Page 23 - Florida Sentinel 3-18-22

Sports
Collector Screwed Out Of $518,000 By Tom Brady Announcement
Deshaun Watson Avoids Criminal Charges As Houston Grand Jury Declines To Indict
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The Harris County grand jury that convened to weigh evidence and testimony against the Houston Texans' Deshaun Watson in a se- ries of sexual assault allega- tions voted against indicting the quarterback on any charges Friday.
The decision effectively ends the criminal portion of Watson’s legal battle, which until Friday’s decision had run parallel to the 22 civil lawsuits filed against the quarterback.
The grand jury heard tes- timony from some of the women who currently have civil lawsuits pending and who also pursued criminal complaints against Watson. After hearing the testimony and being presented with in- formation turned over by the Houston police, jurors didn’t find evidence to indict Wat- son of a criminal act. Wat- son was facing nine counts, said Johna Stallings, an official with the county's DA office.
In a statement made in front of reporters, Watson said, "I thank everyone who
After a grand jury decided not to pursue criminal charges last week, quarter- back Deshaun Watson could resume his NFL career with another team.
was a part of this, of 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 down to what happened today. That’s what the grand jury decided on. ...
"I’m going to keep fight- ing to rebuild my name and rebuild my appearance in the community. We’re going to continue to, on the legal side, off the field, handle what we need to handle. But [I’m]
also ready to get back on the field. Been prepping for that and also ready to go for that.”
Because grand jury hear- ings are a closed process, it’s unknown what jurors heard during testimony or in the presentation of findings.
Watson can now turn his attention to the pending civil lawsuits, which are not dependent on a criminal finding to continue forward.
Watson’s attorney, Rusty Hardin, said the grand jury’s decision under- scored Watson’s claim of innocence and said the quar- terback will continue to fight the civil suits.
“We are delighted that the grand jury has looked at the matter thoroughly and reached the same conclusion we did,” Hardin said. “De- shaun Watson did not commit any crimes and is not guilty of any offenses. Now that the criminal investiga- tions have been completed, we are happy to move for- ward with the civil case dep- ositions. We will vigorously defend those cases with every ounce we have."
Four Teams
One sports collector is re- ally kicking themselves after Tom Brady’s big Sunday announcement.
Brady announced on Sunday that he is not retiring and that he will be returning to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for next season.
The news comes a day after a collector paid $518,628.00 for the football that was regarded at the time as Brady’s final touchdown pass. The item was sold via auction from Leland’s.
If Brady indeed plays in 2022, he will likely throw many more touchdown
passes, rendering the ball nearly worthless.
The collector was always making a risky investment because the entire value of the ball hinged upon the be- lief that Brady would not be returning.
Many people believed all along that Brady might change his mind and return, and that is exactly what hap- pened.
The collector made a poor investment, though anyone who can pay $518,000 for a collector’s item probably is wealthy enough to afford the financial loss.
In the wake of the grand jury decision not to level any criminal charges against De- shaun Watson despite civil suits and 10 criminal com- plaints from women who al- lege sexual misconduct, trade interest in the quarterback has started to heat up.
The Carolina Panthers, Cleveland Browns, New Or- leans Saints and Seattle Sea- hawks have expressed the strongest interest in Watson. The people spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to publicly discuss the situation. Other teams, including the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, could wind up joining the pursuit of the three-time Pro Bowl selection.
Leading The
Pursuit Of Texans’
Quarterback
Deshaun Watson
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