Vick
Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick won't face
criminal charges over a suspicious bottle he tried to bring through
security at Miami International Airport.
Lab tests on the bottle, which contained a hidden compartment
that police suspected may have contained marijuana, found no
evidence of drugs, according to a memo Monday by Deisy Rodriguez,
an assistant state attorney.
"Based on the lab's findings, the Miami-Dade State Attorney's
Office is not filing criminal charges," Rodriguez said in the
memo, adding the bottle is no longer considered evidence in an
investigation.
Over the weekend, league sources told ESPN's Chris Mortensen that Vick would be cleared.
There will also be no disciplinary
measures from the NFL or the Falcons.
"If there is no violation of law, there is no basis for
discipline," NFL spokesman Greg Aiello told The Associated Press.
Falcons spokesman Reggie Roberts applauded the swift action by
the Miami authorities.
"This is another reminder of the high-profile nature of a
professional athlete and the close scrutiny players undergo related
to their conduct on and off the field. We look forward to putting
this matter behind us," he said.
Vick's attorney, Lawrence H. Woodward Jr., said Vick also wanted to
put the matter behind him.
"Michael fully understands that his actions on and off the
field are a reflection on the Atlanta Falcons and the NFL,"
Woodward said in a statement faxed to AP.
"Michael intends to spend this offseason focusing on his family,
working with his teammates and the new coaching staff to ensure
that the Falcons have a great season in 2007, and devoting time to
his charitable interests."
The 26-year-old player was forced to surrender the bottle when
he attempted to take it through airport security last Wednesday. He
was not arrested and went on to board an AirTran flight to Atlanta.
A police report said the bottle appeared from the outside to
contain water but had a compartment behind the label. That
compartment contained a "small amount of dark particulate" and an
odor consistent with marijuana, the report said. Monday's memo did
not say what the material was.
Police had also said last week the lab analysis could take
several weeks.
Possession of less than 20 grams of marijuana is a misdemeanor
under Florida law, punishable by up to a year in jail and a $1,000
fine. First offenders rarely do jail time.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.