An amici sentencing brief going to the dogs

Though the dog-days of summer have come to an end, the dog-days of sentencing are just starting to heat up.  Specifically, today I received a copy of a “Brief of Amici Curaie” in US v. Vick, with the friends being a group of “organizations concerned about animal welfare and responsible dog ownership.”  This brief runs over 30 pages and can be downloaded below.

There are many interesting facets of this brief, including (1) a section purporting to be “a victim impact statement on behalf of the bad newz kennel dogs, (2) a section arguing that the “agreed upon offense level does not adequately reflect the nature of Vick’s conduct nor his role in the offense,” (3) a calculation indicating that Vick’s guideline offense level should be 20 and his sentencing range 33-41 months, (4) a request that amici have a “brief opportunity to be heard at sentencing.”

Perhaps most notable is the precise sentencing recommend in this amici brief: that the court impose a 57-month sentence and a $250,000 fine, and order the forfeiture of the property on which the dog-fighting took place, and that Vick has to pay to renovate and convert his property into a “no-kill shelter for abused and neglected dogs.”

Download amici_brief_in_vick_sentencing.pdf

Some related Vick sentencing posts:

• The nitty-gritty on sentencing in the Michael Vick case
• Who knows what guidelines apply to dog fighting?
• Vick being sacked by the collateral consequences of an indictment
• Friday forum: what sentence should Vick get if he pleads guilty?
• A late afternoon Vick update (with federal guideline musings)
• Michael Vick takes a plea deal
• Mid-week forum: is it fair for Vick also to face state criminal charges?