Vick to appear in court next week

RICHMOND, Va. - Michael Vick will not be on the field when the Atlanta Falcons open training camp next Thursday. He will be in a federal courtroom.

The star quarterback and three associates must appear in Richmond next week for bond hearings and arraignments on charges contained in a detailed, 18-page indictment handed up Tuesday.

The four are accused of competitive dogfighting, procuring and training pit bulls for fighting, and conducting the enterprise across state lines.

After consulting with the Falcons, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell and top league officials agreed to let the legal process determine the facts.

A person with knowledge of the meeting, who requested anonymity so the case would not be influenced, said the NFL would stick to that position for the foreseeable future, despite its new personal-conduct policy.

The NFL players' union took the same stance as the league.

In April, Goodell suspended Tennessee's Adam "Pacman" Jones for the season even though Jones had not been convicted of a crime. He did, however, have 10 encounters with police and five arrests since he was drafted in 2005.