Peterson to Plead Not Guilty to Child Abuse Charge

HOUSTON (AP) - A spokeswoman for Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson's attorney says the NFL player plans to plead not guilty to a child abuse charge during his first court appearance in Texas since his indictment last month.

Peterson was scheduled to be in court Wednesday in Conroe, located north of Houston.

Mary Flood, a spokeswoman for Peterson's attorney, Rusty Hardin, said Tuesday that if asked at the hearing, Peterson will plead not guilty to a charge of injury to a child.

Peterson says he never intended to harm his 4-year-old son by spanking him with a tree branch earlier this year.

Prosecutor Phil Grant declined to comment Tuesday on whether the case could be settled without a trial. If convicted, Peterson faces up to two years in prison.