Looking over the defense as Vick considers his moves

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution has this effective recent article spotlighting how the realities of federal sentencing might be impacting how Michael Vick and his legal team respond to his recent indictment on dog fighting charges (basics here).  The article is entitled “Vick facing tricky legal options: Striking a deal or going to trial?  Both have risks,” and here is a snippet:

In federal court, sentencing guidelines greatly influence how severe — or lenient — the ultimate punishment will be.  They allow a sentence to be enhanced, for example, if a defendant takes the witness stand, denies the allegations and is then convicted.  But the guidelines also favor defendants who accept responsibility for their actions as quickly as possible and who agree to cooperate by testifying against co-defendants or assisting in a broader investigation.

Criminal defense attorneys who have examined the 18-page indictment — which is chock-full of details about fights, bets and dogs, including their names and gender — said they suspect Vick’s lawyer, Lawrence Woodward, is already exploring those options.  They also suggest lawyers for Vick’s three co-defendants could be weighing them as well.  A well-worn adage in criminal defense is that the first person to the courthouse door often gets the best deal.