Minnesota Vikings star Adrian Peterson's case won't be in a Texas courtroom until Oct. 22 because a hearing was pushed back a week on the prosecution's motion to remove Judge Kelly Case.

The hearing will occur at 1:30 p.m. that day before Judge Jeff Walker, from Fort Worth. The session had been scheduled for this week, but a scheduling conflict led to the change.

Montgomery County District Attorney Brett Ligon is seeking to have someone other than Case preside at Peterson's child abuse trial. Ligon asked Case to step aside because he recently called attorneys for both sides media "whores." Case declined, so Ligon made a motion to remove the judge, citing incidents of alleged bias stretching back a couple of years. He claims Case cannot reasonably avoid the appearance of impropriety toward Ligon's office. Defense lawyer Rusty Hardin is not seeking to remove Case.

Walker will hear Ligon's arguments and decide whether to replace Case. Once that decision has been made, the case against Peterson will proceed, starting with the prosecution's request to rescind his $15,000 bond because he admitted last week before a drug test that he had smoked marijuana. Abstaining from drugs and alcohol were conditions of his release on bond. The results of Peterson's drug test are not yet public.

The 29-year-old MVP running back from the Houston area has been sidelined since an indictment was unsealed Sept. 12 charging him with one felony count of child abuse for recklessly or negligently injuring a child. He has admitted to striking his 4-year-old son repeatedly with a switch, but said he didn't believe the action was criminal because it was the same method of discipline that was used on him as a boy.

A hearing is set for Nov. 4 with a tentative trial date of Dec. 1 in Case's courtroom. Those dates hinge on whether Case remains the judge for Peterson's case.

Vikings running back Adrian Peterson is not joining in a request to remove the judge hearing his child abuse case.

Since Sept. 17, Peterson has been on the NFL commissioner's exempt list. He still earns his $11.75 million. The Vikings are now 2-4 and trail their division. They were 1-1 with Peterson on the field. Since his departure, they're 1-3.

Rochelle Olson • 612-673-1717 @rochelleolson