Guilty plea may not help Vick
The judge is not bound by a deal. The QB has already been banned for dogfighting.
RICHMOND, Va. - U.S. District Judge Henry E. Hudson will receive Michael Vick's plea agreement tomorrow.
In court papers, the Atlanta Falcons quarterback admitted bankrolling "Bad Newz Kennels" and participating in the killing of dogs in the dogfighting operation. But he tried to deflect much of his culpability in the grisly enterprise onto his friends.
That didn't deter NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, who on Friday held Vick responsible, suspending him indefinitely and without pay.
After initially denying his involvement, the 27-year-old player has said little publicly about the case. But the final word rests with Hudson, a judge whose household includes a Bichon Frise, a white powder puff of a dog.
As he emphasized to Vick's codefendants when they agreed to their plea deals, Hudson is not bound by a prosecutor's recommendations or by sentencing guidelines.
Vick will plead guilty to conspiracy to travel in interstate commerce in aid of unlawful activities and to sponsor a dog in an animal-fighting venture. Prosecutors will suggest a term of 12 to 18 months, but Hudson could give Vick five years, or more.
"Our position has been that we are going to try to help Judge Hudson understand all the facts and Michael's role," defense attorney Billy Martin said in a telephone interview. "Michael's role was different than others associated with this incident."
When authorities found dozens of dogs and equipment commonly used in dogfighting at his property, Vick claimed that he had hardly ever been to the house and that family members had taken advantage of his generosity.
Vick's written plea agreement filed with the court Friday erased that notion.
He acknowledged bankrolling the operation, participating in the execution of dogs, and sponsoring - and sometimes attending - dogfights over the last six years.
In his plea agreement, Vick said that although he provided money for others to bet on the fights, he never placed bets himself or shared in any winnings - a distinction that clearly carried no weight with Goodell.
The commissioner cleared the Falcons to try to get back $22 million in signing bonuses paid as part of a 10-year, $130 million contract.