Vick indicted on dog fight related charges

Michael Vick (apparently nicknamed "Ookie") was indicted today.

You know, I have sort of been following this over the last several months and wondering how it would play itself out.

I have mixed feelings but let me preface my remarks with a prison story.

Eli was one of my roommates for a few weeks. A black guy down for a long time on drug charges, he did a lot of reading and writing. I liked him.

Turns out he also used to own 13 (?) pit bulls that he lost upon his arrest. He used them for dog fighting. Having no experience with this subject, I peppered him with questions (probably more than he was comfortable with). I was fascinated.

Based on my conversation with him, I concluded that

1. Dog fight owners love their dogs... they would not intentionally allow them to be hurt. (Certainly true of Eli.)
2. The losing dog surrenders, he is not killed. Most dog fighting is a war of attrition and endurance. It is the responsibility of the owner to pull his dog away (kind of like a boxer's manager throwing in the towel) once he realizes his dog has lost.

When I read about dog fighting in the United States on Wikipedia, I read a different story, one that is much darker and vicious.

I don't know what to believe.

I understand that this is a sub-culture activity, especially among gangs and black males. It is also associated with other criminal activity including, of course, gambling. I never met a black guy in prison who claimed to own a poodle or chihuahua. It was always pit bulls, dobermans, and rottweilers.

I didn't know this but:

"In May 2007, a new federal law went into effect making interstate dog fighting activities felonious and providing for imprisonment and imposition of large fines. The Animal Fighting Prohibition Enforcement Act, a new federal law, was enacted by the U.S. Congress earlier in 2007 and signed by President George W. Bush on May 3, making organizing a dog fight a felony. The law provides a penalty of up to three years of imprisonment and up to a $250,000 fine for each offense of interstate or foreign transport of animals for fighting purposes. Using the provisions of the new law, which took effect immediately, the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is pursuing cases in a number of locations around the country with considerable support from humane societies and local police departments." [Wikipedia]

See also this ESPN story on the subject:

"Is dogfighting a serious crime? If Vick was involved in it, what can happen to him? "

"Until last month, a federal dogfighting charge was a misdemeanor and likely would result in probation and a fine. Now, though, the recently strengthened federal law provides draconian penalties for people involved in dogfighting. There's a jail term of three years, and there's a fine of $250,000. And if that isn't enough, those penalties are per dog. Remember, the police confiscated 66 dogs in the raid on Vick's property. These laws are the result of powerful lobbying by the Humane Society of the United States and other animal protections groups. Their lobby is as powerful as the gun lobby. "

"Is dogfighting illegal everywhere? "

"Yes. It's a felony in 48 states and a misdemeanor in Wyoming and Idaho. But the new federal law trumps state laws. If you're involved in dogfighting, you now face the prospect of a federal prosecution with agents of the USDA, FBI and IRS coming after you. "

Sigh. Yikes. Another federal law. Can't they just leave these things to the states? Look, I am not a big fan of this kind of stuff. I understand the opposition to dog fighting. But, please, a little perspective is in order. Are we really prepared to turn these people into federal felons and send them to prison? For dog fighting?

The indictment is pretty detailed. If the facts are correct, there are some pretty cruel acts Vick was directly involved in. They are also pretty ancient for the most part and I'm a little confused as to how the new law applies to the old conduct or if he is being charged under an old law. He is charged with "Conspiracy to Travel in Interstate Commerce in Aid of Unlawful Activities and to Sponsor a Dog in and Animal Fighting Venture." The "conspiracy" part means he is just as guilty of a particular act that is part of the enterprise he assisted in even if he did not commit the act itself. In other words, if a codefendant killed a dog, whether Vick was directly involved or not, he is equally guilty because he furthered the overall illegal enterprise.

I hope he is innocent. Actually, I just hope he wasn't as cruel as the indictment indicates. I don't care about the dog fighting per se. I do care if he killed the dogs for being "weak."

Fortunately, he won't need a public defender. Unfortunately, I'm not sure his co-defendants can say the same thing. Don't expect the case to go to trial. Vick will plead. I have no idea what kind of time he is facing.