Deshaun Watson just cleared a major hurdle when it comes to playing in the NFL this year. As mentioned by CBS Sports, Watson will not face criminal charges for the civil lawsuits alleging sexual misconduct in massage sessions. A grand jury in Harris County, Texas made the announcement on Friday.
The announcement comes nearly one year after the first civil lawsuit was filed against Watson. A total of 22 women accused Watson of harassment and sexual assault and eight of those women filed criminal complaints against him with Houston police and appeared before the grand jury, according to ESPN. The grand jury was presented with nine of those complaints and returned nine no bills.
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“Today we presented nine criminal complaints for consideration by the grand jury. Beginning at 9 o’clock this morning, we presented evidence for over six hours for the grand jury to consider, as well as having witnesses available for those persons to testify in front of the grand jury,” Johna Stallings, division chief of adult sex crimes and trafficking at the Harris County District attorney’s office, said in a statement. “And the grand jury considered all of that evidence and returned nine no bills against Deshaun Watson involving these nine criminal complaints. We respect the grand jury’s decision and … conclude the criminal proceedings in Harris County.”
“We are delighted that the grand jury has looked at the matter thoroughly and reached the same conclusion we did,” Watson’s attorney, Rustin Hardin, said in a statement. “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 has been investigating Watson since the allegations came out. The league said, “We have been closely monitoring all developments in the matter.” Last year, Watson was on the Houston Texans roster but didn’t play in any of the 17 games and was paid his entire $10.54 million base salary. In January 2021, Watson asked to be traded, and now that he’s been cleared of criminal charges, teams who need a quarterback will likely start asking the Texans about Watson. In his career, Watson, 26, has been selected to the Pro Bowl three times and led the NFL in passing yards in 2020.
If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, you can contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or go to rainn.org.
