Vick Pleads Not Guilty in Dog Fighting Case- By JOHN HOLUSHA
Published: July 26, 2007
Michael Vick, the starting quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons, pleaded not guilty in federal court in Richmond, Va., today to charges that he was involved in a dog fighting conspiracy on property he owns in rural Surry County.
U.S. Magistrate Dennis W. Dohnal released Mr. Vick and three other defendants without bond, according to the Associated Press, and said the principle that a defendant is innocent until proven guilty should prevail, "no matter how heinous the allegations may be."
The judge set a Nov. 26 trial date.
At about the same time the hearing took place, Mr. Vick’s team began its first practice for the upcoming season. The National Football League had barred Mr. Vick from joining the Falcons while the league conducts its own investigation.
The 18-page indictment charges that Mr. Vick and three other men arranged dog fights, bet on the fights and mistreated animals that were not sufficiently ferocious. The fights continued until one dog was killed or gave up.
Investigators found graves of dogs on the grounds of the Bad Newz Kennels, which Mr. Vick has owned since 2002. The indictment said dogs that lost fights were put to death by drowning, hanging, gunshot, electrocution or being slammed to the ground.
Arthur Blank, the owner of the Falcons, said he was “saddened and distressed” by Mr. Vick’s indictment.
Mr. Blank and Rich McKay, the team president, said the Falcons had discussed their options, including releasing Vick or asking him to take a paid leave of absence for the season, but the team management decided that a suspension was the most appropriate choice before the league stepped in.
At a news conference on Tuesday, neither Mr. Blank nor Mr. McKay would say whether they could imagine Mr. Vick, the face of the franchise, playing again for the Falcons.
Mr. Vick faces a maximum penalty of six years in jail and a $350,000 fine if convicted. The N.F.L. could also take punitive action against Mr. Vick, perhaps jeopardizing the 10-year, $130 million contract he signed with the Falcons in 2002.
“We are disappointed that Michael Vick put himself in a position where a federal grand jury has returned an indictment against him,” a league spokesman said. “The matter will be reviewed under the league’s personal conduct policy.”
Mr. Vick’s legal troubles prompted Nike, the sports apparel maker, to suspend the release of the latest product in a line named for him, the Air Zoom Vick V athletic shoe. The company said that four other shoes and three shirts that that bear Mr. Vick’s name will remain in stores.
With Mr. Vick removed from the team for the foreseeable future, the Falcons’ head coach, Bobby Petrino, is expected to turn to Joey Harrington as his starting quarterback. Since Mr. Vick had participated in training minicamps even as the investigation swirled around him, the abrupt switch to Mr. Harrington will prompt adjustments to the team’s offense.
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