CHANGE MY LOCATION
Local
California News
Multimedia News
Judge admonishes Vick at sentencing
SEE THE LATEST ON THIS STORY
Related Topics: Richmond
)
This artist’s rendering shows former Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick, wearing a black-and-white prison suit, along with his attorneys Billy Martin, left, and Lawrence Woodward, right, as he is sentenced in Federal Court on Monday.
Richmond (Map, News) - Michael Vick’s colossal fall from multimillionaire football megastar to federal inmate culminated Monday when U.S. District Court Judge Henry Hudson sentenced him to 23 months in prison on a single dogfighting charge.
Federal guidelines called for a sentence between 18 and 24 months because Vick tested positive for marijuana while out on bond and the judge found the former All-Pro quarterback lied to federal authorities about his role in killing under-performing dogs on the property he owned in Surry County, where the dogfighting operation was based.
“You were instrumental in promoting, funding and facilitating this cruel and inhumane sporting activity,” Hudson said. “I am convinced this was not a momentary lapse in judgment. You were a full partner and I am not convinced you have accepted full responsibility for your role in this illegal venture.”
Vick, clad in a prison-issue, black-and-white-striped jumpsuit, again apologized to his friends and family before Hudson sentenced him. He agreed when Hudson pointed out that Vick also apologize to the “young people” who idolized him.
“I know I have used poor judgment and made poor decisions in the past,” the former Atlanta Falcons quarterback said. “One day when this is over, I would like everyone to see the real Michael Vick is not the same Michael Vick that the media has been portraying.”
Vick’s sentence is longer than that of two of his co-defendants, who were sentenced to 18 and 21 months, respectively. A fourth conspirator will be sentenced this week.
“He was involved in this thing up to his neck,” said Michael Gill, the case’s lead federal prosecutor.
Vick’s lawyers asked Hudson for a shorter term, pointing to Vick’s clean criminal record before his summer indictment on one count of conspiracy related to his involvement with dogfighting.
William Martin, Vick’s lead attorney, tried to convince Hudson that Vick used marijuana because he was “clinically depressed” by the indictment and the harm it caused to his lucrative gridiron career.
“What he attempted to do was self-medicate,” Martin told a skeptical Hudson. “Should he have self-medicated, obviously not, but he was trying to deal with it.”
Hudson also sentenced Vick to three years of supervised probation after the prison term ends and imposed a $5,000 fine. Vick, who turned himself into authorities last month to get a jump on serving his sentence, is scheduled to be released in October 2009. He could leave prison several months earlier if he maintains good behavior while incarcerated.
Comments from Examiner Readers
7:50 PM MST on Sun., Sep. 7, 2008 re: "Animal-rights supporters laud sentence in case"
Report as inappropriate
4:47 PM MST on Sat., Aug. 30, 2008
re: "April trial date set for Vick on Va. dogfighting charges"
Report as inappropriate
4:30 PM MST on Sat., Aug. 30, 2008
re: "April trial date set for Vick on Va. dogfighting charges"
Report as inappropriate
6:48 AM MST on Tue., Dec. 11, 2007
re: "Judge admonishes Vick at sentencing"
Report as inappropriate
5:47 AM MST on Tue., Dec. 11, 2007
re: "Judge admonishes Vick at sentencing"
Report as inappropriate
4:57 AM MST on Tue., Dec. 11, 2007
re: "Judge admonishes Vick in sentencing former quarterback to nearly two years"
Report as inappropriate
6:37 AM MST on Tue., Aug. 28, 2007
re: "Remembering Vick the person"
Report as inappropriate
5:46 AM MST on Tue., Aug. 28, 2007
re: "Remembering Vick the person"
Report as inappropriate
2:37 PM MST on Thu., Aug. 23, 2007
re: "Dogs seized in Vick case facing death sentence"
Report as inappropriate
2:08 PM MST on Thu., Aug. 23, 2007
re: "Dogs seized in Vick case facing death sentence"
Report as inappropriate
8:51 AM MST on Thu., Aug. 23, 2007
re: "Dogs seized in Vick case facing death sentence"
Report as inappropriate
Examiner Reader said:
Palin (VP cnadidate) announced and boasted that she kills moose(s) in her acceptance speech - shoots them right between the eyes. Why are the media and Animal Rights Advocates not addressing this? i do not understand this. Thank you for your response: ppot@bellsouth.net
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree
TH said:
If you do not punish Michael Vick the way he is supposed to be punished, well then, maybe we are just going backwards. There will be no future for human beings and pets if Vick walks out of jail inleashed because he is the real threat to society and the animal world. God Bless Us and our Beautiful Pets! Not even an animal would behave the way he did. TH
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree
Examiner Reader said:
To me: He is a serial killer, and he should be treated like a regular killer. He is a horrendous person. An animal would never kill for fun like he did. Many but many years of prison for the abuser of the innocent. SK
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree
Muckle John said:
I agree with Examiner Reader 5:47 AM MST. This is extremely disturbing behavior. It must not be tolerated (and it hasn't been). It should be punished (and it has been... and will be; Vick faces further charges).
It should be noted that serial killers invariably begin by torturing animals before they "graduate" to people. Vick certainly seems to be a sadistic psychopath. That being the case something more than incarceration is in order here. The man needs healing before he is released to human society.
I have to say that I've heard very few calls for leniency, though.
109 agree | 114 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree
Examiner Reader said:
Vick didn't even need the money he got from the dogfighting. That means he did this for sport, he actually enjoyed it. He got pleasure out of seeing animals suffer, and he drowned and asphixiated underperforming dogs with his bare hands. If that's not pure evil, I don't know what is. Anyone crying for leniency needs to get their head checked, because they're such a big "fan" that they can't even get past sociopathic behavior.
104 agree | 104 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree
Muckle John said:
"Free Voice and all his other cohorts who suport Vick should be tied to whipping posts and beaten until dead."
Is it it just me, or does anybody else see the irony in this statement?
I fully agree that dogfighting is hideous and the people who patronize it or profit from it should be punished, but your moral outrage rings hollow when you propose beating them to death... even if you're using hyperbole.
106 agree | 96 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree
Examiner Reader said:
Free Voice and all his other cohorts who suport Vick should be tied to whipping posts and beaten until dead. Anyone who mistreats any animal should not be allowed to walk free anywhere. Those people are savages and should be dealt with accordingly.
172 agree | 187 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree
Answer for Free Voice said:
Hey Free Voice. The answer to your first question is that were it not for Vick and his cohorts, the dogs would not have to be killed. They trained them the dogs to be killers, not pets.
176 agree | 183 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree
GAB said:
These people, unlike Mr. Vick, do the killing humanely, with an injection of lethal drugs. They don't fight the animals for the amusement of others. Many animal rights groups don't like putting animals down; however, what option do they have if they don't have anyone who is adopting them? Are you planning to adopt 55 pit bulls who have been trained to fight? Let me say this: people who support dogfighting have a distorted view of what sport should be. Dogfights are havens for criminals and drug abusers and gamblers, according to those who know; this is not innocent sport. It's thug culture gone to its extreme. What next, fighting people to death in cages? Or shall we put people in against lions?
156 agree | 168 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree
Free Voice said:
I feel as though, why charge a man for killing dogs when they are going to be killed anyway. Who's sentencing those people? And why are animal activist not protesting against these particular places.
169 agree | 164 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree
GAB said:
At least they'll be put down painlessly... no hanging, drowning, or electrocuting. Michael Vick showed his cowardice and bullying side then.
173 agree | 168 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree