HOUSTON — The Deshaun Watson case will be heard by a grand jury in Houston Friday, according to reports from the New York Times and other media outlets.
The grand jury will decide whether criminal charges are warranted in the case after 22 women accused Watson of sexual assault or sexual misconduct during massages.
Ten of those women filed criminal complaints with the Houston Police Department and all of them are part of a civil lawsuit filed by attorney Tony Buzbee.
Buzbee told the New York Times that some of those women have been subpoenaed to appear before the grand jury.
Watson has denied the allegations. Attorney Rusty Hardin has said “some sexual activity” happened during some of the appointments but that he never forced anyone.
Hardin told the Times they're hoping the grand jury will make a quick decision.
“The free agency time is around the corner and we’ve wanted this decision to be made by then and it looks like they’re going to and I’m welcoming it,” Hardin told the Times in a telephone interview.
“There’s never been any crime here, no matter if you call it indecent assault or anything else,” he said. “These are civil matters that belong in the civil courts.”
Buzbee said earlier that Watson is also scheduled to be deposed Friday for some of the civil complaints. Last week, a judge ruled against Hardin's request to delay that deposition.
“You would think that someone who’s legal team has called every one of these women liars, has criticized me and has loudly declared his completely innocence would be ready to speak publicly under oath as he originally agreed,” Buzbee said. “But instead, he ducks and runs for cover.”
But Watson’s attorneys have called the lawsuits against him a “money grab” and fired back that all 22 women who have filed suit are lying, a strategy some experts and advocates say relies on long-used tropes designed to minimize such accusations. Buzbee has said some of his clients have faced criticism and even death threats.
Watson’s future with the Texans remains up in the air. He demanded a trade before the 2021 season started and never played a down.
