Hmmmmmm....I Really Wonder........

[BigFish]

How much time Michael Vick will have to serve in jail???? Can you say....."House Arrest"????

[fishaholic18]

I say 18 months.
back to the ghetto for him...

[BigBo]

Pretty safe to say his NFL career is over and done? He'll probably be playing Stadium Football. That's about it.

[The Dad Fisherman]

When he gets out he's scheduled for a Pay-Per-View Match against Mike Tyson.

[Mike P]

Originally Posted by BigFish

Can you say....."House Arrest"????

No, I can't, because although I don't practice Federally, I'd be shocked if such a sentence is available for him after a conviction, under the Federal sentencing guidelnes.

[BigFish]

Not convicted though Mike....he plead guilty! Your the lawyer but these hardly seem to me to mean the same thing! If he went to a jury trial what was the worst he was going to see if found guilty??? I bet no more than the 18 months they are talking about because he is a first time offender......so he pleads out.....6 months suspended and community service......we shall see! I have "ZERO" faith in this judicial system!!!

[Mike P]

A conviction is a conviction--regardless whether a jury finds a defendant guilty, whether a judge finds him guilty after waiver of a jury trial, or whether the defendant convicts himself with his own words in a guilty plea. There is no such thing as a "no contest" plea or an "admission to sufficient facts" in Federal court.

The Federal sentencing guidelines were supposedly designed to bring uniformity and eliminate much of a judge's sentencing discretion which often resulted in a great disparity in sentences imposed for the same crime by different judges, and in a way, to eliminate the so-called "trial penalty" some judges would slam onto a sentence for "wasting their time" by insisting on a trial. There is a range of minimium and maximum terms set forth, which a judge is pretty much going to choose from. He has to justify a so-called "downward departure"--ie a sentence less than the minimum called for in the guidelines--in writing, and unless it is an agreed upon departure, the Government can appeal it. Federal courts don't have suspended sentences, either. You serve 85% of the sentence actually imposed. If there is such a thing as community service in Federal sentencing, it's reserved for the most trivial federal misdemeanors, or imposed as something to be performed after service of the prison sentence.

Don't think that the run of the mill Massachusetts District Court dispositions that you read in the court report section of your local paper reflect what happens in a Federal District Court It's a different ballgame, with professional, and often career, prosecutors, smarter and more qualified (and often tougher) judges, with rules of evidence designed to facilitate convicting people, and where the Government rarely loses.

[justplugit]

The Federal Judge he is going before is known to give out stiff penalties .

In addition i read last week that Virginia may prosecute him on state charges that would not be double jeopardy to the Fed charges.
Article said state charges ,if convicted ,could call for upto 8-10 years.

[BigFish]

I'll betcha.....he does not serve more than 6 months!

[Squid kids Dad]

What you wanna bet?

[BigFish]

Nothing Mike....I am just gonna gloat "I told you so" when the sentence is handed down!!

[Squid kids Dad]

OK..LOL..We shall shall see...I hope he does 18 months and suspended for life from football

[Swimmer]

The word is Vick is going to be sent to jail immediately, tomorrow, and go through evaluation. He will then be brought back before the same judge and receive his sentence. The state is going to tuck it up his breezer and charge him also. His new position in the NFL in the Fall of 09 will be WIDE RECEIVER, not quarterback.

[BigFish]

How can all of you not see the trend of how the famous, beautiful people are treated quite differently than Mr. and Mrs. Average American??? Also how can you not believe the same will happen here??? He is after all a first offender????

I can hear his wrists getting slapped right now!!!

[BigFish]

My money is on probation, community service and a heavy fine!!!

[Squid kids Dad]

This maybe his 1st offense for this crime...But he aint no virgin as far as being a bad boy..He's going away..We shall find out soon

[Mike P]

Originally Posted by BigFish

How can all of you not see the trend of how the famous, beautiful people are treated quite differently than Mr. and Mrs. Average American??? Also how can you not believe the same will happen here??? He is after all a first offender????

I can hear his wrists getting slapped right now!!!

Because none of the famous, beautiful people were prosecuted by a United States Attorney in a United States District Court for a Federal offense that likely carries a mandatory prison sentence.

How'd Pete Rose do in Federal court? How about Kenny-boy Lay, rich as all get out and on a first name basis with El Presidente himself?

[BigFish]

How did OJ do???

[Slipknot]

OJ wasn't prosecuted in Federal court for a mandatory sentence crime was he? I thought the prosecutors blew that case

[Mike P]

Originally Posted by Slipknot

OJ wasn't prosecuted in Federal court for a mandatory sentence crime was he? I thought the prosecutors blew that case

OJ was prosecuted by the Los Angeles County Distict Attorney--an incompetent named Gil Garcetti--in the Superior Court held in and for the County of Los Angeles, Downtown division. Which is not where the crime should have been prosecuted, as it arose within the geographical jurisdiction of the Santa Monica department. However, since Santa Monica would have resulted in a predominantly white jury, and Garcetti was still smarting from the acquittal of the cops who beat Rodney King, he moved the trial to the Downtown division, where a racially mixed jury would result--to give the verdit "legitimacy". Garcetti thought--stupidly--he had a slam dunk and couldn't lose in front of any jury.

And most Federal judges aren't anything like Lance Ito

[fishpoopoo]

mike - how did you view Judge Lance Ito's performance in the whole OJ mess?

[Mike P]

Originally Posted by Bassturbed

mike - how did you view Judge Lance Ito's performance in the whole OJ mess?

I thought his piece de resistance was when he started crying over some trivial issue involving his wife, who was a captain in the LAPD

They probably show clips of his highlights in the summer seminars every judge in the country attends, as an illustration of how not to handle a high publicity trial.

Larry--you want to actually put money on probation, community service and a heavy fine?

"The Atlanta Falcons quarterback is scheduled to formally enter his plea Monday, following the path of three co-defendants who already have pleaded guilty.

In Vick's written plea agreement filed in federal court Friday, he admitted helping kill six to eight pit bulls and supplying money for gambling on the fights. He said he did not personally place any bets or share in any winnings.

With negotiations between prosecutors and defense attorneys out of the way, all that's left is for U.S. District Judge Henry E. Hudson to accept the plea and decide how much time Vick will spend in prison, and for the NFL to determine the fate of Vick's career. The NFL suspended him indefinitely and without pay Friday after his plea agreement was filed.

Merely associating with gamblers can trigger a lifetime ban from the NFL under the league's personal conduct policy.

If Monday's proceedings follow the pattern of Vick's three co-defendants, the quarterback's plea hearing will be brief, with the judge setting a sentencing hearing for late fall after a background report is completed.

The plea agreement calls for a sentencing range of 12 to 18 months. But Hudson, who is known for handing down tough sentences, is not bound by any recommendation or federal sentencing guidelines and could sentence Vick to as much as five years in prison."

[BigFish]

IF he does any time.....no more than 6 months is my guess.....which still amounts to a slap on the wrists! Don't get me wrong Mike....I hope he goes away for a long, long time! I don't think he will!

[BigFish]

US Attorney Chuck Roseberg is quoted as saying that being that Vick is a first time offender, anyone in this position may well recieve no jail time! Hmmmmmm.......if I were a betting man?!?!?

[UserRemoved1]

I just saw an article on Drudge that said "HE FOUND GOD"

[Karl F]

Originally Posted by #^&#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&

I just saw an article on Drudge that said "HE FOUND GOD"

Oh Well, God is Dog, spelt backward, after all...

[The Dad Fisherman]

He'll get at least a year....I'd love to see the judge give him the 5. The judge also made it a point to let him knoe he doesn't have to give him the recommended....that he could be harsher. I wonder if he is a dog owner

[The Dad Fisherman]

Prosecutors have asked the judge to sentence Vick to between 12 and 18 months in prison. But Hudson reminded Vick that he was not bound by the suggested sentence.

"I place a lot of importance on the government recommendation but I want it understood that I am not bound by that part of the plea agreement," Hudson said in court. "The decision is mine in regard to sentencing."

"If I decide you deserve five years, you'll get five years and you can't appeal that. Do you understand that?" Hudson asked.

"Yes, Sir," Vick responded.