News / Sports
Michael Vick Expected to Enter Not Guilty Plea
Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick is expected to appear in federal court later today to enter a ‘not guilty’ plea in response to charges leveled against him surrounding a grisly dogfighting operation.
Vick has been accused of conspiracy involving competitive dogfighting, training pit bulls for fighting, and carrying the illegal operation across state lines to conduct fights.
It was in late April that Vick’s property in Virginia was raided as part of a drug search. Investigators discovered 66 dogs as well as equipment typically used in dogfighting operations.
Vick has insisted that he knew nothing of the operation and that the home was left in the care of a cousin who was responsible for the illegal activities that took place.
Since Vicks’s name has been thrown into the ring he has been attacked by animal rights groups such as People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) and The Human Society of the United States. The one-time franchise player has now lost several endorsement deals and could be faced with sitting out the 2007 NFL season just to answer the charges against him.
Earlier this week NFL commissioner Roger Goodell ordered Vick to stay away from the Falcons training camp. The Atlanta Falcons stated they had planned to suspend Vick for four games, the maximum penalty a team can level against a player, but Goodell asked Flacons owner Arthur Blank to allow the league to investigate Vick’s involvement before handing out suspensions.
If Vick is found guilty of the charges against him he could be facing up to six years in prison and restitution.
