Adrian Peterson To Plead Not Guilty To Child-Abuse Charge
HOUSTON (CBSNewYork/AP) — A spokeswoman for Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson's attorney says the NFL player plans to plead not guilty to a child abuse charge during his first court appearance in Texas since his indictment last month.
Peterson was scheduled to be in court Wednesday in Conroe, located north of Houston.
Mary Flood, a spokeswoman for Peterson's attorney, Rusty Hardin, said Tuesday that if asked at the hearing, Peterson will plead not guilty to a charge of injury to a child.
Spoke to the DA's office in Montgomery County, TX, where Adrian Peterson will be arraigned Wed. They don't anticipate a trial date being set
— Jason La Canfora (@JasonLaCanfora) October 7, 2014
Peterson says he never intended to harm his 4-year-old son by spanking him with a tree branch earlier this year.
Prosecutor Phil Grant declined to comment Tuesday on whether the case could be settled without a trial. If convicted, Peterson faces up to two years in prison.
Adrian Peterson pleading not guilty is expected. By doing so, he obtains leverage in plea deal talks with prosecutor. This will take months.
— Michael McCann (@McCannSportsLaw) October 7, 2014
It's unlikely that Peterson, who has been barred from all team activities, will play again this season.
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