Michael Vick surrenders to begin term

Source: Richmond Times-Dispatch

Michael Vick turned himself in to the U.S. Marshals Service office in Richmond today to get a head start on serving whatever sentence he receives Dec. 10 for dogfighting conspiracy.

Courthouse sources said Vick was transported from the U.S. Courthouse downtown to one of the regional jails where federal prisoners are housed before 1:30 p.m.

Vick and all three of his co-defendants have pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to travel in interstate commerce in aid of illegal gambling and to sponsor a dog in animal fighting.

The maximum for that crime is five years in federal prison. Sources have said the federal sentencing guidelines, which the judge must consider but is not bound to follow, will suggest a range of one to 1½ years for all four defendants.



Read more: http://www.inrich.com/cva/ric/news.apx.-content-articles-RTD-2007-11-19-0239.html

First rec!

Love it! No excuse for his actions.

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5j057jBReERcsF-FcZRSWe0h1gaXQD8T0RVV00

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Presidents tend to honor Thanksgiving with routine proclamations, radio addresses that always sound the same, and pardons for a couple of lucky turkeys. No disrespect to tradition, but President Bush elevated it a bit on Monday.

First he stopped by a food bank here, a former tobacco warehouse that has been converted into a highly organized distribution center that sends millions of pounds of groceries to needy families each year. The visit to the Central Virginia Foodbank underscored a quiet problem — 35 million people in this country went hungry in 2006

Later, at a plantation that stakes a claim to the first Thanksgiving, Bush is reflecting on everyday heroism and the nation's giving spirit.

Never in his presidency has he devoted such a speech to Thanksgiving, let alone several hours of choreographed travel. The events allow Bush, in a very public way, to thank people who made an impression on him for acts of compassion and decency. Aides say it is part of the job he truly enjoys.

The soft theme of the day's events also aim to put Bush in a positive light at a time when the country is in a disapproving mood, soured by war and Washington politics.

In times of tragedy and celebration this year, Bush has been inspired by the character of the American people, said Kevin Sullivan, the White House communications director. So Bush will pay tribute to them and encourage Americans to give back to their communities.

Also fuck Whoopi and Jaime Foxx and all of the others who defended him / apologized for his actions by labeling them as "a cultural thing."

Mike's an uptown guy, not from the hood. Newport News VA is NOT the hood.

wow...good to know that.

I hate people who try to defend things like genital mutilation or dog abuse as "cultural things".

You know what...it once was a "cultural thing"...a part of "southern heritage" to hang black people from trees. What would Jamie and Whoopi say about that?

Seriously...breeding fighting dogs in kennels specially designed for that is as "involved" in the business as you can be. They got the RIGHT guy with Michael. Let him serve a LOT of time.

....here, but a friendly reminder to you that dogs/animals and Black people are NOT the same. The 200 year imprisonment of Black people in the US should never be used for animal rights analogies.

Thanks.

and it's strange and disheartening to see people who should understand that instead show callousness for any suffering group but their own.

the analogy is apt. Because, many abuses done to HUMANS around the world are often justified on the grounds that "that's their culture" or "that's their religion". I picked the issue of Southern racism because it's the closest "hot spot" issue for African-Americans (Whoopi and Jamie being ones).

My point is that they are being ridiculous using the "it's a cultural thing" defense, when others were just as ridiculous for defending the murders of blacks and the flying of the Confederate flag under the guise of "states' rights" or "Southern heritage". The same could be said about genital mutilation in Africa, or the burkha in Islamic nations, etc.

You have your standards and limits, and I have mine. I'm perfectly ok having an intellectual discussion about any topic without getting touchy about it.

there are parts of Newport News that qualify as ghetto in any way you want to define the term. there is shocking poverty around those parts.

there were neighborhoods we wouldn't go to - this was 20 years ago.

But there are some lovely areas around there too.

York county makes up the north side. The city of Newport News makes up the south side.

You are correct -downtown NN (the shipyard) looked for a time like a bomb hit it. I think it is better now but it was a no-man's land. When I got home from the Army there was a neighborhood (public housing or assistance most of it) called "The Aquaduct" that school buses didn't go into. It was a BAD BAD BAD place to be. Right off one of the main drags too. I am not sure if Vick lived there but the point is that there are/were some very "ghetto" parts of the News. I would NOT however called it the "deep south" that is not accurate.

thanks for that tid bit of info. I hope his cell mate is a really BIG guy that loves dogs.

I am pretty certain that Whoopie at least (if not Jamie Foxx) never "defended Vick" because it was "cultural thing." I think Whoopie especially expresses surprise (as I do) that this story was handled as if Vick had personally beheaded Princess Dianna, with Laura Bushe's sharpened femur. And then ate them both.

Listen there is no doubt that what he and his associates did was heignous and cruel. He deserves jail time for it. I STILL contend however that the media and public feeding frenzy over this incident had as much to do with what white America saw as "savage" behavior of a black man, who happens to make more money than 98% of everyone in the nation. There was a large dose of jealousy, and bigotry that went along with the deserved indignation over what he actually did.

I am constantly amazed that the same people who get absolutely frothing at the mouth mad at Michael Vick and act as if his is the worst most violent case in the nation's history seem to give no thought whatsoever to the kind of violence that is perpetrated every day against human beings on the streets of America's cities. Give it a rest, move along to something that is actually important: He's in jail now.

You can now aim all that energy at stopping real violence against teh HUMAN beings in your back yard. Somehow I don't think I will be seeing a sudden overflow of volunteers in non-violence programs anytime soon.

They tried to explain his mentality. Attempting to understand someone's actions is not the same things as justifying or agreeing with them.

And other people beat me to it, but if you don't think Newport News has it's fair share of the 'hood, you clearly don't have a clue as to what you're talking about.

Dogs of America breath a sigh of relief. :sarcasm:

And to those upthread that suggested "intercourse" for those of us that defend Vick, I hope you have a wonderful day as well.

His actions were repugnant and five years isn't really enough but hopefully that's what he gets. Torturing animals is pretty sick.

Seriously. What is the appropriate sentence for someone killing a dog? Even killing a dog in a cruel way, which is actually not what he was convicted of but let's assume he did participate in the cruel, inhumane killing of several dogs. What do you think the max should be?

With time off for good behavior.

I like my dogs better than I like most people, but that's just me. Personally? If I could get away with it, I'd let him off his jail term but I'd kneecap him with my .45.

All serial killers abused animals at some time in their lives. Recreational TORTURE of dogs, for fun an profit? FUCK Michael Vick.

You are speaking from a perspective that is unabashedly more fond of animals (esp dogs I guess) than people. 'nuff said.

As for me, while I love animals and I think it is disgusting to torture an animal or, more accurately to this case, to kill them in a cruel manner, I value human beings over animals. My worst enemy is still "worth" more to me than an animal. Maybe this is why, while I find what Vick did worthy of jail time and a colossal waste of his talent in athletics, I just think the media and cultural frenzy over this case is insanity. In the grand scheme of things this is no more important that Paris Hilton getting arrested for drunk driving: it's wrong but it's not the end of the world, nor is it worth the attention of the entire country.

As for your comment about serial killers, it is a meaningless platitude. Yes, all squares are rectangles, but not all rectangles are squares.

From my bizarre spiritual non-god point of view, this has nothing to do with the "worth" of anything, other than the "worth" to society of an individual who thinks that torturing another living creature is a positive activity.

And comparing Vick to Hilton is comparing apples to hand grenades because both are spheres. This has nothing to do with Michael Vick as a "Celebrity," and whether you believe it or not, I think the commission of a heinous felony requires punishment.

Granted, he won't get what I think he should, but should this person who misused his position and power to start a mini-empire in dog fighting be allowed to retain the means to commit further crimes of this nature? I think not.

Personally, I don't give two shits WHO he is, and I'll tell you this: if this happened in rural Michigan, they would have confiscated his property as proceeds from a criminal activity. Did that happen? Nope.

So you can keep your cultural frenzy nonsense. I didn't say KILL him, and while I would have no problem seeing him nurse a blown out knee, he can have a pass on that one; but I don't give a FUCK about his "...talent in athletics...", a monstrous waste of money and time in this country where so much is needed on the other end of the spectrum. He got extra attention, and maybe gets an extra year because of it? GOOD. Serves him right.


Vinnie says, "I forgive you, but don't be too impressed: I love everyone and occasionally eat shit."

I didn't say he shouldn't do jail time. I didn't even say he deserved to keep him money. I think what he did was horrid. I think its GREAT that he lost his sponsorships and I hope he never has the privilege of playing in the NFL again. Period. The difference between you and me is the feeling that whether or not he goes to jails means anything at all. Bottom line is the worst case scenario here is he killed some dogs, in a cruel way.

That is NOT nearly as important as the hundreds of human beings who are killed each and every day at the hands of criminals who would eat Vick and his ilk for lunch. And the media and the rest of this "culture" cares less about that than the deaths of animals. It is disgusting, and you play right into it.

And what was insulting? Repeating your own sentiments back for you to hear?

If you look at his history he was given chance after chance for years yet he blew it all away, what an idiot.

If I also remember right, the judge who is to do the sentencing is a dog lover. Frankly I hope the judge follows his heart and gives Vick the max, preferable in a jail full of dog lovers. I also hope that whenever he gets out that no football team picks him up.

One of many things about this that bothers me is that Vick used some very, shall we say creative wording, to tip toe around the fact that he was gambling on these fights. He stated that he didn't gamble himself, that he simply provided the house money for gambling. Umm, Michael, if you're the house, you're gambling.