Michael Vick Speaks About Dogfighting Guilty Plea

Monday, August 27, 2007

RICHMOND, Va – Vick, made his appearance in court today and as expected pleaded guilty.  As he stood before Judge Hudson he citied what I would call the normal scripted apology with the exception of adding his own ignorant remarks. 

1. Stating his actions were inmature and he needed to grow up [how ignorant is that statement?  What actions would he have done if he felt he was mature?  He made it sound like dog fighting was a childish game, how thought provoking is that as a role model....fg2]

2. Stating dog fighting is a terrible thing [stating dog fighting is a terrible thing but has yet to admit that it is cruel and  inhumane and unconscionable but bless his heart he didn't participate in the gambling and betting so does that mean he feels that justifies his actions in helping to kill the dogs that were not fit for fighting....fg2] 

Vick also repeatedly apologized to his young football fans, saying his behavior was “immature.”

“I apologize to the young kids for my immature acts,” Vick said. “What I did was immature and I need to grow up,” he said.

Asking for “forgiveness and understanding,” Vick said he would “turn my life over to God. That’s the right thing to do right now.”

“Dogfighting is a terrible thing and I reject it,” he said. [and the only reason he has made these statements is because he was caught, not because he knew or felt it was wrong to begin with....... at this point I am siging off any further posts regarding Michael Vick. I think everything that can be said has been said and his sentence isn't until December.  I realize there will be ongoing events regarding his career, his salary, etc but that would entail daily posts which at this point would be ludicrous..... flagranny2]

For the full story >>> continue

Florida Prison Halts Kosher Meals for Jewish Inmates, Halal Meals for Muslims

Thursday, August 23, 2007

MIAMI  —  Jewish inmates who follow strict religious diets at Florida prisons are no longer provided meals in line with their beliefs. Muslims must now eat vegan food to satisfy their religious requirements.

[Well excuse me, I thought that when one commits a crime and is sentenced to serve time in prison I didn't think it was meant to treat them with respect and honor their requests as to special needs when it comes to meals based on religion.  Why is it once in prison they suddenly decide they are religious and demand special treatment.  If they were that religious to begin with why then were they in prison?  Can you imagine catering meals based on every personal faith of each prisoner?  It's ludicrous to even think to put a plan like that in effect would make sense let alone be cost effective.  

I remember a few years back reading how the prisoners here in Florida were upset because they pulled the plug on their cable TV meaning they no longer had access to the HBO stations.  I thought damn, I personally can't afford HBO yet my tax money was paying for prisoners to have TV privileges that I couldn't afford myself.   

Anyway, when I read the following article I thought here we go again!!  Is it just me or what?.....flagranny2]

The Corrections Department has ended the Jewish Dietary Accommodation Program, which provided kosher meals to not only Jews, but to Muslims as well, because the state prison system does not offer halal food. Cost — and fairness — were cited as factors.

“We have 100 faiths represented by DOC inmates, so it would be impossible to satisfy everyone’s preferences and unfair to do it for one group and not another,” agency spokeswoman Gretl Plessinger said. “We just have to look at what our mission is and what’s best for our overall department and the overall population of inmates in our system instead of a smaller group.”

The department has suspended use of pork products in an attempt to appease religious adherents and will continue to serve vegetarian and vegan meals. It said many Jews and Muslims could choose the vegan option, which is free of any animal products, to adhere to their faiths.

But for the strict followers of kosher and halal diets, it is far from ideal.

Rabbi Jack Romberg of Temple Israel in Tallahassee, who was a member of a group that reviewed religious dietary accommodations in prisons, noted that unless the vegan food is prepared separately from other meals, it would not satisfy kosher law. Ahmed Bedier of the Council on American-Islamic Relations in Tampa said vegan food would meet the religious requirements of those who follow a halal diet, but would cause undue hardship.  [Full Story]

NFL Suspends Michael Vick Indefinitely, Without Pay

Friday, August 24, 2007

Fox News – No matter how nuanced his confession for involvement in dogfighting, Michael Vick got no leniency Friday from the NFL.Commissioner Roger Goodell suspended the Atlanta Falcons quarterback indefinitely without pay, just hours after Vick filed a plea agreement that portrayed him as less involved than three co-defendants and guilty mainly of poor judgment for associating with them.

Vick acknowledged bankrolling gambling on the dogfights, but denied placing bets himself or taking any of the winnings. He admitted that dogs not worthy of the pit were killed “as a result of the collective efforts” of himself and two co-defendants.

Click here to read Vick’s plea agreement.

Goodell wasn’t moved and didn’t bother to wait until Monday, when U.S. District Judge Henry E. Hudson will formally accept the plea and set a sentencing date likely to land Vick in prison for one to five years.

The commissioner said Vick’s admitted conduct was “not only illegal but also cruel and reprehensible.” Even if he didn’t personally place bets, Goodell said, “your actions in funding the betting and your association with illegal gambling both violate the terms of your NFL player contract and expose you to corrupting influences in derogation of one of the most fundamental responsibilities of an NFL player.”

“Vick did not gamble by placing side bets on any of the fights. Vick did not receive any of the proceeds of the purses that were won by Bad Newz Kennels,” the court document said.

According to the statement, Vick also was involved with the others in killing six to eight dogs that did not perform well in testing sessions last April. The dogs were executed by drowning or hanging.

“Vick agrees and stipulates that these dogs all died as a result of the collective efforts” of Vick, Phillips and Peace, the statement said.

The above is an excerpt taken from the full story which you can follow  here

 

Update Jessica Lumsford: John Couey Receives Death Sentence for the Murder of Jessica Lunsford

Friday, August 24, 2007

Fox News – A Florida judge sentenced John Couey to death Friday for kidnapping, raping and murdering 9-year-old Jessica Lunsford.Couey, a convicted sex offender, buried Lunsford alive in two black trash bags with her hands bound and her favorite purple stuffed dolphin tucked in her arms, Circuit Judge Richard Howard said. Lunsford’s body was found in a grave in Couey’s yard about three weeks after she disappeared.“He secured her fate with a second bag,” Howard told the court.Howard called the murder “cold and calculated,” that caused a “slow, suffering and conscious death.”Jessica’s grandmother sat in the courtroom with other family and friends, wearing a pendant with Jessica’s photo on it around her neck.

A Miami jury convicted Couey in March of taking the girl from her bedroom to his nearby trailer in 2005, where he raped her and buried her alive.    [ FullStory  ]

Michael Vick Signs Plea Deal, Admits to Business Involving Dogfighting

Friday, August 24, 2007

                                                      

Fox News -Atlanta Falcons star Michael Vick signed a plea deal Friday, admitting to dogfighting allegations that include promoting a business enterprise that involves gambling.

The plea agreement says the business enterprise involves sponsoring and transporting dogs in dogfighting operations.

Vick agrees that the ‘Bad Newz Kennels’ business enterprise involved gambling activities in violation of laws of the Commonwealth of Virginia, according to the plea agreement.

Click here to read Vick’s plea agreement.

Vick knew dogs that did not perform well were being killed in the summer of 2002, but he did not kill any dogs, according to the plea agreement.

Last April, Vick and two co-defendants tested the fighting skills of dogs and the three agreed to kill six to eight dogs that did not perform well. All were killed by various methods that included hanging and drowning.

The Atlanta Falcons quarterback is scheduled to formally enter his plea Monday in U.S. District Court.

Meanwhile, the NFL quarterback’s father asked his son to give up dogfighting, or to at least put property used in the venture in the names of others to avoid being implicated, a report in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution said.  [ Full Story ]

Bobby Cutts Indicted on Murder Charges in Deaths of Jessie Davis, Unborn Child

Thursday, August 23, 2007

A grand jury brought seven indictments against a former police officer accused of killing pregnant Ohio mom Jessie Davis, including three counts of aggravated murder, a prosecutor said Thursday.

Bobby Cutts Jr. will face one count of murder for Davis’ death and two counts of murder for the death of her unborn child when he is arraigned Friday morning, Stark County Prosecutor John D. Ferrero said at a news conference.

“There’s not much that we can say regarding the facts of this case. I hope the media can respect that,” Ferrero said Thursday. “We fully intend for this case to go to trial and at that point in time you will be able to hear the circumstances behind this case.”

The grand jury also leveled felony charges of aggravated burglary, two counts of abuse of a corpse and one misdemeanor count of child endangerment against the former Canton police officer. The murder charges could bring the death penalty, Ferrero said.

Myisha Ferrell, Cutts’ former high school classmate, faces two charges at her Friday arraignment: obstructing justice and complicity to the abuse of a corpse. The first charge carries a maximum of 5 years in prison; the second, 18 months. Prosecutors accuse her of helping dispose of Davis’ body.  [ Full Story ]

Update Jessie Davis:8/22/07- Prosecutors Plan Announcement in Case of Slain Pregnant Woman Jessie Davis

Wednesday, August 22, 2007
  

CLEVELAND —  Prosecutors who recently presented a grand jury with the case of a pregnant woman killed in her northeast Ohio home planned to hold a news conference Thursday regarding the police officer charged in her death.

Jessie Davis, 26, was killed June 14 and her disappearance drew national attention as thousands gathered to search for her in the area surrounding her home near North Canton, about 45 miles south of Cleveland.

Davis’ body, still carrying a nearly full-term fetus, was found nine days later about 25 miles away from her home in a remote area of a park.

Stark County assistant prosecutor Dennis Barr would only say the news conference regards Canton police officer Bobby Cutts Jr., who has been charged with two counts of murder in the deaths of Davis and her unborn child.

Cutts, 30, is the father of Davis’ 2 1/2-year-old son, Blake, and her family says he was the father of the baby girl who was due to be delivered July 3.

Attorney Myron Watson, who represents Cutts, said the case was presented to a grand jury two or three weeks ago, but he did not know of an indictment.

“We’re waiting and we’re in the dark,” Watson said Wednesday. Cutts maintains his innocence, he said.

Prosecutors have 90 days from Cutts’ June 23 arrest to take the case to trial. Cutts is being held on a $5 million bond.

The news conference was scheduled for 10 a.m. at the Stark County Sheriff’s office.

Barr said prosecutors would also discuss Myisha Ferrell, Cutts’ former high school classmate, who has been charged with obstruction of justice. Prosecutors accuse her of helping dispose of Davis’ body.  [ Full Story ]

Vick Charges Shouldn’t Result in NFL Lifetime Ban, NAACP Says

By Aaron Kuriloff
Last Updated: August 22, 2007 16:20 EDT
Aug. 22 (Bloomberg) — Federal conspiracy charges brought against Michael Vick for dogfighting shouldn’t result in a lifetime ban from the National Football League, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People said.

“We should join hands as a team and recognize the fact that Mr. Vick is human, humans make mistakes, but we maintain that he is a redeemable human,” said R.L. White, president of the Atlanta chapter of the NAACP. “And as a society, we should aid in his rehabilitation.” [Full Story]

[And I say...The words "Vick is human and humans make mistakes........and "as a society, we should aid in his rehabilitation", are words that are simply nothing but mockery.  How can you say buying dogs training them to fight to kill, promoting dogfighting for gambling and then killing the dogs that don't perform is a mistake? 

Definition of the word "mistake" -noun

1. an incorrect, unwise, or unfortunate act or decision caused by bad judgment or a lack of information or care;  It's an easy mistake to make
2. error - something in a piece of work that is incorrect, for example, a misspelling or a misprint
3. misunderstanding - a misunderstanding of something

The definition does not include intentionally doing something when you know it's illegal.  And "as a society we should aid in his rehab" I don't think so.  Why should we, the tax payers pay for his rehab.  I think every day that he spends in jail/prison should come out of his monies.  He has enough money to pay and there is no reason why the tax payers should carry the burden while his big bank roll sits and earns interest.... That's my 2 cents .....flagranny2  ] 

Wal-Mart Says Removed Chinese-Made Dog Treats Over Deadly Chemical

Wednesday, August 22, 2007

  I’m amazed that there are still any products out that are still on the shelves with the name ”China” on them.  Is our country so desperate that we need to continue trade and play Russian roulette on a 50/50 chance, no I’d say far less than 50/50 chance that the products is going to be safe? 

  Oh yeah, BTW if you are one who enjoys eating with chopsticks you might want to think twice as one factory has recycled and sold at least 100,000 pairs.  Disenfecting them, what’s that, of course not!!!

NEW YORK  —  Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (WMT) said it pulled two Chinese-made dog treats from its shelves nearly a month earlier, and tests now show they had traces of melamine, a chemical found in pet food that was blamed for the deaths of pets and led to a massive recall earlier this year.

The two types of dog treats — Chicken Jerky Strips manufactured by Import-Pingyang Pet Product Co. and Chicken Jerky manufactured by Shanghai Bestro Trading — were removed from its stores on July 26, Wal-Mart spokeswoman Deisha Galberth said in a statement.

After 17 sets of tests, “the latest advice from our testing laboratory shows trace levels of melamine,” Galberth said.

The products will not be sold anymore, and a computerized block has been placed on the product at cash registers as an added precaution, Galberth said.

The Associated Press reported earlier that Wal-Mart had removed those two types of dog treats last month after customers complained that the products had made their pets sick.

Earlier this year, thousands of people flooded the U.S. Food and Drug Administration with complaints of animals becoming ill or dying after consuming certain pet foods.

The result was a recall of hundreds of brands of China-made pet food containing wheat gluten found to be tainted with melamine. That was followed by several others ranging from tires and toothpaste to toys and medicines.

The latest in the line of Chinese product safety scares is recycled chopsticks — a Beijing factory sold up to 100,000 used pairs a day without any form of disinfecting, the Beijing News reported.

Pit Bulls Break Into Washington Woman’s Home and Maul Her

Wednesday, August 22, 2007

GIG HARBOR, Wash. —  Two pit bull terriers broke into a house through a pet door Tuesday and attacked a woman in her bed, mauling her badly, a Pierce County sheriff’s spokesman said.

The woman was able to grab a gun and try to shoot the dogs, then break away from the attack and lock herself in her car, where she called 911, sheriff’s spokesman Ed Troyer said.

The woman, who was not immediately identified, was taken to a hospital in Tacoma, where she was listed in serious condition.

Officers planned to talk to the dogs’ owner.

The pit bulls also killed a neighbor’s Jack Russell terrier, which entered the house during the attack, Troyer said.

“The thought is that the Jack Russell heard noise in the neighbor’s house, came in and was attacked by the dogs,” Troyer said.

Firefighters responded first, locking the dogs in the house, treating the woman and calling for an ambulance.

Officers “had to pepper spray and fight the dogs until they were detained. We almost had to shoot them on site,” Troyer said.

The dogs were taken to a Humane Society and will probably be destroyed, he said.

It was not immediately known why the dogs entered the house, whether the woman had dogs of her own or what set off the attack.

[ "What is it about a "pit bull" that makes it such a wonderful pet?  Don't yell at me yet, I'm a pet owner and a pet lover of all kinds I just don't see what it is about the pit bulls that make them such a great pet.  Regardless of how nice they can be they all have that inate instinct to attact to kill but the problem is one never knows when that instinct is going to show up. Owners can have one for a long time with no problem at all but it only takes one time to set them off and this dear pet dog that has been a perfect pet has totally upset and ruined at least one person's life and possibly the dog's owner if it becomes necessary to have the dog put down"  ....flagranny2 ]