Michael Vick Declares I am Not a Bad Person or a Beast

ESPN is reporting that before sentencing Michael Vick sent a letter to the Judge asking for leniency.  Vick hand wrote a 5 page letter telling the Judge "I am not the bad person or beast I've been made out to be."

Highlights from the letter from the dog killer after the jump.

Vick also said:

• "I take full responsibility for my actions and am ashamed that my actions hurt animals and allowed animals to be hurt and killed,"

• "Throughout this entire case, I've just tried to be honest.  Sometimes I didn't know how to be and was scared, but eventually I put everything out on the table and left no stones unturned."

• He's an animal lover but that he grew up in a culture where dogfighting went unpunished while people were arrested for guns or drugs.

• "I have been talked about and ridiculed on a day to day basis by people who really don't know Michael Vick the human being."

• "I was suffering from a deep state of depression, and after my father attacked me in the media, I was heartbroken. ... That's no excuse for using marijuana, but I didn't know how to cope with all the difficulties I was facing because it was all new to me."

• He alluded to the nearly $1 million the court ordered him to set aside for the care and placement of dozens of pit bulls that were seized from his property in southeastern Virginia, saying he had no objection to paying because he believes the dogs "should live a good life.

• Vick noted that he had never before been convicted of a crime, and he listed some of his charitable contributions and vowed to use his money only for good works in the future.

My heart just bleeds for him.  Had I been given that self serving piece of crap, I would have given him MORE time.

Comments

[veronica]

I too would have slapped the maximum sentence if I had been given that **shakes head** some people never learn that when you "take full responsibility for your (my) actions" means you don't try to make excuses for it...culture my ass - just because you might not punished for something doesn't mean it's ok!

And this one cracks me up ""I am not the bad person or beast I've been made out to be." ummm...the facts speak loud and clear on what you did...that makes you a bad person and beast in my book ( I could care less what the media spin is on it...you hurt animals intentionlly...you're scum...plain and simple).

[thb]

Yeah, Deadspin had this story last week.

Enjoy your time in prison, asshat.

[Trish]

So if the people he knew weren't arrested for drugs and guns he would be doing that too? Please don't try and tell me that you are that stupid. What a dick. Hopefully he will be with the general prison population and they give him a taste of pure prison life. Now excuse me while I kiss my yellow lab's big beautiful face a million times.

[Michele]

Not to provide any pity for this man, but at least he had a point that he didn't think people got arrested for it--doesn't make it right--but...
And the knowledge that he killed dogs with his barehands does scare the shit out of people, and he needs to grasp that.
It is sad that a crime-free past and and a very bright future in sports wasn't enough for him in this life.
I hope prison doesn't make him into more of a criminal, like it does for so many.
I guess that is a post for another time.

[80ctee]

I'm just so relieved and surprised he is not playing the race card or baiting Al Sharpton or Jesse to take up for him. Perhaps that's the soft bigotry of lowered expectations, but you gotta give him that he sorta kinda tried to take responsibility for his actions. That's better than I expected of him. I'm sure somehow that makes me the bad guy but there you have it. Honesty on a stick.

[DianaCLT]

Oh, Contradiction! How you've splattered yourself all over this a-hole's 5-page handwritten letter!

Ex:
"I take full responsibility for my actions and am ashamed that my actions hurt animals and allowed animals to be hurt and killed,"

He's an animal lover...

...he believes the dogs "should live a good life."

Sighssssssss.....

An animal lover that personally tortures and kills animals? Hmmmm. A man that raises animals to fight to the death, but believes they should live a good life???

WTF?!?

[Jennifer L.]

I love how he referes to himself in the third person i.e. Michael Vick the human being ...