Suspended Vikings running back Adrian Peterson is in danger of being arrested for breaking the terms of his pre-trial bail agreement after admitting to smoking marijuana when taking a court-ordered drug test.
According to a TMZ report, Peterson submitted a urine sample Wednesday in Conroe, Texas, the site of his upcoming trial for child abuse. The Pro Bowler allegedly admitted he recently “smoked a little weed” in a discussion with an employee of the company administering the test.
A positive drug test would be a violation of his bond, and the TMZ report indicated prosecutors are pressuring the judge to place him under arrest. According to Isiah Carey of My Fox Houston, a decision on whether to arrest Peterson likely will not take place until at least Friday.
Montgomery County District Attorney Brett Ligon requested the recusal of judge Kelly Case during Wednesday’s arraignment hearing due to comments Case made about the attorneys involved, per Brent Schrotenboer of USA Today. That hearing will take place Friday morning, with a decision on Peterson’s status possibly coming after.
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If Peterson is found in violation of his bond, the judge may force him to be jailed until his trial begins. Judge Case set a Dec. 1 trial date, per Schrotenboer, though it is possible the case will be moved up if another trial moves from the docket. If Case is recused, however, another trial date would have to be set—possibly one that’s much later.
The somewhat expedient nature of the case came at the behest of Peterson’s attorney, Rusty Hardin, who has made clearing his client’s name a top priority. Hardin referred to Peterson as a “good man” multiple times at the pre-trial hearing and indicated a quick trial was the best way to avoid tainting a jury pool and allow the Vikings running back to defend himself.
“The only way to get this solved is to have a quick and speedy trial,” Hardin said, per Schrotenboer. “We are asking the court to give us a trial absolutely as quickly as possible.”
Peterson, 29, faces up to two years in prison if found guilty of abusing his four-year-old son. The mother of the child filed abuse charges in Texas after noticing wounds on his body. Peterson claims the wounds came from a corporal punishment using a “switch” and has maintained his intent was not to hurt his son.
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“My goal is always to teach my son right from wrong and that’s what I tried to do that day,” Peterson wrote in a statement. “I accept the fact that people feel very strongly about this issue and what they think about my conduct. Regardless of what others think, however, I love my son very much and I will continue to try to become a better father and person.”
The Vikings placed Peterson on the exempt/commissioner’s permission list on Sept. 17, banning him (with pay) from all team-related activities. Given the Dec. 1 trial date and the likelihood that the case will take weeks to complete, it is unlikely Peterson plays football again in 2014.
Minnesota’s final game of the regular season is Dec. 28.
Follow Tyler Conway (@tylerconway22) on Twitter
Adrian Peterson Reportedly Admits to Marijuana Use During Drug Testing
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