Grand jury in Brazoria clears Watson
Two weeks after a Harris County grand jury chose not to indict former Texan Deshaun Watson on criminal charges amid accusations of sexual assault and harassment, a Brazoria County grand jury on Thursday reached the same conclusion after discussing a complaint involving a massage appointment in a Pearland residence.
“After a careful and thorough review of the facts and evidence documented in the reports prepared by the Brazoria County Sheriff’s Office and the Houston Police Department, as well as hearing testimony from witnesses, the Grand Jury for Brazoria County has declined to charge Deshaun Watson with any crimes,” Brazoria County District Attorney Tom Selleck said in a statement. “Accordingly, this matter is closed.”
The grand jury around 3 p.m. ended their session and walked out of a Brazoria County courtroom in Angleton. A prosecutor later handed the Chronicle Selleck’s printed statement. He could not be reached for further comment.
It is unknown what evidence or testimony was presented to jurors because grand juries are confidential and protected under Texas law.
Tony Buzbee, the attorney representing the woman who filed the criminal complaint, said earlier Thursday the grand jury was deliberating her case.
She was one of 10 women who filed police complaints against Watson last year, Buzbee added, and since the massage session occurred in Pearland, the Houston Police Department referred her case to Brazoria County for possible criminal charges. Buzbee is also representing 22 women who have filed civil suits against the quarterback.
Watson, who has since been traded to the Cleveland Browns,
has denied any wrongdoing.
“We are thrilled that the Brazoria County grand jury cleared Deshaun Watson of the one remaining criminal allegation,” his attorney Rusty Hardin said. “We’ve known all along what people who learn the facts also know Deshaun committed no crimes. In fact, two separate grand juries have now found that there wasn’t even probable cause to believe he committed a crime.”
Buzbee said the Brazoria County case is connected to a complainant who also filed a civil lawsuit alleging Watson purposely touched her with his penis and ejaculated onto her during a November 2020 massage appointment.
“Our team has had no involvement in the criminal process,” Buzbee said in a written statement. “We respect whatever outcome results there. We understand there are at times parallel proceedings, but what happens criminally has no bearing whatsoever on our efforts on the civil side.”
Harris County grand jurors considered nine criminal complaints and declined to indict Watson on March 11. Search warrant records in December showed that investigators were considering indecent assault — a misdemeanor crime — as a possibility.
After that decision, Hardin said he knew NFL teams would be willing to trade for Watson once the criminal investigation was complete, even if the 22 civil lawsuits that triggered the police complaints were still pending.
The Browns, Panthers, Falcons and Saints were among teams who courted Watson, who eventually waived his no-trade clause for Cleveland when they offered him a new five-year, $230 million contract that minimized the money he could lose in a potential NFL suspension to $1 million in 2022.
On Thursday, Hardin told the Chronicle that Cleveland knew about the Brazoria County complaint and that the grand jury’s decision wouldn’t affect Watson’s status with the team. Browns leadership, including owners Jimmy and Dee Haslam, issued statements after the Friday trade that said the franchise “spent a tremendous amount of time exploring and investigating” the legal proceedings surrounding Watson. As part of the trade, the Browns will send six total draft picks to Houston, including their first-round picks in 2022, 2023 and 2024.
None of the leaders within the Browns’ front office detailed how they went about investigating Watson, and no response was given upon request. Watson has scheduled a noon news conference Friday in Cleveland, pending a completed physical, according to multiple reports, but it is uncertain if the media availability will continue.
The Browns would have likely included a “copious amount” of calculations regarding whether more lawsuits will be filed against Watson or if further criminal investigations will occur, said Dr. Beth Livingston, a professor who specializes in human resources at the University of Iowa.
Plaintiffs are legally permitted to refile their complaints with the district attorney’s Office, but prosecutors don’t usually present cases again unless they receive additional evidence. Eight of the 22 women Buzbee represents filed police complaints against Watson, and the attorney said he doesn’t “know of any offhand” if the 14 women who didn’t are considering filing.
The NFL’s investigation remains ongoing, and league spokesman Brian McCarthy said in a statement Thursday said “we continue to closely monitor all developments in the matter which remains under review of the personal conduct policy.”