Tucker Carlson: Michael Vick 'Should Have Been Executed'

PHILADELPHIA (AP) -- Fox analyst Tucker Carlson says Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Michael Vick "should have been executed" for his role in a dogfighting ring. CONTINUE....

President Obama Praises Eagles For Taking Chance On Vick

Image by Getty Images via @daylife

Associated Press

HONOLULU -- The White House says President Barack Obama has commended the owner of the Philadelphia Eagles for giving quarterback Michael Vick a second chance after his release from prison. CONTINUE....

Black Quarterbacks Are Almost Ho-Hum

By: Deron Snyder

Here's a good measuring stick for progress in the National Football League: The league not only welcomes African-American quarterbacks who are good to great but even makes room for the merely average, the truly suspect and one major reclamation project.

Donovan McNabb, who guided the Philadelphia Eagles to five NFC Championship games and one Super Bowl, now leads the Washington Redskins. Charlie Batch, a longtime backup who started just four games in the previous six seasons, threw three touchdown passes to help the Pittsburgh Steelers remain unbeaten. Jason Campbell, who was named the Oakland Raiders' starter after four mediocre seasons in Washington, lost the job at halftime in Week 2.

And then there's the notorious Michael Vick, who in 2001 became the first black quarterback taken No. 1 in the NFL draft. Now, after serving 21 months in jail for operating a dogfighting ring, he's the talk of the league in his second season with Philadelphia, where he's taken over as the starter and has led the Eagles to consecutive victories.

CONTINUE....

Vick Signing Garners Mixed Reaction in Philly

By: Ron Todt

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Michael Vick's return to the NFL with the Eagles is getting a mixed reaction in Philadelphia.

Some hardcore Philly fans who bleed Eagles' green were seeing red Friday, a day after the team signed the former Atlanta Falcons quarterback to a two-year deal.

Meanwhile, others credited the franchise for giving Vick a second chance after he was convicted for his role in running a dogfighting ring and served 18 months of a 23-month sentence in federal prison.

Opinions of those around Philadelphia were as diverse as Eagles fans themselves.

Vick Signing Garners Mixed Reaction in Philly....

Vick hoping to move closer to freedom with plea

By HANK KURZ Jr.

SUSSEX, Va. (AP) — Michael Vick arrived in a suit and shackles for a court appearance Tuesday where he was expected to plead guilty to state dogfighting charges, a necessary step to make him eligible for early release.

Federal law prohibits prisoners from being released to a halfway house if there are unresolved charges pending.

A plea agreement between Vick's legal team and Surry County Commonwealth Attorney Gerald Poindexter calls for the former Atlanta Falcons star to plead guilty to two felony counts — beating or killing or causing dogs to fight other dogs and engaging in or promoting dogfighting — in Surry County Circuit Court.

Each state felony count is punishable by up to five years in prison, but the plea agreement calls for the 28-year-old Vick to receive a suspended sentence and one year of probation.

Vick, who arrived in Virginia last Thursday, already is serving a 23-month sentence in Leavenworth, Kan. for a federal dogfighting conviction. He's scheduled for release on July 20, 2009, and will serve three years' probation.

Vick arrived at the courthouse about 6:40 a.m, more than two hours before his scheduled appearance.

Vick hoping to move closer to freedom with plea....

VICK MAY LEAVE JAIL SOONER THAN EXPECTED

Imprisoned Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick could be getting out of federal prison and back in the NFL by the 2009-10 season after applying for a prison-monitored drug rehabilitation program done only in Leavenworth, KS.


Yahoo! Sports is quoting an official with the Federal Bureau of Prisons who said Friday that Vick was being transported to a minimum security satellite prison that is under the jurisdiction of the Leavenworth facility.


Under the program, Vick could be released after serving only 12 months of the 23-month sentence he was given Dec. 10 in Richmond, Va. His exact release date remains fuzzy, as it is unclear whether the 12-month stretch would be counted from the day he entered Leavenworth or the day he voluntary entered prison in November.

Two sources tell Yahoo! Sports that Vick qualified for the drug program because his 23-month sentence included his failed drug test for marijuana after pleading guilty to the dog fighting charges.

As it stands, Vick's 23-month prison term could translate to a release in the summer of 2009, putting his attempts at a return to the NFL for that season in jeopardy. But if Vick were to be released in late 2008 or early 2009, his opportunity to return to the league after missing only two seasons would be boosted significantly.

VICK GETS 23 MONTHS IN PRISON

RICHMOND, Va. -- Michael Vick was sentenced to 23 months in prison Monday for his role in a dogfighting conspiracy.

Federal sentencing guidelines suggested a year to 18 months.

The suspended Atlanta Falcons quarterback also received three years' probation at his sentencing before U.S. District Judge Henry E. Hudson.

With nearly a month already served, going by Hudson's sentencing, Vick would be scheduled for release in October 2009.

VICK GOES TO JAIL EARLY

RICHMOND, Va. -- Michael Vick surrendered to U.S. marshals Monday and will remain in jail until his sentencing on a dogfighting charge in three weeks.

The Atlanta Falcons quarterback is scheduled to be sentenced Dec. 10 on the federal dogfighting conspiracy charge, but he turned himself in because he was anticipating a prison term, according to a court document. Vick could be sentenced to up to five years in prison.

"From the beginning, Mr. Vick has accepted responsibility for his actions, and his self-surrender further demonstrates that acceptance," Billy Martin, one of Vick's lawyers, said in a statement. "Michael wants to again apologize to everyone who has been hurt in this matter, and he thanks all of the people who have offered him and his family prayers and support during this time."

Vick is being held at Northern Neck Regional Jail in Warsaw until his sentencing, U.S. marshals told The Associated Press. The mixed-gender facility houses about 450 inmates.

The order filed in U.S. District Court said that "Vick has indicated his desire to voluntarily enter custody prior to his sentencing hearing. It appearing appropriate to do so, the U.S. Marshal is ordered to take custody of the Defendant immediately upon his surrender."

The order added that Vick was taken into custody "based solely on his desire to begin his period of incarceration prior to his sentencing hearing and not because of violation of any condition of his bond."

In an e-mail sent to the AP, the U.S. attorney's office confirmed Vick's surrender but declined further comment.

Vick's decision to begin serving time before sentencing was approved by the judge and by Vick's lawyers.

Ronald Bacigal, a University of Richmond law professor who specializes in criminal law and criminal procedure, said there are no real direct legal benefits to Vick's decision to turn himself in before sentencing.

"I don't think there's any benefits except getting [the sentence] started," Bacigal said. "I would think he's purely thinking about timing as far as when he can get back to his football."

Vick also could be trying to show the judge he has accepted responsibility for his actions in hopes of a lighter sentence, Bacigal said.

"One of the things the judge is liable to consider is admitting fault," Bacigal said.

Whether that will work is anyone's guess.

"It's kind of like reading tea leaves knowing what's the exact impact on the judge," Bacigal said.

The federal dogfighting case began in late April when authorities conducting a drug investigation of Vick's cousin raided the property Vick owns in Surry County and seized dozens of dogs, most of them pit bulls, and equipment associated with dogfighting.

It's there that the dogfighting enterprise known as Bad Newz Kennels operated since 2001 on 15 acres of land Vick owned.

Vick initially denied any knowledge of the enterprise, then pledged after he was charged that he would fight to clear his name. After his three co-defendants pleaded guilty, Vick followed suit.

The gruesome details outlined in the federal indictment -- dogs were hanged, drowned and electrocuted -- fueled a public backlash against the Falcons star and cost him several lucrative endorsement deals, even before he agreed to plead guilty to the dogfighting conspiracy charge.

In his written plea, Vick admitted helping kill six to eight pit bulls and supplying money for gambling on the fights. He said he did not personally place any bets or share in any winnings, but merely associating with gambling can result in a lifetime ban under the NFL's personal-conduct policy.

Vick and his co-defendants also face state felony dogfighting charges. Vick has been charged with two state felony counts -- beating or killing or causing dogs to fight other dogs and engaging in or promoting dogfighting. Each felony is punishable by up to five years in prison.

Suspended indefinitely by the NFL without pay, Vick was unable to stay out of trouble. He tested positive in September for marijuana, a violation of U.S. District Court Judge Henry Hudson's order that he stay clean in exchange for being allowed to be free.

After that positive test, Hudson ordered Vick confined to his home address between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m., with electronic monitoring and random drug testing.

Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press

4 SALE, MIKE VICK PUTS ATLANTA LAKEFRONT HOME ON MARKET

ATLANTA -- In the latest indication that Michael Vick won't be returning to the Atlanta Falcons, the suspended quarterback has listed his suburban home here for sale, with a price tag of $4.5 million.

Vick purchased the sprawling lakefront home, which is in the exclusive Sugarloaf Country Club gated community in Duluth, Ga., and sits on a 1½-acre tract, in April 2005 for $3.8 million. It carries a monthly mortgage of $23,063 and the annual property taxes are $26,700.

The European-style home features a white, stucco exterior, Cathedral ceilings, eight bedrooms, 8½ baths, two fireplaces, hardwood floors, a two-story foyer and a garage for at least four cars. The home was built in 2004.

The home is listed with a local real estate agent.and featured on the Web site Realtor.com.

A source close to Vick said that, while the banished quarterback has not conceded that he won't resume his career with the Falcons at some point in the future, he has spent very little time lately in the Atlanta area.

Instead, Vick, who has been suspended indefinitely by the NFL, has mostly been with family in his hometown of Newport News, Va., where he is awaiting sentencing in December after pleading guilty to federal dogfighting charges. Vick also faces state charges in Virginia stemming from the dogfighting activities to which he has admitted in federal court.

Within the past five weeks, three banks, most recently Wachovia Bank, have filed suit against Vick and other defendants connected to him, charging that he has defaulted on loans.

Earlier this month, an arbitrator ruled that the Falcons were entitled to pursue repayment of nearly $20 million of the $37 million in bonuses that team had paid Vick as part of the 10-year, $130 million contract extension he signed on Christmas Eve, 2004.

Through the NFL Players Association, Vick has appealed the ruling. It is believed the appeal will not be heard before December.

Len Pasquarelli is a senior writer for ESPN.com.

WE WANT OUR MONEY BACK

VICK GETS $ACKED

By CLEMENTE LISI


October 10, 2007 -- Disgraced quarterback Michael Vick has to return $20 million in bonuses to the Atlanta Falcons, an arbitrator ruled yesterday.
The decision came in the wake of the former NFL superstar's guilty plea to federal dogfighting conspiracy charges, team officials said.

The Falcons argued that Vick violated his $130 million contract when he admitted his role in a dogfighting ring.

The team also argued that Vick used proceeds from his contract to bankroll the illegal operation, and sought the repayment of $19.97 million in bonuses he was paid since 2004.

Vick, who has been indefinitely suspended by the NFL, will be sentenced Dec. 10.

He faces up to five years in prison.

He is also facing state charges in Virginia.

Stephen Burbank, a University of Pennsylvania law professor who presided over last week's arbitration hearing, sided with the Falcons after hearing from team officials and NFL Players Association lawyers, who represented Vick. The union plans to appeal the decision. With Post Wire Services

FALCONS WANT MICHAEL VICK'S BONUS MONEY BACK

Suspended NFL quarterback Michael Vick stands to lose $22 million in bonus money from the Atlanta Falcons, who sent reps to Philadelphia Thursday to plead their case before an arbitrator.

The Falcons, represented by team president and general manager Rich McKay and three more team officials, argued that Vick knew he was in violation of the contract when he signed the $130 million deal in December of 2004, and that he used proceeds from the deal to fund his dogfighting operation, reports the Associated Press.

New York-based attorney Jeffrey Kessler, who represented Vick and the NFL Players Association, countered that the collective bargaining extension agreed to last year prevents forfeiture of bonus money even if the player contract says otherwise, union spokesman Carl Francis said.

A decision on the matter is expected sometime before Oct. 12, according to Stephen B. Burbank, the University of Pennsylvania law professor and special master who led the arbitration hearing.

Vick has pleaded guilty to helping to kill six to eight dogs and bankrolling the dogfighting operation that was based in Virginia and extended into other states.

Vick also faces new state felony charges in Virginia on two counts — beating or killing or causing dogs to fight other dogs and engaging in or promoting dogfighting. An attorney for the suspended player appeared in Surry County Circuit Court Wednesday and was asked to return Nov. 27 to set a trial date.

MICHAEL VICK SCHOOLED BY PETA

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals headquarters in Norfolk, VA quietly welcomed suspended Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick last month for an eight-hour course on empathy and animal protection in connection with his dogfighting scandal.

Vick was the only student at the Sept. 18 class, which was taught by several PETA staff members according to Dan Shannon, Vick's escort for the day. The NFL star passed a "very rigorous" written test at the end of the course, he added.

"He was asking questions, following up on points we were making, taking notes," Shannon said. "He seemed to be putting an honest effort into trying to get something out of the course."

Shannon said Vick told him "he wished he had gotten to take a course like this five years ago."

Vick's first trip to PETA's office was on Sept. 7, when he met with the group's president, Ingrid Newkirk. According to PETA's Web site, Vick apologized for his abuse of dogs. It was Newkirk's idea to make the course available to Vick, Shannon said.

"Actually, we were very surprised he took us up on it," he said. "We made it clear to him that this was something he needed to try to get something out of. We weren't interested in some kind of PR ploy."

He said PETA officials also told Vick they still believe he deserves prison time. The quarterback is scheduled to be sentenced Dec. 10 on a federal dogfighting conspiracy conviction and faces up to five years in prison. He also has been indicted on state dogfighting charges.

In other Vick news, a team of dog behavioral experts assembled by the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals to test the 49 dogs seized from his property found that only one of them should be euthanized.

According to a motion filed Monday in U.S. District Court, the dogs fall into five categories that include eventual adoption and specialized training for law enforcement work. Some of the dogs either exhibited fear toward people or suffered from a medical condition.

The motion doesn't indicate how many dogs were placed in each category other than to suggest one, identified as number 2621, is an immediate candidate for euthanasia because its aggression toward humans made a complete examination unsafe.

The motion also requests that the court appoint a guardian to oversee the disposition and possible placement of the 48 remaining dogs. The motion now goes before U.S. District Judge Henry Hudson, who is handling the dogfighting case. He can either grant it with all its provisions or deny it.

POINDEXTER'S MOTIVES, METHODS ON VICK INDICTMENT QUESTIONED

By LINDA MCNATT

SURRY COUNTY, VIRGINIA

Before local Commonwealth's Attorney Gerald Poindexter asked a grand jury this week to indict suspended Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick on local dogfighting charges, critics had been saying for months that he was dragging his feet.

When Poindexter got the local indictments Tuesday, other critics questioned whether the prosecutor had acted too harshly. Should both state and federal charges be filed against Vick?

Still others are wondering whether Poindexter, the part-time Commonwealth's Attorney since 1995, acted out of desperation to save his job because he felt political opposition biting at his heels, something he hasn't had since 1999.

"I believe it was politically motivated," said Michael Eggleston, a School Board candidate in the local elections. "He fumbled around until the feds moved in. Since then, he's made excuses and smart remarks on the TV news."

Six weeks into the local investigation at the property owned by Newport News native Vick, Poindexter refused to allow sheriff's deputies to search the property, and federal authorities moved in. The following month, a federal grand jury had indicted the former Virginia Tech star and three of his associates. The four men would eventually plead guilty to a conspiracy charge in a case that dominated the sports world all summer.

Since then, Poindexter has made conflicting statements about his plans. He said in July that he was going to seek charges. Then he said federal officials had possession of all the evidence and that maybe, by September, he would seek indictments.

Linda Malone, who teaches criminal law at the Marshall-Wythe School of Law at the College of William and Mary, said Poindexter did exactly what he should have done last week.

The grand jury, which meets every other month and would not have met again before November's election, indicted Vick on charges of dogfighting and inhumane treatment of animals. Vick's federal conspiracy plea is different from the local charges, Malone said.

One has to do with planning to commit the act; the other is the act itself, Malone said.

Poindexter said he's never going to make everybody happy, and he denies that he felt any political pressure to seek local indictments. He said he think s his opposition is trying to oust him because he's black.

His opponent is white.

Historically, the political system of Surry County, with about 7,000 residents, has been divided by race. About the time Poindexter came to Surry County, in 1972, a local civil rights movement sparked voting registration drives for black residents, and the Board of Supervisors went from all white members to predominantly black.

Poindexter says the racial divisiveness is still there. He points to a stack of nasty letters he's received accusing him of protecting Vick because he's black.

But his opponent, Ed Vaughn, said race is not the issue.

"I've been welcomed - and I believe I have support from black and white, young and old, male and female," he said.

Poindexter said he's been working on the charges against Vick and his associates for months and didn't know anything about political opposition until he got an e-mail that probably wasn't meant for him.

It was an invitation to a party, a "meet and greet" for a candidate for sheriff in the upcoming election.

That's when Poindexter said he first learned that not only was longtime Sheriff Harold Brown going to have competition in November, but he'd have an opponent, too.

The party was for sheriff candidate J.C. "Jim" Judkins, a county native and retired U.S. Army Lt. Col. But the party wasn't just for him. Judkins, who is on the ballot, was bringing Vaughn along to face off against Poindexter as a write-in candidate.

Vaughn is an Ashland lawyer and former commonwealth's attorney in Hanover County.

Few in Surry had even heard of Vaughn, said Melissa Cudney, who operates a beauty shop in the village of Surry.

"Jim Judkins brought him to the party and introduced him," said Cudney. "It was a pleasant surprise " that Poindexter now has an opponent, she said.

The ballots already have been printed, and Vaughn's name isn't on them, said county registrar Lucille Epps. But he's rented a home in Surry County and isn't required to be a permanent resident unless he's elected in November, Epps said.

Vaughn said the election is about the state of the county's judicial system.

"I've sensed a tremendous groundswell of unhappiness with the criminal justice system in Surry," Vaughn said. "And it doesn't have to do so much with the recent case of Michael Vick."

Poindexter said he's done nothing wrong in the Vick case, which has sho ne a national spotlight on him. He's been very careful, he admits, after another dogfighting prosecution several years ago ended in a legal technicality and no charges. All along, he said, he intended to bring local charges against Vick, who is facing up to five years in prison in the federal case.

When federal investigators raided Vick's property in June and seized the evidence, the Surry prosecutor said, the local investigation was put on hold because the evidence was gone. Poindexter said he recently reached an agreement with federal officials to share evidence.

Vick could face another 10 years behind bars if he's found guilty of state charges.

He will be arraigned next week in Sussex County, where Surry courts are meeting because of work being done on the local courthouse.

Staff writer Dave Forster contributed to this report.

MICHAEL VICK TESTS POSITIVE FOR WEED

Things are getting worse by the day for Michael Vick. Some 24 hours after the state of Virginia charged him in the dogfighting case, a drug test has detected marijuana in his system.





Because of the dirty test result, U.S. District Judge Henry Hudson placed special conditions on Vick's release, including restricting him to his home between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. with electronic monitoring and ordering him to submit to random drug testing.



Hudson's order also requires Vick to participate in inpatient or outpatient substance therapy and mental health counseling, if the pretrial services officer or supervising officer deem it appropriate. Vick must pay for the treatment.

The urine sample was taken on Sept. 13, according to a document by a federal probation officer that was filed in U.S. District Court on Wednesday. Because he violated the conditions of his release, Hudson may take that into a count at sentencing.


"Every judge considers pretty seriously if they feel that the defendant has flaunted the conditions for release," criminal procedure expert Linda Malone explained to the Associated Press. "It's certainly not a smart thing to do."

Vick was on release after pleading guilty to financing a dogfighting enterprise on his Surry County, Va. property. He faces up to five years in prison at his scheduled sentencing Dec. 10.

The 27-year-old was placed under pretrial release supervision by U.S. Magistrate Dennis Dohnal in July. The restrictions included refraining from use or unlawful possession of narcotic drugs or other controlled substances.

The random drug testing ordered Wednesday could include urine testing, the wearing of a sweat patch, a remote alcohol testing system or any form of prohibited substance screening or testing.

On Tuesday, Vick also was indicted on state charges of beating or killing or causing dogs to fight other dogs and engaging in or promoting dogfighting. Each felony is punishable by up to five years in prison.

SURRY CO. VIRGINIA PROSECUTOR PLANS INDICTMENTS IN DOGFIGHTING CASE

By HANK KURZ JR., Associated Press

The prosecutor in the county where Michael Vick has admitted to bankrolling a dogfighting operation plans to present "a host of bills of indictment" regarding the case to a grand jury today.

"Yes, I'm presenting matters to the grand jury that involve dogfighting at 1915 Moonlight Road," Surry County Commonwealth's Attorney Gerald Poindexter told The Associated Press in a telephone interview Monday night.

Moonlight Road is the address of the two-story home on 15 acres that has been host to the operation known as Bad Newz Kennels since 2001, and where dogs were trained, executed and fought.

"Most of the matters that I'm presenting have already been admitted in sworn statements authored by the defendants in the federal proceedings," Poindexter said.

Vick and three others pleaded guilty to one federal conspiracy charge, and each faces as much as five years in prison.

Vick's sentencing is scheduled for Dec. 10 in U.S. District Court in Richmond.

He's already been suspended indefinitely by the NFL and dropped by all his major sponsors, including Nike.

Poindexter has said he intended to seek state charges in the case but has been noncommittal about when he would ask a grand jury for indictments.

He said Monday that he couldn't detail the exact indictments he will pursue but said the local investigation and the federal investigation largely focused on different crimes.

"The killing of dogs is one of those statutory prohibitions. Dogfighting is a crime, the mistreatment of animals is a crime, so you could take your pick, or take them all," Poindexter said before cutting the conversation short. "I don't have anything else to say about it. I'm through with it. Hopefully it's coming to an end."

Vick, his co-defendants and his lawyers will not attend the closed proceeding.

Efforts to reach Vick's lawyers were not immediately successful Monday night.

In his written plea, Vick admitted helping kill six to eight pit bulls and supplying money for gambling on the fights.

He said he did not personally place bets or share in winnings but gave his three co-defendants all those proceeds.

The co-defendants who previously pleaded guilty said Vick bankrolled the enterprise, and two of them said Vick helped kill dogs that were not vicious enough in testing. The three had agreed to testify against Vick had the case gone to trial.

The case began in late April when authorities conducting a drug investigation of Vick's cousin raided the former Virginia Tech star's property and seized dozens of dogs, most of them pit bulls, and equipment common to dogfighting.