Vick’s motion for video plea set for Thursday

Michael Vick’s motion to be allowed to enter a plea via two-way electronic video in his Virginia dogfighting case will be heard at 11 a.m. Thursday.

Vick will not enter a plea at the hearing.

A Surry County Circuit Court judge is being asked to allow Vick, the imprisoned Falcons quarterback, to enter his plea by video instead of being required to attend in person, per Virginia criminal procedure rules.

Vick, currently serving a 23-month sentence in Levenworth, Kansas, intends to plead guilty two state charges. According to court documents filed last week, a plea agreement has been reached and signed by all parties in the state case. The indictment charges Vick with one count of torturing and killing dogs and one count of promoting dogfighting. Each carries a maximum five-year prison term.

Surry County Commonwealth Attorney Gerald Poindexter recently said that he was offering Vick the same deal that he gave co-defendant Quanis Phillips — a three-year suspended prison term and a $2,500 fine that will also be suspended if he pays court costs and maintains good behavior for four years.

Poindexter has balked at paying the expenses to get Vick from Kansas to enter his plea.

The motion is an attempt by Vick’s attorney to bring closure to the state case.

“In the interest of accepting full responsibility for the conduct charged in this case, Mr. Vick is attempting to admit his guilt and bring this prosecution to an end,” wrote one of his attorney, Billy Martin, in the motion.

If Vick, who is scheduled to be released from federal prison on July, 20 2009, can resolve his state case he would become eligible to participate in the Federal Bureau of Prisons re-entry program. That may include entry into a halfway house for a period up to six months. Vick can not serve a portion of his sentence in a halfway house until he has resolved the pending state charges.