This is a big deal for Deshaun Watson.
If the grand jury had indicted him on a felony, it is doubtful that he would have played football this season. Without that indictment, Watson likely will be traded sooner than later. For the first time in over a year, Watson spoke to the media after being cleared of all criminal charges.
A grand jury on Friday declined to indict Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson following a police investigation sparked by lawsuits filed by 22 women who have accused him of harassment and sexual assault.
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 the 10 criminal complaints filed against Watson. The grand jury, which does not require a unanimous vote, rejected all nine cases; prosecutors did not present the 10th.
According to Johna Stallings, chief of the adult sex crimes and trafficking division with the Harris County District Attorney’s Office, the grand jury’s decision ended criminal proceedings related to Watson in Harris County, where Houston is located.
“It’s definitely a very emotional moment for me. I know we’re far from being done of handling what we need to handle on the legal side, but today is definitely a big day,” Watson, speaking to reporters for the first time in over a year, said at a news conference outside his lawyer’s office building. “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.”
The question now is who pulls the trigger on the trade.
Flip the pages for Watson speaking about Jesus and some of the Twitter reactions.
