Federal Search Warrant Executed on Vick House

[fanfromvirginia]

I'd say this adds fuel to the fire for those critics who have wondered aloud why Poindexter seems to be dragging his feet on the Vick investigation...

I'm thinking this might be a good time to put the Draconian Vigilante Squad on full alert...

Consider me alerted.

 

[StanleySpadowski]

That's right, I was going to say that too, but dwmyers point made it unnecessary.

Interstate commerce could be something as simple as dog food being produced in another state, or any other product/part which was bought for use in the operation.

In today's day and age, just about everything that is "commerce" could be found to be "interstate commerce."

And that's not even getting into the Dormant Commerce Clause.

Now, darnnit, you've gone and spoiled my fun. I guess I have to work on my baiting techniques... . .... I quoted you so you replied with a cognizant post.


You need to hold back a little information lest some people google their fingers to stubs and realize they haven't a clue. Only give them enough rope to hang themselves.

 

[fortdick]

Because the dialogue hasn't turned ridiculously personal and negative.

Is that a dare?

 

[jobberone]

So are there 30 dogs or not. I mean people were sending the guy to prison for five years earlier. What's the deal? Did the ESPN damning evidence get stolen? Or did the inmate in SC find out he wasn't going to get carted all over the country or get some time off?

 

[StanleySpadowski]

So are there 30 dogs or not. I mean people were sending the guy to prison for five years earlier. What's the deal? Did the ESPN damning evidence get stolen? Or did the inmate in SC find out he wasn't going to get carted all over the country or get some time off?

A local TV station added 2+2 but they got ahead of themselves and decided they couldn't really tell us that the answer is 4.

All we know for 100% certain is that the USDA served a search warrant and thanks to a few copter shots, something on the site gave off a most malodorous air (bonus points for naming that obscure NFL reference), forcing the agents on scene to don masks and at least two trucks were needed to cart off evidence.

 

[jobberone]

They probably put on masks as a matter of procedure. They likely did recover something at least organic to take precautions. My guess then despite my smart aleck remarks is they did find something that could have disease and/or be decomposing.

You might not be too far off with the 2+2 thing. Which was funny as heck. I have a place in SW VA so I can make fun of myself.

 

[silverbear]

Because the dialogue hasn't turned ridiculously personal and negative.

First, let it be noted that I wasn't trying to slam the mods in here with that question... I think you know that whatever my assorted character defects are, I have tried to be supportive of the tough job the mods have to do...

That said, your answer wasn't really responsive to the question I asked, given that at the top of this forum, it says "create new COWBOYS threads here"...

Exactly what about the Vick situation is Cowboys related?? My point then is pretty obvious, that this thread belongs in the NFL Zone... but again, it was intended as a constructive criticism, so if I offended you by making it, permit me to apologize here...

 

[silverbear]

They probably put on masks as a matter of procedure.

No, they were digging away, and one of the diggers suddenly stopped and asked for a mask... the other digger did not...

And yes, I recognize that you're playing around here, I'm just passing along what I saw on that video clip... wish I could find where I found the link to it, so I could let y'all see it for your own self... if I stumble across it, I'll put the link up in this thread...

 

[peplaw06]

First, let it be noted that I wasn't trying to slam the mods in here with that question... I think you know that whatever my assorted character defects are, I have tried to be supportive of the tough job the mods have to do...

That said, your answer wasn't really responsive to the question I asked, given that at the top of this forum, it says "create new COWBOYS threads here"...

Exactly what about the Vick situation is Cowboys related?? My point then is pretty obvious, that this thread belongs in the NFL Zone... but again, it was intended as a constructive criticism, so if I offended you by making it, permit me to apologize here...

I'm assuming non-Cowboy topic threads can stay in the main forum longer in the offseason.

 

[ABQCOWBOY]

First, let it be noted that I wasn't trying to slam the mods in here with that question... I think you know that whatever my assorted character defects are, I have tried to be supportive of the tough job the mods have to do...

That said, your answer wasn't really responsive to the question I asked, given that at the top of this forum, it says "create new COWBOYS threads here"...

Exactly what about the Vick situation is Cowboys related?? My point then is pretty obvious, that this thread belongs in the NFL Zone... but again, it was intended as a constructive criticism, so if I offended you by making it, permit me to apologize here...

I can't say 100% why nothing has been moved other then the fact that this seems to be one of the more active threads on the board, right this minute. However, I would imagine it's because of the time of year. While I have not been a MOD for very long, I have been a member of this board going back to the start of the original site. Having said that, it's pretty typical for the board to be a bit more lax, if you will, during the offseason. Especially this part of the off season. Once training camp starts back up, I'd expect that we would get back to the guidelines typically inforced. For now, it's one of the better Vick threads I've seen posted on this board. As WG mentioned earlier, we've managed good discussion without it becoming too personal. That's always a good thing on a hot topic.

 

[dwmyers]

Newsday article. Sorry if it's been posted before. The Poindexter drop-down comment is worth noting. The comments about whether Vick would serve time show both sides of that argument.

Bold text in the body of the document is mine.

http://www.newsday.com/sports/footb...10,0,7525207.story?coll=ny-football-headlines

PITBULL FALLOUT

If Vick was involved in dog fights, what is the proper punishment

BY BOB GLAUBER
bob.glauber@newsday.com

John Goodwin wants to see Falcons quarterback Michael Vick go to jail if he is convicted in connection with an illegal dog-fighting operation at a home Vick owns in Virginia.

No fine. No probation. No legal slap on the wrist.

Jail.

"When people are involved in this type of crime, they should go to prison," Goodwin, the deputy manager for animal fighting issues for the Humane Society of the United States, said in an interview this week with Newsday. "This is severely cruel, and there should be punishment for inflicting pain and misery on these animals. The maximum fine is $2,500, which is about the time it takes Michael Vick to call a play in the huddle."

It remains to be seen whether Vick is found to be connected to the dog-fighting operation that authorities in Virginia, as well as federal investigators, are now looking into. The case began April 25, when police conducting a drug investigation raided the house Vick owns in Surry, Va., and found 66 dogs, 55 of which were pit bulls. They also found items associated with dog fighting, including a "pry bar" used to pry apart a dog'' jaws, as well as a blood-soaked carpet.

The news that Vick is at the center of the case is not a surprise to Goodwin, who said he had been hearing about the quarterback's alleged involvement in dog-fighting for years.

"We started a reward fund offering up to $2,500 for information that leads to an arrest and conviction for dog fighting, and that's when we started hearing that Michael Vick was involved," Goodwin said. "That was in 2004. There was nothing we could do about it at the time, because it wasn't substantive enough."

But the case is now in high gear. With local officials slowly gathering evidence and deliberating carefully over how to proceed, federal investigators swooped in surprisingly late Thursday afternoon and executed a search warrant of the property. A previous warrant had expired, with Surry County Commonwealth's Attorney Gerald G. Poindexter saying he was concerned about the wording of the search and did not want to jeopardize the case. Poindexter said in an interview with Newsday that a similar case several years ago was thrown out because of an illegal search.

Speaking hours before federal authorities told him they were conducting the search, he said he was in no rush to move the case along, yet noted the feds could move in at any time.

"It's being investigated," said Poindexter, who added the dogs found on the property were in good health. "We're not dragging our feet. This case, in terms of its priority, if it were not for the celebrity status of Vick, it wouldn't mean much to me. It's a Class 6 felony, which is the lowest grade of felony. After that, it's misdemeanors."

Poindexter said he visited the house, toured a loft in the garage and was then convinced about moving forward with the case.

"The evidence that persuaded me that dogs had fought was blood spatters, some droplets, that I was told was blood from the upper room of a two-car garage type structure," he said. "It was a room accessible only by a drop-down staircase."

After being told that federal authorities were going to conduct a search of the home, Poindexter said in an interview with The Associated Press that he was "absolutely floored" at having his authority usurped. He also raised the possibility that Vick's status as a professional athlete, and possibly race, were factors in the investigation.

"What's driving this?" Poindexter said. "Is it this boy's celebrity? Would they have done this if it wasn't Michael Vick? . . . There's something awful going on here. I don't know if it's racial. I don't know what it is."

Poindexter did not return telephone calls seeking clarification of his comments.

The NFL is carefully following the events surrounding Vick, and the Falcons obviously are concerned about their star quarterback's availability this season. Vick has not commented on any aspect of the case, and the Falcons also are not talking.

"We're aware of the allegations surrounding this current investigation and accordingly have no comment," Reggie Roberts, vice president of football communications, said.

If Vick cannot play for any period of time, he'll be replaced by recently signed backup Joey Harrington. The Falcons traded former backup Matt Schaub to the Texans. They have been second-guessed about getting rid of Schaub too soon, especially after the dog-fighting allegations came to light. But a league source familiar with the Falcons situation said new coach Bobby Petrino was not as enamored of Schaub's ability as was former coach Jim Mora.

Whether Vick is suspended by the NFL remains to be seen. The league and first-year commissioner Roger Goodell recently has cracked down on off-field misbehavior by players.

"Dog fighting is cruel, degrading, and illegal," a league official said. "We support a thorough investigation into any allegations of this type of activity. Any NFL employee proved to be involved will be subject to prompt and significant discipline under our personal conduct policy."

So even if Vick is not convicted in connection with the dog fighting operation, Goodell still has the authority to fine and/or suspend him.

Whether or not Vick is convicted won't be determined for weeks, more likely months. And even if he is convicted, he may not serve jail time.

Former federal prosecutor Peter Ginsberg, now a partner at Crowell & Mooring in New York, believes there's a chance Vick will not be imprisoned even if he's found to be involved in the dog-fighting operations.

"It may well be that he's convicted, but even if he is, he may not go to jail," Ginsberg said. "If Vick doesn't have any criminal history, I don't imagine he'll end up doing any jail time over an offense like this."

Ginsberg also suggested that Goodell's toughened stance on off-field behavior is excessive, and that a harsh sanction on Vick would be unwarranted.

"I seriously question, both as a matter of propriety and as a matter of law, whether [Goodell] has a right to do that," said Ginsberg, referring to stiff suspensions handed down by the commissioner. "And I seriously question why the NFL Players Association allows this to happen without any challenge.

" . . . I see a huge amount of hypocrisy in terms of who he looks at and who he doesn't in terms of groups," he said. "I know about people who own teams and who have helped operate teams who have legal problems and found themselves in embarrassing situations, and you certainly don't hear about the commissioner getting involved in those situations."

Nevertheless, Goodell's tough approach on off-field misbehavior has met with positive reviews from most quarters, including fans, players and the union. So any punishment Vick might receive likely would not be questioned, at least in the court of public opinion.

"If it's him or anybody else, if you did something wrong, they're going to catch up to you," said Giants linebacker Antonio Pierce, who was fined $15,000 last season for a late hit on Vick. "I don't know anything about him specifically. All I know is that I don't condone [the dog fighting], I don't think it's the right thing to do."

 

[fortdick]

POSTED 6:22 a.m. EDT, June 9, 2007

WVEC DROPS CLAIM THAT 30-PLUS DOG CARCASSES WERE FOUND

Several readers have pointed out to us that WVEC-TV has dropped without explanation from its web site a statement that ESPN Radio has reported that nearly three dozen dead dogs were found on the property owned by Mike Vick in Surry County, Virginia.

Attention, WVEC: You can't just make a claim like that, drop it, and make no mention as to why you've done so.

We suspect that the error resulted from WVEC's interpretation of an interview of ESPN's Kelly Naqi during Friday's Dan Patrick Show on ESPN Radio. Naqi said that the suspicion was that up to 37 dogs were buried on the property. She never said that 37 dogs have been actually found there.

With that said, it's our understanding that WAVY-TV's Mary Kay Mallonee said during a Friday afternoon appearance with Rick Ballou on 1010XL in Jacksonville that dog carcasses were found on the property, and that investigators were happy with the outcome of the search.

Just thinking about the bolded part that 37 dogs were buried on the property. That is an odd number. In fact, I think it's a prime number. But the number 37 tells me that they have a specific source that has detailed information.

If it was a compilation of witnesses, the number would have been estimated. 37 is not an estimate, it is specific. So then, how did the source come up with the number? Did one guy bury all the dogs and come forward? Unlikely. I would think that they have some kind of specific informaton regarding the actual fights that occurred on the property, maybe a results sheet of some kind.

The number 37 suggests to me that there were a specific number of fights that ended in a dog's death, or the dog being put down after the fight. If they have that kind of documentation, then an indictment is a certainty.

 

[peplaw06]

"If it's him or anybody else, if you did something wrong, they're going to catch up to you," said Giants linebacker Antonio Pierce, who was fined $15,000 last season for a late hit on Vick. "I don't know anything about him specifically. All I know is that I don't condone [the dog fighting], I don't think it's the right thing to do."

Don't hurt yourself trying to stay away from Clinton Portis there...

 

[dwmyers]

The thing that gets me in the count of dog carcasses deal..

The average pet owner, when their dog is ill or sick, takes the dog to the vet, and if the dog is just going to suffer needlessly, the vet puts the dog to sleep, and the vet disposes of the carcass. They usually don't take Fido back into the back yard unless they're cloyingly sentimental.

Some local Atlanta talk show hosts have made a lot of hay over the supposed number of carcasses, and the average length of a dog's life. It seems odd to have 30 some odd dead carcasses and 60+ dogs on grounds unless something unusual was going on. For a dog breeding operation, that would be a suspiciously high death rate.

But the presence of even a single carcass can lead to questions about how these dogs were being cared for and handled.

David.

 

[jobberone]

No, they were digging away, and one of the diggers suddenly stopped and asked for a mask... the other digger did not...

And yes, I recognize that you're playing around here, I'm just passing along what I saw on that video clip... wish I could find where I found the link to it, so I could let y'all see it for your own self... if I stumble across it, I'll put the link up in this thread...

I'm suggesting there are procedures they have for wearing masks. Perhaps he put one on to avoid a smell. Wouldn't do any good though unless it was a gas mask. You can put cloves or something on your mask or upper lip to 'mask' smells. Works some. But rotting bodies stink and you can't get around it very well.

My guess is they were putting on a mask as a matter of protocol/procedure as you do in the operating room. It's really not much help unless its a good mask and you wear a face shield but it helps legally. It works great at keeping dirt and dog remains out of your mouth though. Which is really the only reason to put one on. A handkerchief works just as well.

As any Cowboy would know. Right, Hos.

 

[dwmyers]

Just thinking about the bolded part that 37 dogs were buried on the property. That is an odd number. In fact, I think it's a prime number. But the number 37 tells me that they have a specific source that has detailed information.

I never saw the number 37 used until after the federal search warrant was executed. Before, the number was being quoted as "up to 30". And 36 (the ESPN radio count of carcasses) + 1 = 37.

David.

 

[Chocolate Lab]

What an idiot Poindexter is (again). He hasn't pursued the case harder because it wasn't that high on the priority list? Right, because they are so backlogged with worse offenses in rural Surry county.

Didn't see this mentioned, but I heard Florio on Fox Sports Radio yesterday. (And Florio sounded surprising intelligent, non-inflammatory, and generally non-turdish -- I couldn't believe it.) He said a prosecutor in South Carolina almost got Vick on dog fighting charges a few years ago, but nothing became of it. He wasn't sure why... Presumably lack of evidence.

 

[FuzzyLumpkins]

What an idiot Poindexter is (again). He hasn't pursued the case harder because it wasn't that high on the priority list? Right, because they are so backlogged with worse offenses in rural Surry county.

Didn't see this mentioned, but I heard Florio on Fox Sports Radio yesterday. (And Florio sounded surprising intelligent, non-inflammatory, and generally non-turdish -- I couldn't believe it.) He said a prosecutor in South Carolina almost got Vick on dog fighting charges a few years ago, but nothing became of it. He wasn't sure why... Presumably lack of evidence.

Do you knw what the docket looks like or consists of in that County Courthouse?

 

[5Stars]

Do you knw what the docket looks like or consists of in that County Courthouse?

It was mentioned that they only hold court two times a month!

They don't sound to busy to me!

 

[peplaw06]

It was mentioned that they only hold court two times a month!

They don't sound to busy to me!

That and they have 6,829 people as of the 2000 census. Unless everyone is breaking the law there, their docket is probably pretty light.