Sort of it is and sort of it isn’t. As far as your overall criminal record is concerned yes it’s a conviction, as far as the time you’re going to serve though it’s vastly different. That’s part of what the plea deal is all about, save the government the cost of the trial and save yourself the cost of some time.
My point is your statement is silly. You’re implying Vick got celebrity treatment, but he got the longest sentence of the group. The whole thing went like a pretty standard federal prosecution, he was facing a good 5 to 10 had he gone to trial and lost, he plead out and got 18 months, and we didn’t have to put up with 2 years worth of legal motions and trial. This is how the vast majority of criminal cases, especially federal cases, go.
Longest sentence of that group - hmmmm - interesting way to consider it. How does his sentence stack up against other cases that are nearly identical? Yes, entering a plea and agreeing to admit guilt does effectively reduce a person’s sentence (in many cases, but not all).
Where did I use the word, “Celebrity” in my posts? I didn’t. Since you brought it up, though, the NFL appears to not care all that much about his felony conviction and are willing to make money on his prior fame, damn the consequences if he’s caught involved in some other incident. I note, yet again, if I were to be convicted of a felony of any type I would lose my job and never regain it, despite whether I entered a guilty plea or was convicted by a jury/judge. Vick lives in a world where he has the media spotlight. How is his light slap on the wrist going to be perceived by those who engage in similar activities? Something I believe that should be considered.