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Minneapolis (AP)

Lawsuit over Vikings players' suspensions goes to trial

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A state court lawsuit over the NFL's suspensions of Vikings players Kevin Williams and Pat Williams will go to trial.

Hennepin County District Judge Gary Larson ruled Thursday that a trial should start March 8 to settle questions on employment issues.

The Williamses were suspended for four games after testing positive in 2008 for a banned substance that can mask the presence of steroids. They sued the NFL, arguing the league's testing violated Minnesota labor laws, and their suspensions have been on hold since.

Larson says it's unclear whether the Vikings or the NFL - or both - are the players' employer under state law. He also says a temporary injunction that blocked the suspensions remains in effect for now, but he denied the players' request to make that permanent.

The NFL has argued that federal labor law should pre-empt state law because uniform standards are necessary for players nationwide.

But Larson says many corporations have employees in many states, and they comply with state laws. He says the NFL hasn't shown why it's different from any other business.

(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)