There have been few federal arraignments in Richmond that have attracted the kind of attention as NFL star Michael Vick's, set for today on dogfighting charges.

Vick and three co-defendants are facing a maximum of six years in prison and $350,000 in fines for, the U.S. government says, running an interstate dogfighting enterprise dubbed the "Bad Newz Kennels" from Vick-owned property at 1915 Moonlight Road in Surry County.

Vick has denied any wrongdoing. The other defendants and their lawyers have not commented.

In April, a Vick cousin, who lived at the Moonlight Road address, was arrested on drug charges. Police subsequently found more than 60 dogs and evidence of dogfighting there. Some poorly performing dogs were apparently killed by hanging, drowning and electrocution, the indictment says. The fights allegedly took place for purses as large as $26,000.

The co-defendants

Purnell A. Peace, 35, also known as "P-Funk" or "Funk," of Virginia Beach. Among other things, authorities say Vick and Peace bought approximately four pit bull puppies from an unidentified cooperating witness in Virginia in 2002. He and Vick also "rolled" or "tested" some of their dogs in short fights, authorities say. In 2002, the indictment says, Peace allegedly executed a dog that did not perform well.

Quanis L. Phillips, 28, also known as "Q," of Atlanta. Phillips, along with Vick and defendant Tony Taylor, purchased four pit bull puppies for approximately $1,000 in September 2001 from someone in Williamsburg, according to the indictment. In the summer of 2002, the document says, he allegedly executed at least one dog that did not perform well in a test fight.

Tony Taylor, 34, also known as "T," found the property at 1915 Moonlight Road in Surry County to establish a place to house and train the pit bulls, authorities said. Court documents show he also helped purchase four pit bulls in Sepetmber 2001. In 2002, the documents show, he apparently executed at least two dogs that did not perform well in test fights.

The defense attorneys

Vick is represented by Lawrence Hunter Woodward Jr., 50, of Virginia Beach. A Radford native, Woodward is a 1982 graduate of the T.C. Williams School of Law at the University of Richmond and is an experienced criminal trial lawyer. His firm's Web site says that in addition to his trial work, Woodward has negotiated endorsement and team contracts valued at hundreds of millions of dollars for NFL and NBA players and is certified as an agent with the NFL and NBA.

Peace is represented by Claire G. Cardwell, 49, of Richmond. A Norfolk native, Cardwell is a 1984 graduate of the T.C. Williams School of Law at the University of Richmond. She has extensive experience in criminal defense work in state and federal courts. She was in private practice from 1984 to 1994 and was chief deputy commonwealth's attorney in Richmond from 1994 to 2002. She has been in private practice since then.

Phillips is represented by Franklin Alex Swartz, 68, of Norfolk. According to his firm's Web site, Swartz is a native of Brooklyn, N.Y., and practices criminal and personal injury law. He received his law degree from the University of Virginia in 1964. He was a captain in the Army from 1964 to 1966 and an assistant commonwealth's attorney in Norfolk from 1968 to 1970.

Phillips also is represented by Jeffrey A. Swartz, 45, a native of Charlottesville and a 1987 graduate of the Marshall-Wythe School of Law at the College of William and Mary. He has handled criminal cases in state and federal courts and is a former prosecutor in Norfolk.

Taylor is represented by Stephen Ashton Hudgins, 52, of Newport News, Hudgins is a Newport News native and 1981 graduate of the T.C. Williams School of Law at the University of Richmond. He primarily practices criminal law in state and federal courts and has been in private practice his entire career.

The prosecutors

Assistant U.S. attorneys Michael R. Gill and Brian L. Whisler represent U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. Gill joined the Richmond office in 2005 after more than five years with the U.S. Attorney's Office in Dallas. Whisler joined the office in 2002 after serving as an assistant in the Western District of North Carolina from 1993 to 2002.

The judges

U.S. Magistrate Dennis W. Dohnal, 61, will conduct the bond hearing. A native of Cleveland, he is a graduate of the George Washington Law Center and came to Richmond as an assistant U.S. attorney in 1971. He entered private practice in 1974 and was appointed to bench in January 2000.

U.S. District Judge Henry E. Hudson, 60, will conduct the arraignment. Hudson, a 1974 graduate of the American University Law School, was an assistant commonwealth's attorney in Arlington from 1974-1979; an assistant U.S. attorney from 1978 to 1979; in private practice in 1979, 1991-1992 and 1994-1998.

He was Arlington County commonwealth's attorney from 1980-1986 and the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia from 1986-1991. He was the director of the U.S. Marshal's Service from 1992 to 1993 and a Fairfax County Circuit Court judge from 1998 to 2002. He began service as a U.S. District Court judge in 2002.