Adrian Peterson’s Arrest Sought After Marijuana Admission

By Laurel Brubaker Calkins and Eben Novy-Williams

Photographer: Daniel Acker/Bloomberg News.

Six-time Pro Bowl selection and 2012 National Football League Most Valuable Player... Read More

Texas prosecutors want Adrian Peterson arrested for violating bond conditions on a child-abuse charge after the Minnesota Vikings running back allegedly admitted “he smoked a little weed” before taking a courthouse drug test yesterday.
Peterson, 29, a six-time Pro Bowl selection and 2012 National Football League Most Valuable Player, submitted to a urinalysis exam as part of his initial court appearance in Montgomery County, north of Houston. The athlete faces a felony charge of injury to a
child, for disciplining his 4-year-old son with a switch.
Peterson used the slang term for marijuana in a conversation with a court employee administering his drug test, Montgomery County District Attorney Brett Ligon said in today’s request for a judge to set aside the player’s $15,000 bond and issue an arrest warrant.
“The state argues that the defendant has smoked marijuana while on bond for the current offense,” Ligon said in the filing. He asked for a “capias” arrest warrant, which is typically used to guarantee a defendant’s appearance in court.
Rusty Hardin, Peterson’s lawyer, said in an e-mailed statement that prosecutors’ request to revoke the bond can’t be decided until after a separate government request for a different judge is resolved.

Still Free

A hearing regarding the judge will likely take place next week, Hardin said. The bond-revocation motion “will only come up when we know which judge will hear the case,” he said, adding that Peterson remains free on bond.
Peterson has been on the NFL’s exempt list since Sept. 17, which means he can’t take part in any of the Vikings’ team activities and doesn’t take up a roster spot. He still gets paid his $11.75 million salary.
Peterson was indicted Sept. 11 by a grand jury on one count of injury to a child for disciplining his son with a switch -– a whip fashioned from a thin tree branch. His indictment came the same week that TMZ released footage of Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice knocking his then-fiancee unconscious in an elevator, stirring public outcry that led to sponsors voicing concern about the NFL’s handling of discipline for off-field conduct.
The Radisson hotel chain suspended its sponsorship with the Vikings in the wake of the Peterson indictment. Peterson also lost personal endorsement deals with Nike Inc. (NKE) and Castrol.

Peterson’s Apology

Peterson issued a public apology for the incident, which occurred when the child was visiting his father’s Houston-area home in May. Peterson said he never intended to hurt his son, saying he disciplined him in the same way he was while growing up in east Texas.
Last October, Peterson’s 2-year-old son Tyrese died after being hospitalized with severe head injuries. Tyrese’s mother’s boyfriend was charged with second-degree murder, manslaughter, aggravated assault and aggravated battery in the child’s death.
If convicted of child abuse, Peterson faces as long as two years in jail and a fine of $10,000. He has been free on $15,000 bond since voluntarily surrendering to authorities Sept. 13.
State district judge Kelly Case, who has tentatively scheduled a trial for Dec. 1, referred out-of-court to both Peterson’s defense lawyer and the county prosecutor as “media whores,” according to the attorneys, and Ligon is seeking to have a different judge take over the case.
Ligon said in a written request for Case to step aside that the judge has issued orders found to be unlawful by an appeals court and attends public forums where he disparages the district attorney. Ligon said late today that the recusal hearing that had been tentatively set for tomorrow won’t take place for procedural reasons.

2007 Draft

Selected seventh overall by the Minnesota Vikings in the 2007 NFL Draft, Peterson has twice led the league in rushing, including 2,097 yards in 2012, when he was named MVP. He’s scored at least 10 touchdowns in each of his seven full NFL seasons.
Among active players, Peterson is first in rushing touchdowns (86) and third in yards rushing (10,190).
Peterson in 2011 signed a seven-year deal with the Vikings worth $100 million, according to USA Today. The contract included $36 million guaranteed, the paper said.
The case is Texas v. Peterson, 14-09-10024-CR, 9th Judicial District Court of Montgomery County, Texas (Conroe).