U.S. v. Vick: Tale of the Tape
Sure enough, an offshore gambling site has posted odds on the outcome of U.S. v. Vick. Word to the wise: don't take the bait. This is the legal system we're talking about. Nothing is certain, and there's probably a lot we don't know yet.
In general terms, however, it's fair to say Vick's best statistical chance at beating the charges against him is to get Tuesday's federal indictment thrown out before it proceeds to trial. (Warning: the contents of the document are graphic.) According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, only about one indictment in five was thrown out before going to court in 2004. Of those allowed to proceed, 80 percent resulted in convictions. And of those convictions, 96 percent never even got to a judge or jury; they ended with guilty or no-contest pleas.
Here are the totals:
Supects in cases investigated by U.S. Attorneys: 148,229
Suspects whose cases were "referred for prosecution": Approximately 117,100
Suspects whose cases were started in court: 92,645
Defendants whose cases were dropped, thrown out or otherwise terminated: 8,754
Defendants whose cases reached a verdict: 83,391
Defendants convicted: 74,782
Defendants who pleaded guilty or no contest: 72,152
Some facts and figures alleged in the indictment:
States from which dogs traveled to participate in fights: 6 (North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, New York, Alabama, Texas)
States in which fights took place: 5 (South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, New Jersey)
Total prize money contested: $114,200
Aliases of defendants: 5 (P-Funk, Funk, Q, T, Ookie).