Michael Vick's Brother Marcus Vick Jailed for Contempt
NFL star Michael Vick's younger brother Marcus is in jail in Newport News, Va., on a contempt charge for failing to appear in court.
Marcus Vick, 27, was initially charged in 2010 with driving on a suspended license, the local Daily Press reports. The younger Vick, a former standout quarterback at Virginia Tech, failed to appear in court -- twice -- to answer that charge, the paper said.
So a judge held Marcus Vick in contempt. Vick was supposed to turn himself in to the Newport News jail last week -- but he didn't do that either, the Daily Press reports.
The judge issued an arrest warrant, and Marcus Vick finally turned himself in Sunday night, according to the Daily Press. Vick is serving 10 days in jail for the contempt charge.
Contempt of court can be civil or criminal. With civil contempt, a judge generally uses the sanction to coerce a party to comply with a court order in a civil case, such as paying court-ordered child support.
Criminal contempt is different because it's used as punishment, often for actions that interfere with the court's functions. For example, a party can be held in criminal contempt for disrupting proceedings, or for failing to appear.
In Marcus Vick's contempt case, he was charged with misdemeanor criminal contempt. His 10-day jail sentence may be reduced to five days, under a jail policy that rewards each day of good behavior with time served, the Daily Press notes.
But Marcus Vick won't be released after he serves time for contempt, the Daily Press reports. Instead, Vick is set to be transferred to another jail in Montgomery County, Va., where he faces another outstanding arrest warrant for failing to appear in court for a separate, unrelated matter.
Related Resources:
- Marcus Vick in custody at Newport News jail (Daily Press)
- Criminal Contempt of Court (FindLaw)
- Browse Criminal Defense Lawyers by Location (FindLaw)
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