Co-defendants testify against Vick in dogfighting case

The other two co-defendants in the dogfighting case involving Atlanta Falcons Michael Vick submitted guilty pleas on Friday.

Co-defendants testify against Vick in dogfighting case All three of the co-defendants in Michael Vick's dogfighting case have submitted a guilty plea now. Tony Taylor pleaded guilty last month and on Friday the other two co-defendants, Quanis Phillips of Virginia Beach, Virginia, and Purnell Peace of Atlanta, Georgia, pleaded guilty to dogfighting charges.

The two men also testified that Michael Vick did take part in the killing of dogs which underperformed in the fights and all of them "executed approximately eight dogs that did not perform well in testing sessions," according to court papers. Phillips and Peace also backed up Taylor's earlier testimony that Michael Vick was the financial back-up of the operation known as "Bad Newz Kennels". According to the co-defendants in the case, all accusations on the 18 pages of the indictment are true.

The latest testimonies increased the pressure on Michal Vick to seek a plea deal with the prosecution. A lawyer from Vick's legal team, however, confirmed during an interview with the Atlanta radio station "V-103" that no deal has been reached yet, and denied the rumours that his lawyers are divided on whether a deal should be accepted or not.

According to the latest reports, if Michael Vick fails to strike a deal with the prosecutors, he could also face charges under RICO (Racketeering Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act), which could land him in prison for up to 20 years.

The sentencing of Quanis Phillips and Purnell Peace is scheduled for November 30th.

Published on 08/18/2007