The average Joe would probably get off a lot easier. High profile case like this are a prosecutor’s giga-wet dream come true. The massive publicity assures terrific deterrence if the defendant is either convicted or forced to plead guilty, something that isn’t available if an average Joe is prosecuted. Vick was the ideal target because he was one of the best known NFL quarterbacks and because he appears to be a godfather of the eastern dog fighting racket, going so far as to construct a dog fighter’s Disney World. It’s just like the Martha Stewart and Leona Helmsley prosecutions.
Equally important, Vick probably knows a great deal about the dog fighting racket, meaning any plea deal will probably force him to rat out all the other people and operations he knows about. If that happens, he’ll be permanently on the PETA and gangsta excrement lists. From the standpoint of the Feds, a great day’s work and mucho bang for the enforcement bucks.
You forgot to mention that the average prosecutor is a politcally ambitious glory hound that loves to read his/her name in the paper and see his/her face on TV flanked by reporters.
I’m not so sure he will rat out other people. It’s definitely possible.
If I had to bet... I’d bet someone named Marcus is in the supplemental indictment.
That’s would be a simpler explanation for the sudden change to negotiate a plea.