I had wondered before if there would be an organized constituency supporting Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick as he answers charges that he was a ringleader of a nasty dogfighting operation on his property. We know now that civil rights organizations like the NAACP have taken up the cause, with a plea for everyone to remember that the principle of "innocent until proven guilty" doesn't go away when the crime in question is vicious.

There's also, not surprisingly, a racial aspect to this. To understand where that's coming from, I highly recommend this ESPN story by Wright Thompson, which explores the history of race and justice in Atlanta. There's too much good stuff to really excerpt properly, so just go read the whole thing. Link via The Fanhouse.