The Deshaun Watson news just gets worse and worse with every passing day as the quarterback currently has 22 civil cases filed against him and criminal charges likely on the way. The latest run of bad news for the quarterback came via Rusty Hardin, Watson’s hand-chosen lawyer. Hardin admitted that there were “consensual encounters” between Watson and his accusers, however he added that Watson never used force or his status as a celebrity to force the women to do anything they were uncomfortable doing.
Deshaun Watson's attorney Rusty Hardin just admitted that there were "consensual encounters" with the massage therapists, but says Watson never coerced or used his position as a celebrity to violate consent.
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) April 9, 2021
Deshaun Watson News: Rusty Hardin Says “Consensual Encounters” Happened Between Quarterback, Accusers
Deshaun Watson has been at the center of the NFL universe for quite some time now. After initially requesting a trade at the beginning of the offseason, Watson now faces a staggering 22 civil suits for sexual misconduct. Some of these suits are destined to turn into criminal charges, and Watson’s team appears to be positioning for that eventuality. In the court of law, civil suits are decided by who is most likely to be in the right. For example, if a jury is 51% confident that Watson committed sexual misconduct, then the plaintiff would win the case. That is not the case in a criminal court, as the prosecution needs to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Proving consent violations to that extent is not easy, although it obviously can be done. Rather than claiming that Watson didn’t even touch any of the accusers, the legal team appears to be putting the pressure on the plaintiff/prosecution to prove that consent was broken. For all intents and purposes, Watson’s legal team has forfeited any shot at winning the civil suits in exchange for a decreased chance of jail time.
That wasn’t all Hardin had to say, as the lawyer added that he plans on taking all 22 lawsuits to trail. From the sound of it, it doesn’t sound like Watson’s party will be settling with any of the accusers, although that could obviously change in time.
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