Trial in Virginia for NFL quarterback Michael Vick on dogfighting charges has been delayed until next summer.  The prosecutor in Surry County tells the Richmond “Times-Dispatch” Vick and three codefendants won’t be tried until after July 20th, 2009, when Vick is expected to be released from federal prison.  The former Atlanta Falcons quarterback is serving a 23-month term on his guilty plea to federal charges in a dogfighting case.  He still faces two state charges in Virginia. 

The prosecutor ways tiny Surry County cannot afford to transport Vick and his codefendants from their federal lockups.  He also said the small courthouse in Surry isn’t equipped to handle the crush of reporters who would cover the trial.  Vick’s Virginia trial was first slated for April 2nd, then rescheduled for today.  Now, the trial will be sometime next summer, unless a plea bargain is struck.  Vick avoided a federal trial and pled guilty to federal dogfighting allegations last August.

Michael Vick’s legal problems won’t end when he walks out of a federal prison, where he’s doing time for illegal dog fighting.  A prosecutor in Surry County says he wants to file similar charges against the former Virginia Tech star.  Gerald Poindexter tells the “Richmond Times-Dispatch,” quote,  “Those two crimes have gone unpunished in Surry County.”  Trial for the suspended quarterback of the Atlanta Falcons was to have begun tomorrow. 

But, a judge agreed with Poindexter’s request to delay the trials of Vick and other defendants until they are released from federal compounds. Vick is in Leavenworth, Kansas.  If he behaves, he could be freed in a little more than a year. Animal-rights groups balked that Poindexter seemed hesitant to prosecute Vick, since he’s an NFL superstar.

The prosecutor for Surry County, Virginia says the state trial of former Falcons quarterback Michael Vick and three co-defendants on dogfighting charges has been put on hold until they have served their sentences in federal prison. 

Virginia Commonwealth Attorney Gerald Poindexter indicates it would be cost prohibitive for Surry County to take the men out of prison and bring them to Surry County for trial.  Vick is currently serving a 23-month prison sentence after pleading guilty last summer to a federal dogfighting charge.  Two of Vick’s co-defendants are serving terms of up to 21 months in prison.  When they finally go on trial in Richmond, Virginia, Vick and the others face charges of beating or killing dogs. 

Michael Vick’s Virginia trial on state charges connected to dogfighting is being postponed.  The trial was to start April 2nd, but the Surry County, Virginia, prosecutor’s office said it will be postponed to a later date that has not been set.  The state indictment accuses the suspended NFL quarterback with one count of torturing and killing dogs and one count of promoting dogfighting.  Each charge carries a maximum five-year prison sentence.  Vick is already serving a 23-month federal prison term after pleading guilty to federal dogfighting charges last fall.

Apparently there is a turn of events regarding the Michael Vick ruling as to where a federal judge ruled that the suspended and imprisoned Atlanta Falcons quarterback would be allowed to keep $16.5 million in bonus money; acccording to the Associated Press, the NFL is asking federal court to vacate the said judge’s ruling. The league also wants to end the jurisdiction of U.S. District Judge David Doty over labor matters.

To recap the ruling, Doty earlier ruled that the Falcons would violate the NFL collective bargaining agreement if they attempted to recover the roster bonus that Vick had already received. The league argues that Doty’s public comments prove that he is biased against them. In a statement, the league said, “Michael Vick breached his contract and cannot play because he was convicted of a felony and is sitting in jail. Despite those facts, the judge held that Vick is entitled to keep nearly $20 million in bonus money paid to him for playing football through the 2014 season.”

In addition, the NFL questioned whether Doty, who presided during the 1992 antitrust suit that led to the 1993 labor agreement after 6 years without a contract, should continue to oversee its dealings with the NFL Players Association. One last thing the statement mentioned was, “No other industry has its labor relations supervised by a federal judge in the way we do, and at this point, after 15 years of labor peace, it is hard to understand why such oversight is necessary or (why it is) an appropriate use of judicial resources.”

All I know is this: unless there was not a provision in Vick’s contract that did not mention anything about the forfeiture of bonuses due to “character concerns” - I forget what the actual legal name for it is - then perhaps Vick is entitled to said bonus money. Then there is the issue of the judge. If he in fact did make inflammatory remarks in public, that’ll help the league’s case. Another thing - Falcons owner Arthur Blank strikes me as a very intelligent man; a bit too trusting, but very intelligent, nonetheless. My hunch is that Blank put in Vick’s contract a clause mentioning something about a forfeiture of bonus money.

Suspended Falcons quarterback Michael Vick will enter a drug treatment program that could reduce his time spent behind bars.  Vick, who was sentenced to 23 months in federal prison for his guilty plea related to dogfighting charges, was transferred to the US Bureau of Prisons facility in Leavenworth, Kansas.  Billy Martin, attorney for Vick, says that the minimum security facility offers a program known as the Residential Drug Abuse Program which last up to 12 months, and because Vick had no previous convictions, could quality him for early release.  Vick failed a drug test while awaiting sentencing, which qualifies him for the program.  Animal rights activists are not happy about the possibility of an early release.  Vick had previously been serving time at the Northern Neck Regional Jail in Virginia.

The following is the chronological timeline of the case against Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick, who was sentenced to 23 months in prison Monday for his role in a federal dogfighting operation:

Early 2001 - Vick, Quanis Phillips and Tony Taylor agreed to begin a venture to sponsored pit bull terriers in dogfighting competitions. Purnell Peace then joined the group later, according to the summary of events accompanying Vick’s plea.

May 2001 - Taylor identified the properly of 1915 Moonlight Road in Smithfield, Virginia as a suitable venue. Vick completed purchase of the property for $34,000 in late June.

2001-02 - The group began to acquire pit bulls for use in fights.

2002 - Numerous dogs who had tested poorly were killed by Peace, Phillips and Taylor. Vick’s plea states that he did not kill any dogs at this time.

Spring 2003 - Female pitbull named Jane belonging to ‘Bad Newz Kennels’ fights another dog in North Carolina. Jane was sponsored by Peace, Phillips, Taylor and Vick, who collected the winnings from the fight.

Also in the spring of 2003 - ‘Bad Newz Kennels’ hosts fight at Moonlight Road with another dog travelling from South Carolina to fight male pit bull named Bad Boy. Vick and his three co-defendants again collected the winnings.

Late 2003 - Vick and his co-defendants travel to South Carolina with Big Boy for a fight against an unknown dog. The group again collected the winnings.

Early 2004 - Peace and Taylor travel from Virginia to North Carolina with male pit bull Magic for another fight. Vick and Phillips traveled separately to the fight. The four men collected the purse when Magic won the fight. Another fight, in either 2003 or 2004, was hosted at Moonlight Road with Tiny, a male pit bull owned by ‘Bad Newz Kennels’ winning the purse for Vick and his co-defendants. A group also travels from Maryland with a male pit bull to participate in a fight against Too Short, a male pit bull belonging to ‘Bad Newz Kennels’. Vick and his co-defendants collected the purse when Too Short won the fight.

2004-07 - Further fights took place involving dogs from ‘Bad Newz Kennels. Opponents traveled from New Jersey, North Carolina, South Carolina and Maryland.

April 2007 - Peace, Phillips and Vick tested several dogs from the ‘Bad Newz Kennels’. They agreed to the killing of 6-8 dogs who performed poorly. The dogs were killed by various methods, including hanging and drowning as a result of the collective efforts of Peace, Phillips and Vick, according to Vick’s summary of events.

April 24, 2007 - Vick’s cousin, Davon Boddie arrested on drug charges and listed 1915 Moonlight Road as his address.

April 25, 2007 - Police serve warrant to search the property on Moonlight Road. Police and animal control officers find 66 dogs and a training complex at the property.

June 7, 2007 - A further search of Moonlight Road is undertaken by officers from the U.S. Attorney’s office in Richmond, Virginia, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Virginia State Police.

July 2, 2007 - Federal authorities file court documents alleging a dogfighting venture had operated at the property for the previous five years.

July 6, 2007 - Federal authorities undertake another search of Moonlight Road.

July 17, 2007 - Peace, Phillips, Taylor and Vick are indicted by a federal grand jury on dogfighting charges. An 18-page indictment accused Vick of breeding and training dogs, hosting fights, and killing dogs not judged to be capable of fighting. A day later, arraignment is set for July 26, the same day as the Falcons opened training camp.

July 20, 2007 - The NFL Players’ Association and the Atlanta Falcons urge Vick to take paid leave for 2007.

July 23, 2007 - Vick ordered not to attend training camp by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell.

July 24, 2007 - Falcons owner Arthur Blank, who gave Vick a 10-year, $130 million contract in 2005, described the charges against Vick as horrific in a news conference.

July 26, 2007 - Vick pleads not guilty in federal court in Richmond, with a trial date set for November 26.

July 30, 2007 - Taylor pleads guilty, and agrees to cooperate by testifying against his co-defendants.

August 17, 2007 - Peace and Phillips plead guilty, and sign documents saying they traveled with Vick to dogfights, as well as detailing how Vick participated in the killing of several dogs that did not perform well in testing sessions.

August 20, 2007 - Vick’s lawyer Billy Martin announces that Vick will plead guilty to dogfighting charges.

August 23, 2007 - Vick signs plea agreement. An accompanying summary of facts details Vick’s involvement in dogfighting operation and his role in killing pit bulls. Goodell responds by suspending Vick indefinitely without pay from the NFL.

August 24, 2007 - Reports state that the Falcons will seek to recover $22 million paid to Vick in bonuses under the terms of his contract.

August 27, 2007 - Vick appears in U.S. District court in Richmond to formally enter his guilty plea.

September 25, 2007 - Vick is indicted on state charges of involvement in an illegal dogfighting operation.

September 26, 2007 - Reports state that Vick has tested positive for marijuana, causing authorities to request harsher pretrial release conditions. Meanwhile, a Canadian bank files a lawsuit stating that Vick has defaulted on a $2.5 million loan.

October 5, 2007 - PETA reveals Vick has attended classes on treatment of animals.

October 7, 2007 - Arbitrator rules that the Falcons can seek reimbursement of $22 million in bonus payments, made to Vick under the terms of his 10-year, $130 million contract.

October 19, 2007 - Vick puts the Surry County property up for sale, seeking $4.5 million as speculation grows about his financial situation.

November 19, 2007 - Vick surrenders to U.S. Marshals to begin serving time toward his sentence.

November 27, 2007 - Vick’s state trial date is set for April 2, 2008.

November 28, 2007 - Vick agrees to pay almost $1 million into an escrow fund to cover the cost of care for the dogs found on his property.

November 30, 2007 - Purnell Peace is setenced to 18 months and Quanis Phillips gets 21 months for their role in the dogfighting operation.

December 10, 2007 - Vick sentenced to 23 months in prison.

Finally, the end of the Michael Vick episode has pretty much come to closure. SportsTicker reports that the suspended Atlanta Falcons quarterback on Monday was sentenced to 23 months in prison for his role in a dogfighting operation. Vick learned his fate from United States District Judge Henry E. Hudson; in addition, Vick received 3 years’ probation.

Hudson’s ruling was actually harsher than expected under federal guidelines which call for between a year to 18 months for that particular offense. As part of Vick’s plea agreement, he will be unable to appeal Hudson’s ruling; Vick will receive a 1 month credit of served time after he reported to prison on November 19. The only legal - not civil, which is a different matter - issue remaining are the state dogfighting charges which Vick will have to deal with. Stay tuned for that.

Suspended Falcons quarterback Michael Vick will go before a federal judge today in Virginia to be sentenced on dogfighting charges.  Vick could get as many as five years in prison, the maximum provided by law.  Judges, however, typically follow sentencing guidelines, and in Vick’s case that means 12-to-18 months.  Judge Henry Hudson has reserved four hours for government and defense lawyers to make their case.

Vick himself is expected to address the court.  He is hoping the judge will take note of the fact that he voluntarily started serving prison time three weeks ago.  One thing not in Vick’s favor is that Judge Hudson and his wife are dog lovers, especially West Highland Terriers.  Vick pled guilty to federal dogfighting conspiracy charges in an August plea bargain.  He was arrested earlier this year after federal agents raided his Bad Newz Kennels in Surry County, Virginia.

Perhaps now this sordid Michael Vick case will come to some degree of closure - for now. SportsTicker is reporting that the suspended Atlanta Falcons quarterback will learn on Monday at 10:00 EST before United States District Judge Henry Hudson how much prison time he will have to serve for his role in a federal dogfighting operation. Typical Federal guidelines call for Vick to serve between 12 to 18 months in prison; however, Hudson is not bound by those guidelines.

Vick has more to deal with besides the federal charges; charges which relate to the “Bad Newz Kennels” dogfighting operation, which was based on a Virginia property that Vick owned; Vick faces a state trial that is scheduled to commence on April 2, 2008. Since his plea on federal charges, Vick has paid over $900,000 to an escrow fund to care for the dogs involved in the operation. Then there’s the civil matter that’s pending; since Vick’s plea, the Falcons have attempted to recoup around $20 million in bonus money from the 10-year, $130 million contract he signed in 2004. Several endorsement deals have been lost, as well. Suffice it to say, his pro football will be on hold for awhile; as a matter of fact, it wouldn’t exactly be a stretch to venture that Vick’s pro football career is over.