2 Vikings Plead Not Guilty in Fracas

Minnesota Vikings football players Anthony Carter and Carl Lee and Lee’s wife, Donna, today pleaded not guilty to disorderly conduct charges in connection with a skirmish outside a nightclub.

A third player arrested in the Dec. 13 incident, Darryl Harris, was not formally charged at the hearing. His lawyer, Michael Colich, said the city attorney’s office had not yet determined whether to charge him.

None of the defendants appeared at the arraignment. The pleas were filed for them by defense attorneys.

A March 15 pretrial hearing was scheduled. No trial date was set.

Colich, who is also representing Carter and Donna Lee, said the defendants were not required to appear at the arraignment, but would be required to appear at the March pretrial hearing. Carl Lee is represented by attorney Thomas Kelly.

Police have said the arrests occurred after 1 a.m. outside Norma Jean’s in south Minneapolis. They said that Carter and Lee got into a fistfight and that Harris stepped in and told police they were not going to arrest anyone.

Harris was arrested on a gross misdemeanor charge of obstructing a legal arrest, police said. The other three were arrested on misdemeanor charges of disorderly conduct.

The players have denied the allegations, and Carter has said the incident was “blown out of proportion.”