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Michael Vick, Co-Defendants, to Stand Trial on State Dogfighting Charges

Associated Press
Published | Updated

SUSSEX, Va. – Michael Vick and three co-defendants will face trial Nov. 27 on state dogfighting charges.

A Surry County Circuit judge on Wednesday set the trial date for the suspended Atlanta Falcons quarterback, who already has pleaded guilty to a federal dogfighting conspiracy charge and is awaiting sentencing Dec. 10.

An attorney for Vick confirmed in a brief court appearance that he would represent Vick at trial on the state charges. Vick and the others will be arraigned the day the trial begins.

Virginia Beach attorney Larry Woodward said Vick turned himself in last week in Surry County for pretrial processing and bonding. Woodward's appearance in court Wednesday lasted less than 10 minutes.

Woodward walked in silence from the courthouse as about 30 reporters peppered him with questions.

Vick was charged last week in the rural county, home to his dogfighting enterprise since 2001, with two state felony counts — beating or killing or causing dogs to fight other dogs and engaging in or promoting dogfighting. Each felony is punishable by up to five years in prison.

His lawyers have said they will fight the state charges on the grounds he can't be convicted twice of the same crime. In pleading guilty to a federal conspiracy charge Aug. 27, Vick admitted helping to kill six to eight dogs, among other things. He faces up to five years in prison, while co-defendants Tony Taylor, Purnell Peace and Quanis Phillips also pleaded guilty to the same federal charge.

Vick, suspended indefinitely by the NFL without pay, tested positive last month for marijuana, a violation of U.S. District Court Judge Henry Hudson's order that he stay clean in exchange for being allowed to be free.

After that positive test, Hudson ordered Vick confined to his home address between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m., with electronic monitoring and random drug testing.