Adrian Peterson, one of the NFL’s premier stars, has agreed to a plea deal approved by Montgomery County in Texas to avoid jail time for his felony child abuse charge, according to ESPN.
Although the plea deal will allow Peterson to avoid jail time, his request to be reinstated has been temporarily denied by the NFL pending a full review of his case, according to CNN.
Peterson, the NFL MVP in 2012, allegedly whipped his son May 18 with a “switch,” which Peterson described as “a tree branch without leaves,” Montgomery County police reported. The child told police in a report obtained by CBS Houston that Peterson stuffed leaves in his mouth while he was being hit to prevent him from screaming.
This report also contained text messages Peterson sent to the child’s mother that said he, “felt bad after the fact when I notice the switch was wrapping around hitting I (sic) thigh.
“But I felt so bad, n I’m all tearing that butt up when needed! I start putting them in timeout. N save the whooping for needed memories!”
The child’s injures were discovered by a doctor after he and his mother showed up to a previously scheduled doctor's appointment in Minnesota, according to CBS Houston.
“I have nothing to hide,” Peterson said. “But I also understand when a child has marks like that on his legs, [doctors] have to report that.”
Peterson’s initial testimony was Aug. 21, but when the grand jury reconvened Sept. 4, they decided not to indict him, and his charges were settled as “no-billed,” said Jay Glazer, Fox Sports reporter.
“On September 4th, we were informed a grand jury here had declined to charge [Peterson] and that it was over. And then the Ray Rice video came out that Monday on TMZ, and the next Thursday, the 11th, we were informed the grand jury was reconsidering [Peterson’s] case, and then he was indicted,” said Rusty Hardin, Peterson’s lawyer, Nov. 5 on ESPN’s “Mike & Mike” radio show.
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The Minnesota Vikings placed Peterson on the exempt/commissioner’s permission list Sept. 17, Mark Sandritter of SBnation.com reported. Being part of this list bars any player from participating in team activities of any kind until the commissioner of the NFL, Roger Goodell, clears the player from the list, Sandritterreported.
Contact online assistant Gabriel Obregon at gabriel.obregon@richmond.edu
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