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Arthur Blank Responds To Michael Vick (gets 23 months)

Video Description:  Michael Vick Arthur Blank, video provided by NFL Networks
Kara Henderson of NFL Network Interviews Arthur Blank about the Michael Vick situation
Vick signs plea, admits financing operation
By BILL RANKIN, JEREMY REDMON
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 08/24/07
Falcons quarterback Michael Vick has signed a plea agreement in which he admits to financing a dogfighting operation, promoting a business enterprise involving gambling and aiding in the execution of dogs.
The summary of facts accompanying the plea agreement says Vick was aware four dogs were killed in 2002 and that six to eight dogs were killed this past April as a result of the "collective efforts" of Vick and two of his co-defendants.
Vick bankrolled the dogfighting operation, named Bad Newz Kennels, and the gambling enterprise, which involved wagers ranging from hundreds to thousands of dollars a fight, said the summary, made public Friday. Any gambling winnings were split up by Vick's three co-defendants — Tony Taylor, Quanis Phillips and Purnell Peace, the summary said.
Vick "did not gamble by placing side bets on any of the fights" and did not receive proceeds from any of the winning purses, the summary said.
Vick is scheduled to plead guilty to a single conspiracy count Monday in Richmond.
Steve Sadow, a prominent Atlanta defense attorney who has followed the case, said he believes Vick's attorneys agreed to the careful phrasing in the summary of facts to help them with their negotiations with the NFL and for public relations.
"It's important because of the NFL's gambling policy," Sadow said. "The fact that Michael Vick did not admit to personally killing any dogs in the plea agreement will also have, in my opinion, virtually no significance in the criminal case regarding his ultimate sentence. It's more of a public relations move."
The agreement says Vick was involved in the execution of dogs because his co-defendants have told the government that Vick participated in it, Sadow noted.
"Vick's position clearly is that he didn't kill any dogs," Sadow said. "But the government wasn't going to agree with that. So, rather than letting that be the hang up, they figured out language both sides could live with. Now, Vick can stand before his public and claim he never killed any dogs."
Atlanta lawyer Anthony Collins, who attended Virginia Tech when Vick played there in college, agreed that the plea is witten in a way to try and give Vick some legal wiggle room to avoid being tagged as a dog killer and a gambler.
"But I think they failed in that," Collins said. "I think they were hoping to come out of this looking better than it did. But it says they 'collectively' executed dogs, and he admitted to financing the gambling — which is, in essence, gambling."
Wayne Pacelle, president and CEO of the Humane Society of the United States, said he was pleased the case was progressing and that a "major dog fighting operation" has been eradicated.
"I do believe that this plea is very important," Pacele said. "Now it's up to the judge to provide a stern sentence that is commensurate with the crime. ... It will send a signal to every American this isn't a petty offense but a malicious act of cruelty that society cannot tolerate."
Falcons coach Bobby Petrino, at his post-practice press conference Friday, said he had not yet read the details of Vick's plea. "I'm sure that there will be some upcoming events, and we'll be talking about it at a later time," he said.
Vick and his co-defendants were involved in dog fights at in Virginia and in other states, says the summary of facts accompanying the plea agreement. This began in 2001 and carried on through this past April.
In the summer of 2002, according to the agreement, Vick and his co-defendants "rolled" or "tested" Bad Newz Kennels dogs by putting them through fighting sessions to determine which ones were good fighters. "Vick was aware that Phillips, Peace and Taylor killed a number of dogs that did not perform well in testing sessions around this time," the summary says. "Vick did not kill any dogs at this time."
This past April, Vick, Peace and Phillips tested additional Bad Newz Kennel dogs during fighting sessions. "Peace, Phillips and Vick agreed to the killing of approximately six to eight dogs that did not perform well in 'testing' sessions," the summary says. "Vick agrees and stipulates that these dogs all died as a result of the collective efforts of Peace, Phillips and Vick."
This language is different than that used in summaries accompanying the plea agreements previously reached by Phillips and Peace. Both of their summaries say that Vick participated with Phillips and Peace this past April in executing about eight dogs "by various methods, including hanging and drowning."

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