WDBJ7 Roanoke News and Weather NRV Lynchburg Danville | Michael Vick sentenced to 23 months in prison
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RICHMOND, Va. (AP) -- Calling him "very disappointed" and "saddened," Michael Vick's top attorney says the disgraced NFL star deserves a "second chance" in society and in professional football.
Billy Martin spoke to reporters about an hour after a Richmond federal judge sentenced Vick to 23 months in prison today for his role in a dogfighting conspiracy.
Martin said they hope Vick will be released from prison within 18 months, and said his client knows the sentence was a "direct result of his conduct."
Martin said he hopes that people will see Vick as someone who has "fallen so far, and so hard and so fast" and will recognize that he is "being punished for his mistake."
Vick faced up to 5 years in federal prison. He pleaded guilty in August, admitting that he bankrolled the "Bad Newz Kennels" dogfighting operation at his property in Surry County and that he helped kill six to eight dogs.
The suspended Atlanta Falcons quarterback also admitted providing money for bets on the fights but said he never shared in any winnings.
