A grand jury in Brazoria County in Texas declined on Thursday to convey sexual misconduct costs in opposition to Deshaun Watson, the previous Houston Texans quarterback who was traded to the Cleveland Browns simply days in the past, district lawyer Tom Selleck mentioned in an announcement.
A grand jury in Harris County, Texas, the place Houston is, rejected 9 legal circumstances in opposition to Watson this month. However a tenth legal criticism filed with the Houston Police Division described an alleged incident exterior the jurisdiction of the Harris County District Lawyer’s Workplace.
The case, in Brazoria County, south of Houston, was the final recognized legal case pending in opposition to Watson. The complainant, who was a therapeutic massage remedy scholar on the time, informed the police that Watson ejaculated on her in a November 2020 therapeutic massage appointment.
The publicly obtainable police report was closely redacted however mentioned that the complainant informed the police in April 2021 that Watson had “touched her along with his penis and ejaculated inflicting semen to the touch her arm and hand.” The police listed the offense below investigation as indecent assault, a category A misdemeanor in Texas punishable by as much as one 12 months in jail and a most nice of $4,000.
The complainant, whose identify was redacted within the legal criticism, is without doubt one of the 22 plaintiffs who’re suing Watson in civil court docket for sexual misconduct throughout therapeutic massage appointments.
Watson has denied all wrongdoing, and his lawyer, Rusty Hardin, has mentioned that any sexual acts that occurred throughout therapeutic massage appointments had been consensual. After the grand jury in Harris County declined to convey costs on March 11, Hardin mentioned in an announcement that “the legal investigations have been accomplished,” although he mentioned in an interview Thursday that he had recognized all alongside {that a} case might be introduced in opposition to Watson in Brazoria County.
Hardin mentioned that Watson was deposed on this complainant’s civil swimsuit on Tuesday, the day earlier than the Brazoria County grand jury heard the legal case. Watson had invoked his Fifth Modification proper in opposition to self-incrimination to keep away from answering questions within the civil fits whereas legal circumstances in opposition to him in Harris County had been nonetheless pending. However Watson waived that proper and has answered questions below oath for six of the civil circumstances, together with the deposition on Tuesday, Hardin mentioned.
Hardin mentioned that after the legal circumstances had been rejected by the Harris County grand jury, he was snug letting Watson reply questions for this complainant’s civil swimsuit.
“It was only a sensible resolution,” Hardin mentioned. “I knew what he was going to say so I took the place that I’m keen to gamble my license on letting him testify on one case.”
Hardin mentioned the Browns had been conscious that legal costs may nonetheless be introduced in opposition to Watson earlier than they traded for him. A Browns spokesman didn’t specify when the group was knowledgeable concerning the Brazoria County case.
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N.F.L. groups considered the choice in Harris County as a inexperienced mild to pursue Watson through commerce, and the Browns gave Watson a assured five-year, $230 million contract, a file for a assured deal. The construction of the deal — with a 2022 base wage of solely about $1 million — would mitigate Watson’s monetary penalty for lacking video games if the N.F.L. suspends him for a violation of its personal-conduct coverage this season.
The Browns mentioned in a statement on Sunday that they undertook a “complete analysis course of” earlier than buying and selling for Watson and did “in depth” investigative, authorized and reference work. The assertion additionally acknowledged that “some authorized proceedings” had been persevering with, but it surely was unclear whether or not that assertion was referring to any legal circumstances.
The N.F.L.’s investigation into the allegations in opposition to Watson is ongoing. An individual who recognized himself as a safety consultant for the N.F.L. requested data from the Houston Police Division on March 15, together with witness statements and cellphone information or social media messages, and likewise requested for interviews with the police investigators who labored the case, in accordance with police information.
Earlier than the cope with the Browns, Watson additionally met with the Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers and New Orleans Saints final week.
