Jury is in for Vick Trial

[Jerkugot'im]

The Federal Jury is in for the Micheal Vick Trial.

[NewCaneyFishingLady]

From what I have seen recently of this guy, HE makes me sick!! I hope his jury is FULL of animal lovers, which, by the way, includes you and me.

[Scotta]

I love animals and what he is doing is apalling but from someone who works with addicts caught up in the judicial system , they are being rough on him for who he is. The majority of offenders in this same situation the case would of stayed a state charge and since he has never been in trouble would of more than likely got something in the neighborhood of 3 to 5 years probation. I know it's sickening to think of these dogfights, but the reality is that it goes on everyday and the majority of people that are caught are treated A LOT less harshly than what is happening to him. Doesnt condone his behavior but he is being treated unjustly, not in the magnitude of what he did, but in what the average Joe would of got. in his situation. Please dont respond harshly! I surely dont condone this behavior!!!! I just speak from what I have seen happen in the judicial system. Love you guys and them dogs!

[Ole Bill]

:scratchhead: duh who is micheal vick and what did he do

[OCOE]

Since he is in 'the dog house', it looks like they have assembled a jury of his peers ... ;)

[Jerkugot'im]

MR. Vick financed dogs for fighting across state lines. He also killed a few dogs himself by hanging and drowning. It became a Federal case quickly due to the state line thing, then all his buddies who didn't have any money turned on him due to the Federal Laws on Organized Crime Laws. And that Old Bill was who Mr. Vick was.

[NewCaneyFishingLady]

Honestly, I don't view this as a joke and I was hoping it would not come up.

Scott, I agree with you about the media coverage because of him being some sort of super hero. Also, in this media coverage because of their unlawful acts are the richer people, i.e., OJ, Paris Hilton, Nichole Richey, etc.

I wish the judges would give harsher punishments to celebrities because this is what our children are seeing on tv these days. Children do not understand "the money talks" phrase and they grow up thinking that they can get away "with it".

[Scotta]

MR. Vick financed dogs for fighting across state lines. He also killed a few dogs himself by hanging and drowning. It became a Federal case quickly due to the state line thing, then all his buddies who didn't have any money turned on him due to the Federal Laws on Organized Crime Laws. And that Old Bill was who Mr. Vick was.
This happens all the time between Lousiana and Texas, I have a client that has been busted 2 times for this and he got probation once and then had his probation extended a year for the second offence and got another 4 years probation ran concurrent with the extended first probation. All that says he got a total of 4 years probation for fighting dogs after being caught twice. He is from beaumont and typically goes to louisiana where he owns land. I did a search earlier at work and I can not find a time where the feds got involved in a typical case that was similiar. They typically left it up to the state where the arrest was made. I will do some more research. Sorry about this but it happens every day and typically the punishment does not fit the crime. He probable was involved in the transportaion and financing and gambling of dog fights. I really dont believe that he personally drowned or hanged any dogs. Just believe he wouldnt have the time and if he was operating an operation wouldn't he have someone hired to do this sort of thing. Anyway, it doesnt excuse this barbaric behavior. However, life is life and we all make mistakes. The behavior is despicatable, however we all make mistakes of different magnitudes and we all deserve a chance to turn our mistakes in learning experiences. Stupid? Yes! And no if he only gets a year that is not a life sentence and probable appropiate but.................I believe everyone deserves a second chance to right there wrongs. I know I did! He gets what he gets but lets not let the media turn him into the scapegoat for all thats wrong with our judicial syatem trying to justify sentences vs. overcrowding against available resources.

[Scotta]

I do concede that point NCFL, he is a role model and it might help explain the severity to our youth. I only am speaking as a devils advocate and the situation HE is facing not how it shapes our society. Charles Barkley said it best, "I am no role model so dont try to make me one. Parents need to be the role models." Anyone at any given time has the ability to let us down and fall short of the glory we place on them. Parents must take responsibilty for being role models and teach children to "DO AS I DO!" not just as I say. Actions that children see speak volumes compared to words.

[NewCaneyFishingLady]

Only God is our perfect example to live by.

[Ole Bill]

Let me put a quote here from Scott "Actions that children see speak volumes compared to words." These actions no matter how they are intended or the example they represent are what children learn by and the parent or well to do persons of fame and glory are definately role models that children pattern their lives on.

Children see and children act as a parent all i can do is advise and correct but the damage is still done and the thought and idea is there. As a parent I have learned that my children not only see me they also see the famous that they admire and wish to emulate.

The person who brings their life to bear for all to see are also responsible for the examples they set. If one is to break the law without regard then one must except the punishment set by their peers and be judged by the law of the land.

There are a lot of circumstances as to why a person may become addicted to drugs and these people need our understanding not censurship but cruelty to animals is only for personal and monetary satisfaction and there is no room for understanding with this type of individual. They will turn to cruelty against their peers eventually.

As for the fact that they are rich and famous does not place them above the law nor should they be treated any differently than the average person. If the federal government is involved i would say it is due to the rampant disregard for the law that these individuals have shown and the inability of the state to control it therefore the example needs to be set that is what our courts are for.

One rich and famous only did 23 days of a three month sentence for what we would spend one day less than a year for the same crime where is the justice in that. The famous think they are entitled to special treatment and that idea needs to be squashed quickly because it is not the example i want my grandkids to be influenced by

[Ole Bill]

MR. Vick financed dogs for fighting across state lines. He also killed a few dogs himself by hanging and drowning. It became a Federal case quickly due to the state line thing, then all his buddies who didn't have any money turned on him due to the Federal Laws on Organized Crime Laws. And that Old Bill was who Mr. Vick was.thanks for clueing me in i must have missed that dont watch tv much anymore just sleep through it if he is guilty then i say hang the bugger and be done with it and that would be to good for him.

[jighed]

if the falcons owner brings him back to play, every coach and player on that team should walk out. the nfl should not let him return.

[Ole Bill]

if the falcons owner brings him back to play, every coach and player on that team should walk out. the nfl should not let him return.now i know what he is famous for and i agree one hundred percent with you jighed.

[Scotta]

That is my point the law of the land typically in a case like this with no priors, your average Joe would of got probation and this would of never reached the federal system. Only because it was high profile did the feds pick it up. It was in thier jurisidiction to do so but if this hadnt of been Vick they wouldnt have. I understand by being put in the spot light he open his self up to this level of scutiny. ALL that I am saying is if you look at this on case by case scenerio, he is not getting what others woulkd of got. In fact, it's harsh from that aspect and that aspect only. Does the punishment fit the crime? Probable. it's vary hard for me to put an amount on loss of freedom for a mistake. He deserves something for sure but I am not an authority on how much suffering one should do for thier crime. I disagree with you on one account, I personally dont believe he was in it for the money. He was in a 130 million dollar contract with a 22 million dollar signing bonus. For what ever reason he was doing this, I doubt he was bringing in that kind of money. Rush maybe? Trying to stay attached to hius roots and culture perhaps (think of Marcus Vick and the trouble he found at Virginia Tech) Whatever it was, I think it went a little deeper and probable has a little darker roots than money. These dogfights need to stop but the reality is a couple hundred will occur in houston this weekend. Just facts not justification which thier is none for the barbiac nature of dogfights.

[Ole Bill]

i understand what you are saying and what i am saying it is time to start prosecuting these type of crimes to the max on everyone. the only reason these fights go on is because of a demand for it because of the betting and to some extent some get pleasure in the raw brutality of it. the animal is the one to suffer and though i am far from being an animal rights activist i still believe in humane treatment of all the animals God has given us dominion over. another thing is i have never met a rich person who didnt want more or wasnt willing to bet on the probability of making more. Its people like him with money to burn that keeps the business of animal cruelty going. because something is going to happen is never a justification for what has happened they havent been caught yet but their time will come it always does sooner or later. what it is time for is to make the process of prosecution for these crimes easier and the enforcement of these laws a fact so when it crosses state lines it should become a federal issue and the states should start turning a stern eye on the ones who practice this and prosecute with extreme predjudice. there is nothing in life that should justify the breaking of mans law . this process of obediance to the law should start at home with the parents and extend to the realm of our peers should we transgress and the punishment should be stiff enough to offer a deterent to the breaking of our laws of the land/ oh well this is my opinion for what it is worth and this is why we debate these things. how else can we live in a topsy turvey world without loosing our sanity or our sense of reason

[otocatchfish]

I say give him the appropriate punishment for the crime and then let it be known to the kids. But you know it realy is sick that you can legaly have an abortion and not be critisized by the media, but you cant fight dogs legaly, (and I am not saying dog fighting is by any means right) Somthing is wrong with the picture. Just tells you how far are country has moved away from God.

[Ole Bill]

good answer oto