Adrian Peterson was expected to plead not guilty to child abuse charges in a Texas court Wednesday, but guilty or not his legal troubles likely mean the end of this football season for him because any trial isn't expected for another nine to 12 months.
The Minnesota Vikings star running back is charged with injuring his son while whipping him with a switch.
Phil Grant, an assistant district attorney in Montgomery County where the case is being tried, told
ESPN that it could take as long as a year before Peterson could face a jury.
Peterson has been barred from Vikings team activities until his case is resolved, but is continuing to receive his $11.75 million salary for the 2014 season, noted ESPN.
The All-Pro running back posted several messages on Twitter Tuesday complaining about media coverage. In the tweets, Peterson refuted allegations from a Minneapolis Star Tribune story on Sunday that brought into question finances of his charity and he criticized the newspaper for focusing on him fathering children out of wedlock, noted ESPN.
The Star Tribune reported that Peterson has fathered six children by six women, now living in Minnesota, Georgia and Texas. The newspaper said he met one of the children, a son, shortly before the boy died last year in South Dakota after the child was allegedly beaten by another man.
The newspaper article called into question numerous incidents involving Peterson's All Day Foundation charity, which focused on at-risk children, said the charity shut down its website after Peterson's indictment.
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