you can do with the money they paid you for a job. And if I worked for someone than got paid and than got arested. Why should they be able to take it back.
And yes I agree he should have got more time. What he did was wrong. He hurt a lot of dogs that should have been pets.

[brianbwb-2009]

sorry for the typo, I meant 0.001%

[brianbwb-2009]

"Good Gawd! How insane is that?
I agree he should be able to keep it. If a football club is stupid enough to pay such a gawd awful amount to some kid to play football then they deserve to lose it!" Posted by RowdyTexan2

Rowdy, you open another subject let me ask, by way of example.

When Michael Jordan at his peak, played, it was estimated that for each game he played, almost a half billion dollars moved around worldwide.

If he, entirely from his own sweat, blood, sacrifice, and work, was able to move that kind of money around, some $40 billion per year, is it too much that he should get at least .01% of it? If so, that comes to 40 million per year, more than twice what he actually was paid for his best years.

[brianbwb-2009]

Posted by figuy30

Anyone who thinks the judgment is wrong should answer this, if you are convicted of a crime you committed yesterday, does your employer have the right to demand your weekly paychecks from before that period, when you showed up for, and did your job?

[figuy30]

What a SOB judge! His motto must be "let''s reward criminals and they''ll get better! I''d like to see a bulldog chew this judges balls off and then see if he still like criminals, but it''s obvious he does''nt have any.

[gmond]

He''ll probably use the money to organize guard dog fights.

[element51]

SgtRDS...Let me second that!! Now the good news. As a result of what Vik did, we got a new law passed in Missouri that strengthens the penalties for anyone caught indulging in dog fighting. It won''t stop it but at least now when they catch them the penalties will be more than a slap on the wrist. This barbaric activity must be stopped and the only way we can do it is to hit them where it hurts. Everytime I look at our beautiful pit bull I think to myself how can anyone want to harm such a beautiful animal. She is like a member of our family.

[sgtrds]

If he was white you wouldn''''t be saying these ugly things.

Posted by zelicia at 03:24 PM : Feb 04, 2008

I don''t give a da*mn what color he is. He trained innocent animals to fight each other to the death. It''s inhuman and inhumane. It''s animal cruelty and torture and he deserves a lot more prison then he go.

[dylanxxv]

Dylanxxv... You are the real problem your uglier than Vic period...

Posted by crzmeat at 08:58 PM : Feb 04, 2008

Taking up for your lover vic is your business, how bout keeping it that way...

[Syndicate]

The Falcons got what they deserved. As for Vick I think the public humiliation is worse than any jail sentence he could get. Granted loosing your freedom is bad but when you have twenty million in the bank and you know your family isn''t going to loose everything because you were stupid, jails not that bad. Thats the differance between the middle and the extremes when your rich or poor

[Krazcarl]

Dylanxxv... You are the real problem your uglier than Vic period...

[rowdytexan2]

A $20 million dollar freaking signing bonus???

Good Gawd! How insane is that?

I agree he should be able to keep it. If a football club is stupid enough to pay such a gawd awful amount to some kid to play football then they deserve to lose it!

[marcodele]

Let him keep his millions. He''s like O.J., he''s so damned stupid and arrogant he''ll hang himself eventually.

[jochitragman]

Its the White Man''s Fault my azz.

[korinsha]

All you know it alls. White man invented dog fighting as well a cockfighting. As AG Gonzalez stated, your president is still in the White House. He has caused thousands of our soldier to die on nothing but lies and a war that should never have ventured in Iraq. Why is it that our President that choose this dog fight not in prison???? People seem to care more for an animal than they do human beings.

Martha Stewart came of prison and is still making her millions for stealing trade secrets. President Clinton doing his dirty deeds still stayed in the White House as YOUR president. He still gets paid. -
Stop being racist and treat every fair. WHAT''''S UP WITH THAT AMERICA!
Yes he should get paid. If he was white you wouldn''''t be saying these ugly things. -zelicia at 03:24 PM : Feb 04, 2008



First of all, dogfighting''s origins are traced back to ancient Rome... and the origins of rooster fighting go back to India, China, Persia, and other eastern countries. So... might want to educate yourself before you "blame whitey" for everything. Otherwise, you might end up sounding like a moron. Might!

[libsluvsuvs]

Posted by zelicia at 03:24 PM : Feb 04, 2008
+ report abuse
***********

wow! you sound just like obama..

what else did that evil white man did to you?? maybe we should make crime legal for all black people to pay back for all the crimes the white man did..well what happened when a black man kills an asian..or a latino??

the reason why the black race is still resides in the scum level of society is because people like you thinks like that...

BLAME EVERYBODY ELSE..

[jetlizhan]

zelicia -
you are warped and stupid all at the same time

[jetlizhan]

what a poor excuse for a human being - this b@stard should have to clean out dog runs every weekend for the rest of his life when he gets out. i asbolutely despise him.