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September 25, 2007
Michael Vick Faces More Charges Putting His Reputation Further in Crisis
PHOTO: Michael Vick at Apology Press Conference Last Month
According to CBS News and A.P., Michael Vick's legal troubles may be far from over.
While the disgraced Atlanta Falcons quarterback awaits a Dec. 10 sentencing hearing after pleading guilty to federal dogfighting charges, the prosecutor in the rural county where the enterprise was located has plans to prosecute Vick as well.
State charges that could include numerous counts of animal cruelty could wind up subjecting Vick to far more prison time than the federal case will earn him.
Surry County Commonwealth's Attorney Gerald G. Poindexter was to appear before a grand jury on Tuesday, and he told The Associated Press in a telephone interview Monday night he would seek indictments involving dogfighting on Vick's county property.
In a written plea for the federal case, Vick has admitted to helping kill six to eight dogs at property he owns on Moonlight Road that was central to the dogfighting operation. Similarly, the three co-defendants in the case have admitted their involvement and detailed what they claim was Vick's role.
Moonlight Road is the address of the two story home on 15 acres that has been host to the operation known as "Bad Newz Kennels" since 2001, and where dogs have been trained, executed and fought.
For county law enforcement officials who started the investigation with a raid on Vick's property in late April, then saw the federal government move in and take over, those signed statements provide ample evidence to support further prosecution.
PHOTO: Federal Prison Cell
Vick, who faces up to five years in federal prison, has been indefinitely suspended without pay by the NFL and been dropped by all his major sponsors, including Nike.
New local charges, and a conviction, could spell an end to any hope he has of resuming his NFL career after serving a likely federal prison term. Any animal cruelty charge in Virginia is punishable by up to five years in prison, and he admitted in his written plea to helping kill six to eight pit bulls days before the first raid. Though not likely, that alone could expose him to as many as 40 years in prison.
Vick and three co-defendants have already pleaded guilty to federal conspiracy charges in the case, and all are awaiting sentencing in court before the end of the year.
Vick, in his written plea, also admitted to supplying money for gambling on the fights involving Bad Newz Kennels dogs. He said he did not personally place bets or share in any winnings, but gave his three co-defendants all those proceeds.
The case began in late April when authorities conducting a drug investigation of Vick's cousin raided the former Virginia Tech star's property and seized dozens of dogs, most of them pit bulls, and equipment commonly associated with dogfighting.
Six weeks later, with the local investigation perceived to be dragging and a search warrant allowed to expire, federal agents arrived with their own search warrants and started digging up dog carcasses buried days before the first raid.
Poindexter, who had been widely criticized for the pace of the investigation, reacted angrily when the feds moved in, suggesting that Vick's celebrity was a draw, or that their pursuit of the case could have racial overtones. He later eased off those comments, saying the sides would simply be pursuing parallel investigations.
PHOTO: All Reputations Need Managing
A few comments from the Reputation Doctor regarding Michael Vick's reputation in crisis:
News media interest from a crisis perspective will remain high in the Vick case for the next year or two until all legal proceedings have concluded.
I am in Atlanta today to participate as an expert in ESPN's Michael Vick Town Meeting this evening, which will be broadcast live on ESPN from 6 pm through 7:30 pm ET. News media interest will remain high in this case through 2009. As I've always said, the court of law has one verdict at the conclusion of a legal trial or settlement. However, the court of public opinion provides a verdict every day and, at times, several times a day as public opinion moves back and forth in the wind. Both courts are equally important. However, in high profile cases like this, the court of public opinion is more important than the court of law.
If Michael Vick were my client, I would advise him to go through an Auschwitz-like experience for dogs.
When a client of mine was charged with making hurtful anti-Semitic remarks and faced a public reputation in crisis, I sent him to Auschwitz to personally experience the horror, suffering and death of the Jewish people during World War II. He had to experience this horror and empathize with those who died at Auschwitz not for an hour or a day, but for a full 2 weeks. When another client was charged with using the N-word while supervising corporate employees, I had him visit slavery experts in both Africa and the U.S. for 2 weeks to learn to empathize with those who experienced slavery and to empathize with today's ancestors of slaves: African Americans.
Well, Michael Vick needs a similar experience. If he were my client, Michael Vick would spend two full weeks experiencing the horrors of dogfighting and animal cruelty with top experts from both PETA and the Humane Society. He would learn to feel the pain he caused dozens of dogs. He will learn to feel his emotions and not just be numb. He will become a changed man not just in words, but by walking the walk and not just talking the talk! In my opinion, it is the minimum he should do to try to win back the respect of his fans, the respect of his team and sponsors, the respect of the NFL, the respect of the American people and, just as important, to truly earn the respect of himself!
To best rehabilitate Michael Vick's reputation, he needs to focus more on heart work than head work.
Simply doing a PSA for an animal rights group or saying sorry once will not be enough to rehabilitate Michael Vick's reputation. The fans and the American public are pet owners and they are furious at Michael Vick's actions. They demand that he prove with consistent actions that he has changed. To demonstrate such change, Vick must live the bricks of reputation management. Those bricks include truth, honesty, transparency, accountability, humility and consistency.
Michael, the time to begin repairing your reputation should have happened months ago. You are behind in the process. Also remember your attorneys are the experts in the court of law, but they are NOT the experts in the court of public opinion, which is the key to your reputation. We should chat.
Remember, do the right thing when your reputation is in crisis and seek the counsel of an experienced reputation management expert. It will be a major challenge, but ultimately the rewards of repairing your reputation will be great. Why? Because Your Reputation Is Everything!™
About Mike Paul
Mike Paul is editor of The Reputation Doctor blog. The Reputation Doctor is a nickname given to him by various clients. Mike's blog is located at www.ReputationDoctor.com. He appears regularly on Fox News Channel, CNN, MSNBC, Court TV, ABC News, ESPN, CBS News, BBC, and others as a weekly contributor and expert in the global news regarding corporations, CEOs, celebrities, athletes, politicians and other public organizations and public individuals with reputations in crisis. Mr. Paul is also president and senior counselor of MGP & Associates PR (www.mgppr.com), a leading strategic public relations and reputation management firm based in New York. For interview requests, speeches, senior counseling or other business opportunities with Mr. Paul, call 212-595-8500 or email info@mgppr.com.
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