Falcons Want There Money Back Vick Lawyers In Court For State Charges

The Atlanta Falcons wants a refund on the $22 million in bonus money paid to quarterback Michael Vick.

"I don't expect it will go beyond a day," said University of Pennsylvania law professor Stephen B. Burbank, the special master who will serve as arbitrator of the hearing at the law school.


Attorneys representing the NFL Players Association will argue against the Falcons' claim.

The team is expected to contend that Vick knew he was in violation of the contract when he signed the $130 million deal in December 2004, and that he used proceeds from the deal to fund his dogfighting operation.

"I think clearly it's a reach on the part of the Falcons," said Jerry Reisman, a contract and business attorney based in Garden City, N.Y. "I think Vick earned that money. He received the roster bonus given out if you are on a roster at any point. He was on the roster in 2004 and earned the money."

Under the NFL's collective bargaining agreement, bonus money earned cannot be returned.

Also Wednesday, Vick's attorney appeared in Surry County (Va.) Circuit Court and was asked to return Nov. 27 to set a trial date on state charges. The attorney, Larry Woodward, told the judge he would be in touch with the prosecutor. It's possible Vick might agree to a plea deal or his attorneys could file a motion to toss the charges.

Mychal Bell Bailed Out By A Stranger

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — 17-year-old Mychal Bell, the center of a civil rights controversy in a small Louisiana town left jail, he had a stranger to thank.

Dr. Stephen Ayers, who lives about 135 miles away, said he felt compelled to help the family of Mychal Bell by posting the teen's bond and allowing him to go home for the first time in 10 months.

Bell is one of six black teenagers accused of beating a white classmate in the central Louisiana town of Jena, where more than 20,000 demonstrators gathered last week to protest what they perceive as differences in how black and white suspects are treated.

Ayers, 42, of Lake Charles in southwestern Louisiana, said Friday that he isn't politically active and isn't usually one to "get into things like this." But then a patient whose feet hurt after the march gave him a report on the event, in which Ayers did not participate.

"I was concerned about what was going on up there and thought the district attorney was a bit harsh in his treatment of Mr. Bell," said Ayers, who is black but added that his race was not his motivation. "I really thought it was overkill."

Bell was released from custody Thursday on $45,000 bail after District Attorney Reed Walters announced that he would abandon adult charges against him. Ayers posted $5,400, the required 12 percent bond set by a judge Thursday.

Bank Sues Falcons Quarterback Mike Vick It's Just The Latest News

South Bend bank sues Falcons quarterback Vick
Fri. September 28 - 2007


Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick, who pleaded guilty last month to federal dog fighting charges, has been sued by 1st Source Bank in South Bend over claims that his company hasn't repaid more than $2 million in loans.

The loans to Divine Seven LLC, a Georgia company, were made to finance vehicles for a car rental firm in the Atlanta area, according to the South Bend Tribune. Loan documents list Vick as the chief financial officer of Divine Seven.

The suit was filed Sept. 26 in U.S. District Court in South Bend. 1st Source finances car rental agencies around the country.

A judge has ordered Vick to be confined to his Hampton, Va., home after Vick tested positive for marijuana this month.

Mike Vick Fails Drug Test Could Go To Jail Sooner Than Thought

A federal judge has placed even tighter restrictions on Michael Vick Wednesday after the Atlanta Falcons quarterback tested positive for marijuana.

Because of the result, U.S. District Judge Henry Hudson placed special conditions on Vick’s release, including restricting him to his home between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. with electronic monitoring and ordering him to submit to random drug testing.

The urine sample was submitted Sept. 13, according to a document by a federal probation officer that was filed in U.S. District Court on Wednesday.

Vick, who has admitted bankrolling a dogfighting operation on property he owns in Surry County in his written federal plea, is scheduled for sentencing Dec. 10. He faces up to five years in prison.

Because Vick violated the conditions of his release, Hudson could take that into consideration during sentencing, said Linda Malone, a criminal procedure expert and Marshall-Wythe Foundation professor of law at the College of William and Mary.

“Every judge considers pretty seriously if they feel that the defendant has flaunted the conditions for release,” Malone said.

“It’s certainly not a smart thing to do.”
On Tuesday, Vick also was indicted on state charges of 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.



The 27-year-old former Virginia Tech star was placed under pretrial release supervision by U.S. Magistrate Dennis Dohnal in July. The restrictions included refraining from use or unlawful possession of narcotic drugs or other controlled substances.

The random drug testing ordered Wednesday could include urine testing, the wearing of a sweat patch, a remote alcohol testing system or any form of prohibited substance screening or testing.

Hudson’s order also requires Vick to participate in inpatient or outpatient substance therapy and mental health counseling, if the pretrial services officer or supervising officer deem it appropriate. Vick must pay for the treatment.

Vick’s attorney, Billy Martin, did not immediately respond to an e-mail seeking comment.

In January, Vick was cleared by police of any wrongdoing after his water bottle was seized by security at Miami International Airport. Police said it smelled of marijuana and had a hidden compartment that contained a “small amount of dark particulate.”

Lab tests found no evidence of drugs, and Vick explained that he used the secret compartment to carry jewelry.

The federal dogfighting case began in late April when authorities conducting a drug investigation of Vick’s cousin raided the property and seized dozens of dogs, most of them pit bulls, and equipment commonly associated with dogfighting.

Six weeks later, when the local investigation seemed to be dragging and a local search warrant was allowed to expire, federal agents arrived with their own warrants and started digging up dog carcasses buried days before the first raid.



Vick had no prior criminal record, so monitoring is the next step for him, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said. Another failed drug test likely would land him in jail.

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