DESHAUN WATSON WILL NOT FACE CRIMINAL CHARGES
A grand jury in Harris County returned no bills on nine criminal complaints presented in the case of Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson. The decision was reached on the morning of March 11th. Deshaun Watson will not face criminal charges following a police investigation due to lawsuits filed on March 16th 2021 by 22 women who accused him of sexual assault and harassment.
Prosecutors from the district attorney’s office in Harris County, Texas, presented evidence and testimony to the 12-person grand jury for over six hours on Friday related to nine of 10 criminal complaints filed against Watson last year. The grand jury rejected all nine cases indicating it did not believe the prosecutors presented enough evidence to show probable cause to support criminal charges; the prosecutors did not present the tenth case.
Eight of the women who filed criminal complaints against Watson had been set to appear before the grand jury but only one was called in. Two other women who didn’t sue Watson also filed police complaints. Watson sat for depositions in two of the lawsuits in his attorney, Rusty Hardin’s office, about a mile away in downtown Houston while the grand jury met.
Chief of the adult sex crimes and trafficking division with the Harris County District Attorney’s office, Johna Stallings, confirmed that the grand jury’s decision ended criminal proceedings against Watson in Harris County, where Houston is located. “We respect the grand jury’s decision,” she said. “We will conclude the criminal proceedings in Harris County.”
Watson spoke to reporters for the first time in over a year outside his attorney’s office in Houston. He said, “It’s definitely a very emotional moment for me. I know we’re far from being done (with) handling what we need to handle on the legal side, but today is definitely a big day. I thank my lord and savior Jesus Christ for letting the truth be heard. And I thank everyone that was a part of this for seeing and hearing both sides. That’s what my point and my team wanted to do, is have a fair slate of us telling our side of the story and letting the conclusion come to what happened today, and that’s what the grand jury decided on.“
“I’m just going to keep fighting to rebuild my name and rebuild my appearance in the community. And on the legal side handle what we need to handle. But also, ready to get on the field, and prep for that.”
Watson will still face civil complaints and there’s a chance the NFL may still hand out additional punishment.
Deshaun Watson’s lead attorney, Rustin Hardin said in a statement, “We are delighted that the grand jury has looked at the matter thoroughly and reached the same conclusion we did. Deshaun Watson did not commit any crimes and is not guilty of any offenses. Now that the criminal investigations have been completed, we are happy to move forward with the civil case depositions. We will vigorously defend those cases with every ounce we have.”
The NFL is investigating Watson under its personal conduct policy and NFL spokesperson, Brian McCarthy, said in a statement on Friday, “(the league has) been closely monitoring all developments in the matter, which remains under review of the personal conduct policy.”
Former Houston mayoral candidate and attorney, Tony Buzbee, represents the 22 women alleging sexual misconduct against Watson and said on Friday that he will continue to process Watson’s questioning as the lawsuits move towards trial. “The civil cases will continue to gather steam. We take Mr. Watson’s deposition again Tuesday. Respect the process,” he said.
Deshaun Watson went on Twitter to respond to the news, saying: “When you stand on the truth, the Lord will free you!”
Deshaun Watson’s clearance of any criminal charges is a major hurdle and makes the prospect of teams acquiring him in a trade with the Houston Texans more plausible. Watson’s attorney Rusty Hardin said earlier on Friday that he knew for a fact that teams would be willing to trade for Deshaun Watson if he was not criminally indicted. With a draft class that lacks quarterback depth this year, many quarterback needy teams have begun to look into trading some draft capital to acquire Watson.
The Carolina Panthers, a team that stands out in this regard, acquired Sam Darnold from the New York Jets in the offseason of 2021 and re-signed 2015 regular season MVP and free agent, Cam Newton in November. The Panthers once again find themselves in a predicament of not having a franchise quality starting quarterback once the season gets underway in September.
The Panthers have the sixth overall pick in the draft this year and although they would likely have their choice of one of Liberty’s Malik Willis, Pittsburgh’s Kenny Pickett, Ole Miss’s Matt Corral, or homegrown Sam Howell from North Carolina, the Panthers would much rather have an experienced quarterback at this level and one who is ready to play on day one. Other teams that might be interested in Watson’s services are the Pittsburgh Steelers, Seattle Seahawks, Miami Dolphins, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Deshaun Watson’s agent, David Mulugheta went on Twitter to send what appeared to be a message to NFL teams, saying: “Keep the same energy.”
Houston Texans general manager Nick Caserio confirmed earlier this month that Watson’s situation is “day-to-day in terms of handling”, the Texans are optimistic that a future in which Deshaun Watson plays in the NFL again is now extremely likely. Whether the 26-year-old plays in Houston or somewhere else is at the forefront of many Texans fans’ minds now. One thing is for sure, whichever team Watson suits up for will get an incredible talent at the most important position in football. This is especially true with a pass-happy league that is short on available quarterbacks at the moment.
-Maher Abucheri
Twitter: @pabloikonyero
Photo: Jeffrey Beall. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license.