The Constitution gives all citizens the right to a speedy trial. Vikings running back Adrian Peterson will want to have his trial today, if possible.
The Vikings, after bungling the situation on Monday and then finding a way out of the weeds late Tuesday, have created for Peterson a situation in which he now has an extreme incentive to resolve the criminal charges pending against him.
Peterson is gone until the legal process is resolved. So he’ll try to resolve the legal process as soon as he can.
Of course, this now gives prosecutors extreme leverage. With Peterson hopeful to put this behind him so that he can get back to football, he will be more likely to plead guilty to the current charge or a lesser offense in order to put this situation behind him and to return to the NFL. While a suspension under the personal-conduct policy surely is looming once the situation ends, the sooner Peterson ends the situation, the sooner he gets suspended and returns to football.
When that happens isn’t known. Where that happens is even more unknown. The Vikings’ gross mishandling of the situation on Monday makes it hard to ever bring Peterson back. It also makes it hard for anyone to bring him in.
Not long ago, the topic du jour focused on Peterson’s reported desire to play for the Cowboys after his time with the Vikings ended. That seemed speculative and distant and highly unlikely. It now seems prescient — assuming that the Cowboys would be willing to welcome him to the team.