"I have no questions in my mind that the citizens there will wait and hear both sides of the issue, and that there are very good people there," Carruth's lawyer, Ken Spaulding, said.

Carruth, a former Colorado star, and three other men are accused of first-degree murder in the drive-by shooting death of Cherica Adams, Carruth's pregnant girlfriend. Police said Carruth organized the slaying.

David Rudolf, who said he will be Carruth's lead criminal lawyer, confirmed Thursday that Carruth will plead innocent to charges against him. He would not provide other details on the defense strategy.

"He will plead not guilty and he fully intends to establish his innocence in his trial," Rudolf said Thursday evening. "It's just too early in the process to comment otherwise."

Prosecutors have said they plan to seek the death penalty against Carruth, the first active NFL player to be charged with murder.

Asked why Carruth fired previous lawyers George Laughrun and Harold Bender, Rudolf said: "That's just a personal decision on his part" and declined further comment.

Rudolf and Spaulding represented Carruth for the first time Wednesday during a custody hearing for Chancellor Lee Adams, the baby Adams delivered prematurely following the Nov. 16 shooting. Adams died Dec. 14. The child remains in fair condition at Carolinas Medical Center. Adams' mother was granted temporary custody of the child.

A hearing was scheduled Dec. 30 on the Adams family's request to permanently freeze Carruth's assets. A judge Wednesday temporarily froze the assets after lawyers for Adams' parents said Carruth might try to avoid paying child support.

Carruth's lawyers said he is not trying to shirk his responsibilities to the child by seeking access into his financial resources.

"We just want him to be able to defend himself ... and pay for lawyers and pay for investigators," Rudolf said. Carruth has agreed to take a paternity test to determine if he is the child's father.

Spaulding, who will be Carruth's primary lawyer in civil proceedings, said one of the most important things he can do for his client is get his side of the story out.

"It clearly is an intriguing case," Spaulding said. "You have had someone who was shot and killed, and that's when you really want to make sure that the truth really comes out, because the results are so deadly."