Adrian Peterson Indicted for Negligent Injury to a Child

[J. Kapp 11]

Edit: I'm actually gonna ask this of everyone putting their two cents in on this. For the record I personally have 2 children. I am curious if people 'outraged' at this stuff even have kids - guessing they don't.

Are you kidding me? Do you honestly believe all parents hit their kids?

I won't criticize people who spank their kids. I will say that my wife and I never needed it, and our kids were among the best-behaved you could possibly imagine. My youngest is a father now, and he's the most patient, loving dad I've ever seen. All I'm saying is that you don't HAVE to hit your kids to be successful as parents. But some parents spank their kids, and that's their business.

But I have to say, I'm sickened by this. I'm reading reports that AP was proud of his kid because he took "about five more lashes than normal" and "didn't drop a tear." More than normal? As in, we do this all the time? I guess I didn't anticipate something like this from a guy who is, by most accounts, a great guy.

[purplehaze]

Are you kidding me? Do you honestly believe all parents hit their kids?

I won't criticize people who spank their kids. I will say that my wife and I never needed it, and our kids were among the best-behaved you could possibly imagine. My youngest is a father now, and he's the most patient, loving dad I've ever seen. All I'm saying is that you don't HAVE to hit your kids to be successful as parents. But some parents spank their kids, and that's their business.

But I have to say, I'm sickened by this. I'm reading reports that AP was proud of his kid because he took "about five more lashes than normal" and "didn't drop a tear." More than normal? As in, we do this all the time? I guess I didn't anticipate something like this from a guy who is, by most accounts, a great guy.

That quote is not mine!! VikingsFanInCA made that quote!

[purplehaze]

The below quote was not made by me purplehaze. Moderators please fix.

""Edit: I'm actually gonna ask this of everyone putting their two cents in on this. For the record I personally have 2 children. I am curious if people 'outraged' at this stuff even have kids - guessing they don't.""

[PurpleMustReign]

You know what i did? I made the mistake of not kbowing all of the facts before posting... So I change my stance some. I still don't think he was intentional abusing his kid, but probably went too far in his punishment. Has hr ever had any other incident related to abuse to anyone? I don't recall anything. That tells me he isnt an evil person, he just used horrible judgement.

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

[Pseudo Everything]

OK, looks like we need some Legal Stuff 101 here.

It wasn't a JUDGE. It was a grand jury. There are no judges in grand juries -- hell, there aren't even attorneys except for the prosecutor. And the purpose isn't to determine guilt or innocence. It's not a trial. It's a procedure to determine whether there's enough evidence to bring charges. The first grand jury did NOT exonerate AP. It only rendered a "no bill," which means they didn't believe -- at that time -- there was enough evidence of probable cause to indict. Prosecutors are free to go back to the grand jury as many times as they want in order to secure an indictment.

Just as the first grand jury bringing a no bill does not mean AP is innocent, the second grand jury's indictment does not mean he's guilty. But it does mean that he will be arrested.

Can't speak to criminal procedures in Texas, but generally prosecutors need to show something has changed (usually in the form of evidence) that would warrant re-filing the same charges with an new grand jury. Double jeopardy does not attach to grand jury proceedings but that doesn't mean prosecutors can just keep re-filing the same charge with the same evidence until they find a grand jury that will bite.

[Just Me]

Are you kidding me? Do you honestly believe all parents hit their kids?

I won't criticize people who spank their kids. I will say that my wife and I never needed it, and our kids were among the best-behaved you could possibly imagine. My youngest is a father now, and he's the most patient, loving dad I've ever seen. All I'm saying is that you don't HAVE to hit your kids to be successful as parents. But some parents spank their kids, and that's their business.

But I have to say, I'm sickened by this. I'm reading reports that AP was proud of his kid because he took "about five more lashes than normal" and "didn't drop a tear." More than normal? As in, we do this all the time? I guess I didn't anticipate something like this from a guy who is, by most accounts, a great guy.

Corrected the post (per PurpleHazes post)

Joe - Kudos for your post. I am not on the other side of the discussion (more like 90 degrees away). My daughter is one I would classify as one of the best behaved kids, and I frequently get compliments on her conduct. I am very proud of her, and I constantly tell her these things. Is she perfect? No, and that is why in the past I have spanked her. I have two rules for spanking:

1) Never with an implement (always open hand and always on the buttocks); and
2) Never angry when administered.

So while we might disagree on whether we should ever administer physical punishment, we agree that this is too far. After my daughter turned around 8 or so, I no longer spanked her. Not because I had some philosophical belief against it, but because I knew my daughter well enough to know that other (in this case, non-physical) discipline was actually more effective in motivating her to behave the way that was best. I won't criticize those who believe you should never strike a child, especially when there are those who do administer some form of discipline and that discipline is effective. Some would argue this discipline is equally or more effective than corporal punishment. Who am I to argue? I know that inflicting this type of injury to a child (whether intended or not) appears to violate Texas law, so I actually admire the Vikings for 'deactivating' Peterson for Sunday's game. By being 'deactivated' Peterson still gets his pay (He's not been convicted of anything yet) and still has my team taking the 'moral high road' by not having him play on Sunday.

My guess is Peterson will get at least a 6 game suspension (if not longer) out of this if he is convicted.

[HornedMessiah]

The more important thing to understand is that Peterson wasn't indicted for child abuse but instead negligent injury of child, there's a difference.

Indeed, and yet the title of this very thread says "Child Abuse". Maybe that should be changed...?

As someone who has been wavering in their enjoyment of the NFL, the past week has been pretty bad. Ray Rice crap and now this. The 2014 NFL season has just started, and yet here we're talking about Ray Rice punching his fiance and Adrian Peterson whipping his kid in the nuts with a switch (and last year it was the whole Richie Incognito mess). What the hell is going on? This game has turned into a ridiculous soap opera. The sideshow has taken over the main event.

[mosscarter]

for all i care get rid of him i've never gotten over his fumbles in the nfc championship game against the saints. the thing is he acts like an upstanding citizen and he has either 3 or 4 illegitimate kids. get serious. my whole thing is don't act like a phony, and peterson has done that for years now. i'm sick of it. here we are with the biggest game of the season and he's out???????????????

[Orion]

for all i care get rid of him i've never gotten over his fumbles in the nfc championship game against the saints. the thing is he acts like an upstanding citizen and he has either 3 or 4 illegitimate kids. get serious. my whole thing is don't act like a phony, and peterson has done that for years now. i'm sick of it. here we are with the biggest game of the season and he's out???????????????

Hard to argue with this. Beneath his fake media personality and devotion to god, he's had so many brushes with the law , bar fights, speeding multiple times and >100 mph, and fathered up to possibly 7 illegitimate kids. such a shame.

[PurpleKoolaid]

AD said he was raised that way. With taking a switch, and getting spanked with it, when he did something wrong. That's why he did it. Too bad, esp. for AD with kids all over (that we know of), that parenting doesn't come with a handbook.

That being said, I just cant understand why some of you think giving a kid, 4 years old, a switching so bad it still left marks later. At 4 years old a simple spanking would have been the better discipline, if that's how parents feel. I know I wish 90% of the kids I see at Wal Marts should have 1. Not a switch though. But lets all understand he wasn't doing it to hurt the kid, he thought it he was disciplining him. Not that that makes it right.

[Crax]

I did not make that ridiculous assertion. Crax incorrectly quoted me. VikingsFanInCA made the comment. Go back and check for the record fyi.

Sorry, my bad. I'll go fix my post.

[nightowl]

And to think, when Goodell announced the new harsher penalties for domestic violence(justifiably by the way) I thought I was being paranoid when I thought to myself "Which Idiot Viking will be the dope to put himself in front of the firing squad as the test case?".

I think Peterson is hosed. Goodell and the NFL are under fire for inaction on these issues, and if the details about the kids statement and the "whooping room" are true this is bad. I think he'll be deactivated for a few weeks, then if it continues to go the way it appears to be going he'll get terminated.

I'm trying not get ahead of the story as it's still developing, but I don't see a possible outcome where it's going to be something the Vikes can swallow. He's already admitted it's true and seems to be oblivious to the reality of what he did being wrong.

[purplereign1]

Are you kidding me? Do you honestly believe all parents hit their kids?

I won't criticize people who spank their kids. I will say that my wife and I never needed it, and our kids were among the best-behaved you could possibly imagine. My youngest is a father now, and he's the most patient, loving dad I've ever seen. All I'm saying is that you don't HAVE to hit your kids to be successful as parents. But some parents spank their kids, and that's their business.

But I have to say, I'm sickened by this. I'm reading reports that AP was proud of his kid because he took "about five more lashes than normal" and "didn't drop a tear." More than normal? As in, we do this all the time? I guess I didn't anticipate something like this from a guy who is, by most accounts, a great guy.

I am a counselor at a residential treatment facility. I have worked with at risk teens for 13 years. I also would not criticize a parent for spanking a child, but AD went to far. What kids need are parents who are consistent, who care, and who are there with them and raising them. Beating a kid the one weekend you spend with them every few months is not parenting.

[Funkytown]

I am a counselor at a residential treatment facility. I have worked with at risk teens for 13 years. I also would not criticize a parent for spanking a child, but AD went to far. What kids need are parents who are consistent, who care, and who are there with them and raising them. Beating a kid the one weekend you spend with them every few months is not parenting.

This is what I've been wondering all day. How well does this little boy even know his Dad? That makes it that much scarier for him.

This whole thing sucks.

[UKViking]

Hard to argue with this. Beneath his fake media personality and devotion to god, he's had so many brushes with the law , bar fights, speeding multiple times and >100 mph, and fathered up to possibly 7 illegitimate kids. such a shame.

This is it really, I think we all knew Peterson was one sandwich short of a picnic and that it was only a matter of time before he would do or say something that would really land him in serious trouble.

It seems like it's getting worse or more is being exposed in sports in general not just the NFL. Whether it's Pistorious shooting his wife, Rice knocking his wife out, Suarez biting other soccer players, the whole Martin in Miami scandal and now Peterson beating his child. You could make a very long list.

Is the pressure/stress of being a professional athlete so great that they react in this way? They have everything going for them and yet they throw it away just like that.