Adrian Peterson hearing for lawsuit against NFL set for Feb. 6
The hearing date for Adrian Peterson's lawsuit against the NFL has been set for Feb. 6, according to the Sporting News.
The NFL Players Association filed the lawsuit on behalf Peterson in federal court on Dec. 15. It will be heard by judge David Doty, who in the past has often ruled in favor of players and the NFLPA in cases that were against the league, according to the Sporting News.
The suit is expected to challenge the impartiality of Harold Henderson, who upheld NFL commissioner Roger Goodell's suspension of Peterson last month. Henderson, a former league employee for nearly two decades, called Peterson's domestic abuse case "arguably one of the most egregious cases of domestic violence" under Goodell's nine-year tenure as commissioner.
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Peterson was suspended for the season in November after he was indicted on felony charges of reckless or negligent injury to a child in September. He pleaded no contest to misdemeanor reckless assault on Nov. 4 after authorities claimed he hit his 4-year-old son with a switch.
The running back cannot be reinstated before April 15, 2015.
The NFLPA has argued that Peterson was punished retroactively under Goodell's changes to the personal conduct policy in August. It also said Peterson was subjected to a "new and obfuscated disciplinary process."
In his ruling, Henderson said that he found that Peterson was "afforded all the protections and rights to which he is entitled, and I find no basis to vacate or reduce the discipline."
- Molly Geary and Mike Fiammetta
