RSSDog Day Afternoon: Tony Taylor Expected To Plead Guilty & Make Deal in Michael Vick Dog Fighting Case (Update: Pleads Guilty)
Dog day afternoon, or morning in this case for Michael Vick … Co-defendants plea deal 
just made matters a bit more sticky for Atlanta Falcons NFL quarterback, Michael Vick. It’s about to get a lot worse for Michael Vick this afternoon. Co-defendant, Tony Taylor, is expected to appear before a judge today and plead guilty as part of a deal with prosecutors in the federal dog fighting case involving Michael Vick. Of course it will be rebutted by the Vick defense team that Taylor is doing this to save his own hide. However, the indictments against Vick and his co-defendants were so heinous, any involvement in this alleged crime of dog fighting will be damaging to Michael Vick both on and off the football field.
Taylor’s quick plea could mean he has agreed to cooperate with federal prosecutors in their case against Vick and two other co-defendants, Purnell Peace and Quanis Phillips. Vick, Peace and Phillips’ trial date is still set for Nov. 26 before Judge Henry E. Hudson.
Taylor’s attorney, Stephen A. Hudgins, has not responded to repeated requests for comment. A spokesman for Vick said he needed to consult with one of Vick’s four attorneys before he could make a statement. Vick co-defendant working deal
Tony Taylor, 34, of Hampton, Va., is to appear today before federal judge Henry E. Holland for what is listed on the docket as a “plea agreement hearing.” Holland presided last Thursday as Vick and the others entered their not-guilty pleas. The trial is set for Nov. 26. (USA Today)
As a plea deal is about to come down in this case that might greatly affect what Michael Vick’s defense team does next, 200 or so Vick supporters convened outside the Georgia Dome. How ironic that the supporters of Michael Vick would compare his treatment by other to the very act that he is being accused of, “Being treated like a dog”. These guys may want to change their message as they will get no support from the public. It is astonishing that these Vick supporters seem to have no disregard for dogs what so ever.
About 200 people braved rain and thunderclaps outside the Georgia Dome on Sunday to condemn the country, the media, Nike and, most of all, the Atlanta Falcons for treating Michael Vick like a dog.
“We Support Vick a Human Being Over Dogs,” was the message of one placard to honking passing cars on Northside Drive. Other supporters said they believed Vick should be given the benefit of the doubt until his day in court. (AJC)
UPDATE I: Co-Defendant Tony Taylor Pleads Guilty to federal dogfighting conspiracy charges
Game on for the defense attorneys for Michael Vick in the federal dog fighting charges. Tony Taylor’s plea of guilty can agreement to fully cooperate with federal prosecutors can only mean further trouble for Michael Vick. No one pleads guilty unless two elements are present. One, that they are first guilty and two, it was inferred that a lesser sentence would be provided for their cooperation against a bigger fish.
One of Michael Vick’s co-defendants pleaded guilty Monday to federal dogfighting conspiracy charges and agreed to fully cooperate with the government in its prosecution of the Atlanta Falcons star and two other men.
Tony Taylor, 34, who will be sentenced Dec. 14, said he was not promised any specific sentence in return for his cooperation.
Taylor faces a maximum of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine, but federal sentencing guidelines likely will call for less. The guideline range will be determined by the court’s probation office, and U.S. District Judge Henry E. Hudson can depart from that range if he finds aggravating or mitigating circumstances.
The written plea agreement requires Taylor to “testify truthfully and completely at any grand juries, trials or other proceedings.” It says any truthful information provided by Taylor cannot form the basis of a stiffer sentence or additional charges.
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16 Responses to “Dog Day Afternoon: Tony Taylor Expected To Plead Guilty & Make Deal in Michael Vick Dog Fighting Case (Update: Pleads Guilty)”
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I do not know the details of the underlying acts but is it not true that at such events as cockfights or dogfights a great many young children are present and that alot these events are preceeded by tail-gate parties.
Perhaps it will take an icon like Vick to bring
this controversy to the forefront. We need to
dish out real punishment for these actions just
as we do other actions of cruelty to animals.
And, in my opinon, we need to ban the breeding of
these fighting machines that have become such a
menace in many of our cities and neighborhoods.
These are not dogs that are bred to be pets, they
are dogs bred to fight, injure, maim and kill and
that is exactly what they do against the
unsuspecting adult, child and family pet.
Let’s throw the book at the ones that use these
animal’s instinct for profit. Let’s put an end
to the heartache that comes from having a dog
removed from it’s home and euthonized simply for
doing the things that only comes naturally to it genetically. Let’s put an end to the lawsuits
that result from owning such a dog and let’s ban
the Pit Bull once and for all.
Ban the pit bull?
Why?
Most of those incidents that make the papers on a slow news day are hardly unbiased evidence of any problems with the breed.
Taylor better be in a witness protection program as anything violent could be expected to be performed by this bunch of thugs who could engage in such horrific activities for entertainment. Heartless, soulless & certainly not worthy of fame or admiration.
Drew Carey said, when on David Letterman, that if Vick plays for the NFL that Carey will BOYCOTT the NFL in total. Respect his willingness to stand up & be a leader.
MOO
Horrific activities for entertainment?
You speaking of football, basketball or dog-fighting?
Do you really expect a gladiator to think the activities are horrific?
Do you get into the NFL by taking ethics courses and developing skills that do not involve violence and pain?
I’ve never heard of him until these recent headlines but I sure wouldn’t expect him to be someone who would think dog fighting was in any way wrong. If you want him to think its wrong, I guess you better do away with the gladiators.
fools gold,
i did not know we were still living in rome and serving Christians to the lions. yes i would expect if you are paying someone 130 million dollars to play freaking football that you could expect him to be a little better of a moral person especially if the nfl is going to promote him as a role model in every piece of advertising to our children. i am an atlanta fan and i love to watch vick play but the warning signs have been there for a while and he has been given more than one chance. if he can’t take himself out of “the hood” then he needs to be sent back with the same resources that he left with (nothing).
Okay, I’m sure there are exceptions but I assume that if he is an athlete he skated through college taking Mickey Mouse courses with Mickey Mouse finals and some college providing him with “entertainment” from some financially needy co-ed.
Do we still feed Christians to lions? No, but we do feed athletes into the maw of doctors who work for the team and NFL pension trustees who sure have strange interpretations of injuries and disability claims.
I would doubt if he ever has considered himself to be a role model. I surely would not think he is paid to be a role model or should ever be thought of as a role model. He is a gladiator. He just doesn’t fight to the death… or atleast not to a quick one! Is he cruel and barbarous? I don’t know, but I will check the point spread and then let you know!
fools gold,
you are correct. he is not a role model, that is why i doubt that he will ever play another down for atlanta and maybe not even the nfl
Fools Gold:
Meanwhile, the game will continue. The kids will
still be having their faces gouged out on a daily
basis but only reported by the news on a slow
day. Take the time and visit an emergency room
and see how may pit bull attacks happen everyday.
We talk about taking out the child abusers,
asking for solutions for what can be done, but
turn the other way when we speak of something as easy as banning a breed of dog that is more responsible for attacks upon children than any other.
Not only are we a barbaric society, that has
cheap talk about solutions but a hypocritical one
as well. Let the fights begin!
Vick may not play in the NFL, but that doesn’t
put an end to the contests that go on in the pits.
As long as there are pit bulls; there will be pit
fights. AND, unfortunately, there will be those
that think a pit bull will make a nice pet.
Ban The Bull, Empty the Pit and put an
end to the easiest controlled form of
violence that is raged against our children!
There was a time when football players were not thugs. There was a time when they were leaders. Former football great Bart Starr and his wife who are two of our best animal advocates and would probably be willing to find homes and/or provide homes for these abused animals, which they do all the time. Yes, there was a time when NFL had leaders and heroes like Bart Starr.
>There was a time when football players were not thugs.
That probably was before football became of such intense interest to gamblers and university fundraisers. “Bread and Circuses” in ancient Rome. Not much has changed. These players are not role models.
patti,
you’re ignorance about these dogs is hanging out….
it is not the dogs…
it is how they are raised….and how they are treated…just as it is with all sorts of dogs….and all sorts of other animals….
look, honestly…the thugs and their like will just go after cane corsos…or dogo argentinas…..or presa canarios if the pit bull wasn’t around…..do you know what those are??
i didn’t think so……
you really should try to stick to things that you know about…..
…i’m sure that you’re a nurse or something along those lines and have seen “hundreds of pit bull attacks”….
stick with health care or whatever….you people know nothing about the nature of dogs.
r.young
sugar land, tx
r.young:
Why don’t you do a word search for your self and
see with your own two eyes how many cities have
either banned the pit bull or are in the process
of getting them banned. Including civilized cities in Europe and Canada that have given up
barbarianism a long ago for a little class, safety and dignity.
Oh, by the way, if it’s not the dog, then why are
67% of all dog bites committed by them when they
make up less than 10 percent of the canine population? Hummmmm… sounds like we may have a
breed of dog with a BAD DISPOSITION!
“Oh, Gee your Honor, I did all I could to show him
love and kindness. I just don’t know what got
into him… I just don’t understand why he would
bite Little Katie’s leg off!
If you want me to put him down, I’ll understand.
Your Honor, a dog like that isn’t fit to walk the
streets, ON or off a leash.
Do your homework….
P.S.
Health Providers know more to understand
genetic tendencies and how they over come
ones environment. I guess that explains
why some of us have tried to ‘teach our
children well” only to have them grow up
to be selfish, rude and lacking compassion.
According to science, it’s very hard to over
come the genetic tendencies that are inertly
pre determined inside the mind of a human…
It is even more difficult in the mind of a dog
that has less reasoning skills.
[...] Roger Goodell, that he was innocent. LIAR! Vick had no other choice but to plead guilty as first one co-defendant and then two more pleaded guilty in exchange for evidence again Michael [...]
This hasn’t been posted on in a few years but I need to reply – IT’S NEVER THE BREED, IT’S THE OWNERS. What happens when it’s a child who harms another child? Does that mean that he was born that way, to believe harming another living being was acceptable? No, he probably saw it at home – the statistics are there. If someone knowingly harms another being they’ve probably seen it before – at home or in their neighborhood. If daddy hits mommy it must be okay to hit others. IT’S NOT, IT NEVER IS. If a pitbull ever becomes agressive on instinct it’s been bred that way for years – it’s mother’s mother’s mother’s mother was a fighter and that instinct has grown into them because their owners made it that way a while ago. It’ their survival in a world of dogfighting and where they’re electrocuted or executed for not pleasing their own by ripping another pitbull apart. Please watch “Off the Chain” for better understanding. This is why education is the only way we’ll understand both sides of the story. Breed Legislation is not the answer its genocide.