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Sexual Assault Suits Against Watson

CloakNNNdagger said:
If this were to happen, Jimmy Haslam has already implied that he would again be willing to convert most of Watson's salary to a bonus.
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Not sure that would help, a bonus is still based off a players base salary which is what the fines from suspension comes from. What Haslam said is that he would restructure it so that the base salary is again 1 million and push the remaining off to the next years. Basically the Browns are banking on winning a SB in the next 2 years because if they keep pushing it back then Watson will account for close to 100 million cap hit alone by the 3rd year.
 
maverick512000 said:
Not sure that would help, a bonus is still based off a players base salary which is what the fines from suspension comes from. What Haslam said is that he would restructure it so that the base salary is again 1 million and push the remaining off to the next years. Basically the Browns are banking on winning a SB in the next 2 years because if they keep pushing it back then Watson will account for close to 100 million cap hit alone by the 3rd year.
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You are correct, it wouldn't help Haslam. He would be paying out the same $$$$. But he would be mortgaging the Browns' future. The implied restructuring would still indeed potentially save Watson a good deal of money if the NFL doesn't close the loophole.

You would hope that the NFL and a majority of owners would move to close the loophole well ahead of Goodell's decision if it applies to next season.
 
Explaining the recent Deshaun Watson ruling
April 6, 2022, 10:19 PM EDT


Tuesday’s ruling that Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson must answer whether he had consensus sexual encounters with any of the 18 massage therapists who previously issued statements of support on his behalf has created some questions. Let’s try to answer them.

First, some wonder why any of this matters, given that two grand juries have decided not to recommend criminal charges against Watson. However, he continues to face 22 civil lawsuits alleging misconduct during massage sessions. The dispute regarding consensual sexual encounters arose within the context of the effort to develop evidence to be used in the trials of those 22 civil cases.

Second, some have asked why Watson’s activities with other massage therapists have any relevance to the 22 plaintiffs who are suing him. Generally speaking, a person’s conduct as it relates to others isn’t relevant. However, certain types of “other act” evidence can be relevant and admissible, in specific circumstances.

Under Rule 404(b) of the Texas Rules of Evidence (most if not every American jurisdiction has adopted the same rule), this kind of evidence can be used to prove “motive, opportunity, intent, preparation, plan, knowledge, identity, absence of mistake, or lack of accident.” In this case, the plaintiffs will argue that the question of whether Watson has engaged in other massages that turned sexual arguably shows that he engaged massage therapists with a goal of having the massages become something more.

Third, Watson’s camp would argue — aggressively — that allowing Watson to be asked about other sexual encounters is no different than asking a female sexual assault victim about other sexual partners or activities. In our view, it’s very different. Watson is the alleged aggressor, not the victim. If, in contrast, Watson were claiming that he was sexually assaulted by one or more massage therapists, it would be irrelevant for them to defend the case by arguing that he voluntarily submitted to sexual encounters with other massage therapists. Here, Watson is accused of trying to make a massage something more than a massage. If he experienced other massages that became something more, it would explain whether supposed accidental touching during the massage was perhaps a precursor to something else.

Fourth, some have argued it’s not fair to the 18 massage therapists to have their sexual encounters (if any) with Watson disclosed to the world. Beyond the fact that they chose to get involved by submitting statements of support on Watson’s behalf, there are ways to protect their identity, via the use of pseudonyms or court orders restricting the information.

Bottom line? If it can be shown that Watson had a pattern of engaging in massages that became something more, it’s relevant to his state of mind when securing massages with each of the 22 plaintiffs. Watson and his representatives surely don’t like it; it hurts their case. Regardless, it’s fair game when the question is whether he had a habit of hiring massage therapists and hoping that the massage would take a sexual turn — and whether he affirmatively tried to make that happen.

********************************************************************

As Judge Collier so eloquently stated to team Hardin/Watson:

“The objection is overruled. Thank you.”
 
How quickly people forget..............the video was shot Sept 2017............should have been a premonition of what things were to come. They both said they were only "friends"...........no sex was involved..............
DelectableUnkemptAntarcticgiantpetrel-max-1mb.gif


You have to ask yourself...........how dumb was it to have yourself video taped (Sept 14, 2017) with a half-clothed porn star , if you are a high NFL Draft pick just after being made starting QB (Sept 10, 2017).


Deshaun Watson Having 1-On-1 Session With Pornstar Mia Khalifa At Her Home Goes Viral Again Amid Looming Lawsuits (VIDEO)
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https://twitter.com/x/status/908338419377602562
 
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If *they* (the NFL, Goodell, whoever is involved here) wanted to punish both Watson and the Browns, they could structure the suspension in a way like "min of X games or until a fine of $Y is paid."
 
Two of the women who are suing NFL quarterback Deshaun Watson amended their lawsuits this week to add claims of negligence and gross negligence, arguing that Watson knew of his own sexual proclivities in massage sessions but failed to take precautions to prevent a reoccurrence of them.


By adding these new causes of action, they potentially widen the net of discoverable evidence they can obtain before trial and also add another way to recover damages in their lawsuits. They are among 22 women who have sued Watson and accused him of sexual misconduct during massage sessions in 2020 and early 2021.


The attorney for the 22 women, Tony Buzbee, told USA TODAY Sports Thursday that more lawsuits will be adding causes of action for negligence and gross negligence.

"Deshaun Watson has denied he acted intentionally; we believe strongly that we will prove he did," Buzbee said. "We have also added a claim for negligence allowing a jury to assess liability for unreasonable and imprudent conduct as well. This claim is just another through which the jury can assess liability and damages against him. We will likely add this claim for most of the cases, although perhaps not all."

Adding the new negligence claims “permits the plaintiffs to widen the scope of discovery,” said Kenneth Williams, professor at South Texas College of Law Houston. “They will be able to ask any questions or seek information such as texts related to those claims. Second, it provides plaintiffs another basis for recovery (of damages). Third, if plaintiffs prevail on the gross negligence claims they can be awarded punitive damages, which are damages designed to punish the wrongdoer for his/her extreme conduct.”



The 22 civil cases are entirely separate from the criminal grand jury proceedings that recently declined to indict Watson on criminal charges in 10 cases reported to police.

The lawsuits continue to proceed in court in Houston, including on Tuesday, when an attorney for the two women with the new negligence claims tried to use them to her advantage as part of a dispute over pretrial discovery evidence. At issue was whether Watson should be compelled to list all women who gave him messages since 2019, other than those already documented.




“We in fact have alleged negligence and gross negligence,” the plaintiffs' attorney, Cornelia Brandfield-Harvey, told the judge at the hearing, which was shown online. “It goes to show that he had notice of his sexual proclivities, and he went in there knowing he had this tendency to want to act inappropriately with massage therapists.”

Watson’s attorney, Leah Graham, objected to the request, saying this information was overly broad and irrelevant to the individual plaintiff’s allegations.



But Judge Rabeea Sultan Collier overruled the objection in favor of the plaintiffs, compelling Watson to provide a history of women who gave him massages.

Watson, 26, has denied wrongdoing and recently was traded from Houston to the Cleveland Browns, a team that agreed to give him a record-setting contract of $230 million guaranteed for five years. His attorney, Rusty Hardin, said the women are lying, out for money and there were “sometimes consensual encounters.” But the NFL still could suspende him based on its own investigation.


The two women who added negligence claims to their lawsuits agreed to come forward publicly by name last year to accuse Watson of misconduct: Ashley Solis and Lauren Baxley, both massage therapists. They say Watson exposed himself and caused his genitals to touch them during massage sessions in March and June 2020.

The new negligence claims stated that they believe Watson’s conduct was intentional while noting the Watson denies he acted intentionally.

“Thus, in the alternative, Plaintiff alleges that Watson’s conduct was unreasonable and thus negligent and grossly negligent,” the newly amended lawsuits state. “Defendant Watson owed Plaintiff the duty of reasonable care.”

They said Watson breached that duty in several ways including “scheduling a massage to be alone with Plaintiff knowing of his own sexual proclivities” and “failing to take precautions prior to the massage to prevent a reoccurrence of his known prior conduct towards massage therapists.”


They said he also failed to warn them of “his proclivities and his past conduct.”

The plaintiffs’ attorneys are trying to establish a pattern of his conduct in pretrial discovery. “If he was doing this with other massage therapists, it goes to show his motive,” Brandfield-Harvey said in court Tuesday.

Watson also must answer whether he had sex with 18 therapists who came to his defense last year after the lawsuits were filed, according to a ruling by the same judge.



The two sides have an agreement not to schedule trials on these cases from Aug. 1 through March 1, 2023, helping Watson avoid them during football season. That means they might not be resolved until 2023 unless they are settled before then out of court.
 
paycheck71 said:
If *they* (the NFL, Goodell, whoever is involved here) wanted to punish both Watson and the Browns, they could structure the suspension in a way like "min of X games or until a fine of $Y is paid."
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It's not that simple. The CBA now equates the loss of monies to the value of those particular games not played (1/17 of the salary established for that year). That makes it easy since all players take in different salaries. I believe to change that that would have to be accepted by the NFL and NFLPA...not impossible, but certainly not easy.
 
CloakNNNdagger said:
It's not that simple. The CBA now equates the loss of monies to the value of those particular games not played (1/17 of the salary established for that year). That makes it easy since all players take in different salaries. I believe to change that that would have to be accepted by the NFL and NFLPA...not impossible, but certainly not easy.
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In many ways the players union is in a bad spot to. They are required to help Watson but at the same time they know it’s a really bad look if they help him get away with just a slap on the wrist. I’m guessing all parties are actually rather glad it has to go through a third party first so they don’t have to be the one sticking their necks out.
 
maverick512000 said:
In many ways the players union is in a bad spot to. They are required to help Watson but at the same time they know it’s a really bad look if they help him get away with just a slap on the wrist. I’m guessing all parties are actually rather glad it has to go through a third party first so they don’t have to be the one sticking their necks out.
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It is indeed a sticky wicket for the NFLPA. However, regarding changing the CBA to close the "loophole" is an altogether other matter.

The arbitrator is to be used in "off field" player violation.

Punishments for off-field conduct will be imposed by a neutral party determined by both the NFL and NFLPA and the appeals of such punishment can no longer be heard by the commissioner and will instead be heard by a neutral arbitrator.
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However, an amendment to the CBA for closure of the loophole would be necessary, and would need to be determined by a full vote and agreement by the NFL and NFLPA.........not an arbitrator.
 
djohn2oo8 said:
Here is a look at punitive damages in Texas...If you do the math on the numbers listed times 22 for example, jeez. Just on punitive damages alone plus two times the economic impact.

www.houstoninjurylawyer.com

Personal Injury Compensation Explained: What are Exemplary Damages in Texas?

Learn more about exemplary damages in a Houston personal injury case. Call The Krist Law Firm for a free consult at (281) 283-8500.
www.houstoninjurylawyer.com www.houstoninjurylawyer.com
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Most interesting besides the potential huge penalties is how punitive penalties may be determined:

Calculating exemplary (punitive) damages as compensation, the jury must consider the:

  • Nature of the wrong
  • Character of the conduct involved
  • Degree of culpability of the wrongdoer
  • Situation and sensibilities of the parties concerned
  • Extent to which such conduct offends a public sense of justice and propriety and
  • Net worth of the defendant

Like they say, $230 million doesn't go as far as it used to...............:roast:
 
Earl34 said:
I hate to interrupt this back and forth. This doesn't seem accurate. Keep in mind besides watching Perry Mason, Law and Order and jury duty, I don't have any legal experience. However, since when can't you sue across state lines? Did you get this information from the legal expert on this forum who was incorrectly spreading information that Watson wanted to be traded to Florida to fight extradition?
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maverick512000 said:
You are correct and I should have been more clear by saying that it is almost impossible to sue across state lines due to the restrictions in doing so. First you have to sue the person in the state they live and not the state you live. I guarantee you Watson had it ready so that as soon as he was traded he would find a house, drop some cash on it and change his dwelling address to show that is his primary house. So at this point anyone that wants to sue him has to contact a lawyer in his new state and get them to take the case which means Buzbee could not be the lawyer. I know many of you would say thats a good thing but from the point of view of the women it would be a very bad thing. Second any court appearance would again have to be in the state Watson resides in so that means the women would all have to travel to that state every time there is a court appearance. A very common tactic in this case is for the person being sued lawyer to schedule frequent court dates or get court dates changed at the last minute because they know the person suing can rarely afford to keep going back and forth like that and ultimately has to drop the case due to lack of funds.

So given all that what I said about the women not being able to sue him across state lines is accurate from a realistic point of view if not a technical one.

"The basic rule is that state courts–including small claims courts–only have the power to hear cases involving individuals who live in or are present in the state. Lawyers call this jurisdiction. If you want to sue someone who lives in another state, you will have to sue in the state where the person lives, not in the state where you live. Often you can file papers with the court by mail, but you'll have to follow the state's rules when serving the court papers on the defendant. Also, you should expect to show up in person on court day. However, some states allow people on active duty in the military—and occasionally others—to present their case entirely in writing."


Suing Out-of-State Defendants in Small Claims Court

Find out what to do if the person or business you want to sue is in another state
www.nolo.com www.nolo.com
.
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Determining that a court has personal jurisdiction over a particular defendant is easy when you file the suit in the state in which the defendant resides or does business. The nearly universal rule is that the courts in a state have personal jurisdiction over all people or businesses that are citizens of or do business in that state.


I can't imagine why Watson divested himself of the ownership of the Houston Lefty's Cheesesteak franchises............at the moment of signing his new Browns contract.............and oh so hurriedly............possibly anticipating more lawsuits............:thinking: 1649458069299.png

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Deshaun Watson May Avoid 2022 Suspension
The scope of the civil lawsuits against Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson has expanded, but a resolution will likely not be reached until 2023 at the earliest, which would likely impact a potential suspension for the 2022 season.
PETE SMITH 8 HOURS AGO

Two of Deshaun Watson's accusers amended their lawsuits to include allegations of negligence and gross negligence on Thursday. That could widen the scope of discovery, potentially creating new avenues to find evidence in their attempt to recover damages against the Cleveland Browns quarterback. Included in the news detailed by Brent Schrotenboer of USA Today was an agreement that could have a significant impact on the Browns.
"The two sides have an agreement not to schedule trials on these cases from Aug. 1 through March 1, 2023, helping Watson avoid them during football season. That means they might not be resolved until 2023 unless they are settled before then out of court."
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Not only will Watson avoid dealing with the trial for the entire season, but this could delay any resolution of these cases into 2023 or later. Watson will continue to make court appearances for the next few months, which could have impact his attendance for the offseason program and even the start of training camp. Unless the two sides settle, which Watson has stated he has no intention of doing, this will delay any resolution at least until after this season.

Under the NFL's Personal Conduct Policy, the league could suspend Watson this season regardless of a resolution to these lawsuits. They are conducting their own investigation and could base a suspension off of those findings. However, given the fact that Watson is not facing criminal charges, the league may not want to risk suspending a player who would then also be cleared of any liability in civil court.

As a result, the NFL may not suspend Watson in 2022, which would have a major impact on the Browns fortunes this season. That might have them go from a team that needed help to get into the postseason to the favorite to win their division. Nothing would be better for the Browns than to get Watson on the field and winning football games to help distract and diminish interest in his civil lawsuits.

It would also allow the Browns to plan ahead in terms of their finances for 2023. The best case scenario for the Browns is that Watson is never suspended, giving them five years to make a push for the Super Bowl.

If the organization make the determination that Watson is going to be suspended, they could effectively use that season as a year of financial austerity. Taking a year off from signing higher priced free agents on one-year deals, opting for cheaper options could build up some cap space to roll over into 2024, increasing the financial flexibility for that season, perhaps the seasons that follow.

If the Browns are trying to maximize a championship window, they may be better off leaning into a Watson's suspension for a season, using it to improve their chances the following seasons.

The women who are accusing Watson of negligence and gross negligence are making the argument that the Browns quarterback didn't take adequate precautions for his own behavior. If he had a track record of these actions, which the plaintiffs will seek to prove, he should have taken precautions to ensure it wouldn't happen. By failing to do so, it put more women at risk.
"Deshaun Watson has denied he acted intentionally; we believe strongly that we will prove he did," Buzbee said. "We have also added a claim for negligence allowing a jury to assess liability for unreasonable and imprudent conduct as well. This claim is just another through which the jury can assess liability and damages against him. We will likely add this claim for most of the cases, although perhaps not all."
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One of the goals of this move from Buzbee is to get access to Watson's text messages, believing those will provide a track record of this behavior. It would also be embarrassing for Watson, potentially painting him in a poor light for a jury. The possibility of having embarrassing details leaked, something that has already happened during proceedings, adds additional pressure.

The Browns might get Watson for the entirety of the 2022 NFL season, but Watson might find himself at greater risk for an unfavorable resolution to the civil lawsuits he's facing.
**************************************************************************************

No mention in this article of the potential impact on Congress' recent interest in how poorly the NFL has managed situations involving the treatment of women at every level.
 
thunderkyss said:
Why wouldn't he have already done this?

I'm sure his mom has a home somewhere. Most likely in his name. But even if it isn't, he can list it as his primary resident at any time.
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The answer to your first question.......He already had........See this post above

As to his mother, his mother owns her home in Georgia, a home which she has owned since Watson was a young kid (11)...........Watson just helped arrange it for a major makeover after he received his rookie contract.
 
I wonder if the Browns, in giving DW that guaranteed contract, ever considered that it would stir up a $$ frenzy in these civil cases. The door to more incriminations seems wide open to me.
 
CloakNNNdagger said:
The answer to your first question.......He already had........See this post above
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Sorry, I’m not connecting the dots. The post says nothing about Watson’s “listed primary residence”


CloakNNNdagger said:
As to his mother, his mother owns her home in Georgia, a home which she has owned si
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Not trying to be argumentative, but my mom owns the house I grew up in & has owned it since I was 14.

But my driver’s license still shows her address as mine (I never changed it).

I can easily say it’s my primary residence.
 
thunderkyss said:
Sorry, I’m not connecting the dots. The post says nothing about Watson’s “listed primary residence”



Not trying to be argumentative, but my mom owns the house I grew up in & has owned it since I was 14.

But my driver’s license still shows her address as mine (I never changed it).

I can easily say it’s my primary residence.
Click to expand...
Connecting the dots that the primary residence argument is negated by the ownership of a business in the same state..........and that's why he no longer owns Lefty's in Houston.
 
As previously reported:

No trials for civil cases against Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson will be held during 2022 season
Watson's attorney and the attorney representing the plantiffs have agreed not to schedule trials on the civil cases from August 1, 2022 through March 1, 2023.
Author: Brandon Simmons, Dave "Dino" DeNatale
Published: 5:14 PM EDT April 8, 2022
Updated: 6:06 PM EDT April 8, 2022

While those cases may not go to trial this year, USA TODAY also reports two of the 22 women accusing Watson have now amended their lawsuits to add claims of negligence and gross negligence, saying Watson didn't protect them while knowing his intentions.
"So what they’re claiming here is that he was aware of his sexual proclivities, aware that this is something that he might do," explains legal professor Michael Gabelman. "And he failed to take steps to notify these women as he was seeking to get massages."

Legally speaking, adding the claims allows the women to seek more damages for wrongdoing. It also allows attorneys to seek more evidence ahead of the trial.

The new claims come just days after a judge also ordered Watson to disclose any sexual encounters he may have had with 18 other massage therapists who came out in support of him.

Gabelman says the new claims, along with the judge's order, don't help Watson's case as he'd prefer to stay silent. "This is definitely not a good step for Mr. Watson. He definitely does not want to have to open the air with every encounter he’s had with these 18 women who came out in support of him," Gabelman adds.

Watson has just 30 days to respond to comply with the judge's order. It's one of many steps in these lawsuits which could easily drag on through Watson's time with the Browns.

"Civil suits have a tendency of taking years and years and years, as opposed to criminal actions which resolve rather quickly, relatively speaking," Gabelman says.

Watson has said he doesn’t want to settle, claiming he is innocent of any wrongdoing and would much rather clear his name. But for Browns fans it’s difficult to just enjoy football when this situation keeps coming up.

It is also important to note that the agreement not to hold any civil trials during the NFL season doesn't necessarily mean Watson is free from potential punishment from the league. The NFL is conducting its own investigation and if they decide Watson's conduct was unbecoming of a player in the league, they can issue a suspension regardless of where these cases are in the legal system
*********************************************************************************

The temporal restriction regarding the trials as it stands now does not necessarily restrict the depositions of witnesses, or for that matter, of Watson. And if he is suspended and not playing, there is a possibility that the restriction could be lifted for a limited time during his period of suspension.
 
Deshaun Watson’s Legal Battles Aren’t Over
KALYN KAHLER

On Friday, a Houston grand jury returned no bills on all nine criminal complaints they had been presented by prosecutors regarding Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson. In layman’s terms, this meant no criminal charges would be filed against Watson in court after nearly two dozen women came forward in lawsuits last year and accused Watson of sexual misconduct during massage appointments. And it meant the conversation quickly shifted to Watson’s future as an NFL QB. Just like that, all the concerns about Watson’s conduct seemed to evaporate as Watson became just another elite signal caller searching for a team. Would he go to Carolina? Or the Saints? Or the Steelers?

https://twitter.com/x/status/1502399203007471616

This tweet from ESPN’s Adam Schefter has obvious problems, like framing a finding of no guilt as some sort of higher truth, which it is not. It also had, as of Monday afternoon, more than 79,000 likes.

What got lost in all the near-immediate talk about what team would trade for Watson was why he had been essentially benched for a full season in the first place. On March 16 of last year, Ashley Solis, then going by Jane Doe, filed a civil lawsuit saying Watson showed her his erect penis and moved his body so that his penis touched her hand during a massage appointment in 2020. Within a month, 22 other women joined Solis with similar lawsuits outlining more sexual misconduct, ranging from Watson touching them with his penis, to Watson exposing himself to them, to Watson ejaculating on them during massage appointments. In three cases, the women said Watson forced them to give him oral sex.

Since then, all the women were forced to refile their lawsuits using their real names. One woman chose to drop her lawsuit instead, leaving the total, including Solis, at 22. The same day that the no bills were announced, Watson sat for a deposition in several of those lawsuits. He invoked his Fifth Amendment right during those depositions, The New York Times reported, but he will not in future ones scheduled for the other lawsuits.

To hear the NFL insiders tell it, the biggest concern right now is will the league suspend Watson and for how long. But documents in all those ongoing civil suits reveal there are still a lot of questions that the women and their lawyers are trying to get answered—about Watson’s conduct as well as what the Houston Texans did or did not know.

In civil court, the legal team for the 22 women, led by lawyer Tony Buzbee, has been slowly poking away at questions that a lot of people have had since Solis first spoke. One set of questions asked by them: Did Watson pay the legal fees for any of the 18 women who provided statements of support, as well as a few other women associated with Watson? And did they help the women find their own lawyers?

In a response filed in court, Watson’s lawyer, Rusty Hardin, wrote that his office did refer three women to lawyers: Jasmine Brooks, Magen Weisheit, and Dionne Louis.

Brooks is one of the 18 women who provided a supporting statement to Watson’s legal team, saying she’d massaged Watson 40 times without having an “uncomfortable or inappropriate” experience with him. Weisheit is a massage therapist who worked on Watson and referred other massage therapists to work with him. And Louis is the owner of a spa where two of the plaintiffs worked when they saw Watson as a client.

Buzbee’s team called Brooks as a witness because, in April of last year, Buzbee shared with reporters a series of text messages that he said Brooks had sent. In the messages, a woman identified by Buzbee as Brooks said that she stopped working with Watson because she was “hearing too much stuff about him messing with other people.” The full transcript of Brooks’ deposition isn’t available in the public court file. But, in a filing to the judge, Buzbee’s team described what she said this way:

In the deposition, Brooks testified that, during his massage sessions, Watson insisted upon using a towel as a drape. She testified that he told her to focus only on his glutes, groin, and hamstrings. For the first time, while under oath, Brooks disclosed that during several sessions with Watson, he became erect. She testified that she told Watson that such behavior was not acceptable. She further disclosed that, recently, she had actually began to provide massage therapy to Watson again, and that her and Watson were actually friends. She even disclosed that she had told Watson to be careful with the many therapists he was receiving services from and that his “name was getting around.” Of course, none of this information learned at the deposition was included in the public statement released by Watson’s legal team, and none of this information was disclosed in Brooks’s prime-time interview—indeed, she in many cases said the opposite.
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Buzbee’s team also has been trying to learn more information about the Texans and their role in Watson booking massages. In one document, Buzbee asked Watson to list the number of massages arranged for him by the Texans, the number of massages he received by Texans staff, agents or personnel, and the number of massages he received that were paid for by the Texans. Buzbee’s team also asked for the dates and locations of those massages, who performed them, how Watson paid for them, and how much he paid. Hardin objected to all.

In the same document, Buzbee’s team asked Watson to admit that he had received a massage that was arranged by the Texans; or paid for by the Texans; or performed by an employee of the Texans organization, or an agent for the Texans; or performed at the Texans facility between March 15, 2020 and Dec. 31, 2020. For all five admissions, Hardin answered that Watson would neither admit or deny.

In August of last year, Defector reached out to three different employees of Genuine Touch, the company contracted by the Texans for massage therapy. All three refused to answer questions regarding Watson, though one person said they did participate in the NFL investigation and the Houston police investigation. “I can’t talk or I will lose my contract [with the Texans],” she said.

In late January, Buzbee’s office sent a press release to the media and attached to it the full transcript of Weisheit’s deposition. Weisheit asserted her Fifth Amendment right on most questions, refusing to answer if she knew Watson, and whether she arranged massage appointments for him, his preferences in massages, and whether she’d massaged him herself. She refused a question on her relationship with the Texans, whether she sent photos of massage therapists to Watson ahead of their appointment, and another question about how much money she made from referring him to other therapists.

Q. (BY MR. BUZBEE) You knew Watson would make sexual advances to massage therapists, didn’t you?
A. I plead the Fifth.
Q. You knew that Watson liked to try and coerce massage therapists into having sex?
A. I plead the Fifth.
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And later:

Q. You knew that some therapists had been hurt and offended by Watson’s conduct, didn’t you know that?
A. I plead the Fifth.
Q. You tried to cover it up, didn’t you?
A. I plead the Fifth.
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Weisheit did admit to speaking to Sports Illustrated. She is “Susan,” the woman who referred Watson to “Mary,” the anonymous massage therapist who spoke to SI last March about her experience being sexually harassed by Watson in a massage appointment. Weisheit told SI much more than she would answer in her deposition.

Susan confirms that Mary reported concerns about Watson’s conduct to her directly following their appointment, specifically the thrusting and that he wanted to be uncovered. She says she apologized to Mary and was “almost embarrassed” that happened with one of her clients. Susan says she then talked to Watson about his conduct with Mary, but declines to share details of that conversation, calling it “confidential.”
“I’ve had one person report something to me” about Watson, Susan told SI, confirming that this person was Mary. “And I had a conversation with [Watson]. I was confident that wasn’t going to happen again after our conversation.”
But Mary says Susan told her something different after her appointment with Watson: that Mary was not the first therapist Susan had referred who reported back concerns about Watson’s conduct. In a November 2019 text message about Watson, Susan wrote to Mary, “whether the creepy stuff is his intention or not, he does it every time,” adding the parenthetical, “only 1 therapist hasn’t complained.” (SI reviewed this message, which was sent from a phone number confirmed to be Susan’s.)
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Weisheit also said that she had talked to Houston police twice, but would not say if she was being investigated by the police.

In August, Defector called Masako Jones, one of the 18 women who supported Watson, to ask her about Weisheit. Jones was referred to work with Watson through Weisheit. Jones said that in late May or early June, Weisheit called her to let her know that “HPD had pretty much grilled her and that she didn’t anticipate that they would need to talk to me because she pretty much shut down any sort of thoughts that they had that she was running some sort of shady massage madame business.”

THE REST OF THE STORY
 
CloakNNNdagger said:
Deshaun Watson’s Legal Battles Aren’t Over
KALYN KAHLER

On Friday, a Houston grand jury returned no bills on all nine criminal complaints they had been presented by prosecutors regarding Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson. In layman’s terms, this meant no criminal charges would be filed against Watson in court after nearly two dozen women came forward in lawsuits last year and accused Watson of sexual misconduct during massage appointments. And it meant the conversation quickly shifted to Watson’s future as an NFL QB. Just like that, all the concerns about Watson’s conduct seemed to evaporate as Watson became just another elite signal caller searching for a team. Would he go to Carolina? Or the Saints? Or the Steelers?

https://twitter.com/x/status/1502399203007471616

This tweet from ESPN’s Adam Schefter has obvious problems, like framing a finding of no guilt as some sort of higher truth, which it is not. It also had, as of Monday afternoon, more than 79,000 likes.

What got lost in all the near-immediate talk about what team would trade for Watson was why he had been essentially benched for a full season in the first place. On March 16 of last year, Ashley Solis, then going by Jane Doe, filed a civil lawsuit saying Watson showed her his erect penis and moved his body so that his penis touched her hand during a massage appointment in 2020. Within a month, 22 other women joined Solis with similar lawsuits outlining more sexual misconduct, ranging from Watson touching them with his penis, to Watson exposing himself to them, to Watson ejaculating on them during massage appointments. In three cases, the women said Watson forced them to give him oral sex.

Since then, all the women were forced to refile their lawsuits using their real names. One woman chose to drop her lawsuit instead, leaving the total, including Solis, at 22. The same day that the no bills were announced, Watson sat for a deposition in several of those lawsuits. He invoked his Fifth Amendment right during those depositions, The New York Times reported, but he will not in future ones scheduled for the other lawsuits.

To hear the NFL insiders tell it, the biggest concern right now is will the league suspend Watson and for how long. But documents in all those ongoing civil suits reveal there are still a lot of questions that the women and their lawyers are trying to get answered—about Watson’s conduct as well as what the Houston Texans did or did not know.

In civil court, the legal team for the 22 women, led by lawyer Tony Buzbee, has been slowly poking away at questions that a lot of people have had since Solis first spoke. One set of questions asked by them: Did Watson pay the legal fees for any of the 18 women who provided statements of support, as well as a few other women associated with Watson? And did they help the women find their own lawyers?

In a response filed in court, Watson’s lawyer, Rusty Hardin, wrote that his office did refer three women to lawyers: Jasmine Brooks, Magen Weisheit, and Dionne Louis.

Brooks is one of the 18 women who provided a supporting statement to Watson’s legal team, saying she’d massaged Watson 40 times without having an “uncomfortable or inappropriate” experience with him. Weisheit is a massage therapist who worked on Watson and referred other massage therapists to work with him. And Louis is the owner of a spa where two of the plaintiffs worked when they saw Watson as a client.

Buzbee’s team called Brooks as a witness because, in April of last year, Buzbee shared with reporters a series of text messages that he said Brooks had sent. In the messages, a woman identified by Buzbee as Brooks said that she stopped working with Watson because she was “hearing too much stuff about him messing with other people.” The full transcript of Brooks’ deposition isn’t available in the public court file. But, in a filing to the judge, Buzbee’s team described what she said this way:


Buzbee’s team also has been trying to learn more information about the Texans and their role in Watson booking massages. In one document, Buzbee asked Watson to list the number of massages arranged for him by the Texans, the number of massages he received by Texans staff, agents or personnel, and the number of massages he received that were paid for by the Texans. Buzbee’s team also asked for the dates and locations of those massages, who performed them, how Watson paid for them, and how much he paid. Hardin objected to all.

In the same document, Buzbee’s team asked Watson to admit that he had received a massage that was arranged by the Texans; or paid for by the Texans; or performed by an employee of the Texans organization, or an agent for the Texans; or performed at the Texans facility between March 15, 2020 and Dec. 31, 2020. For all five admissions, Hardin answered that Watson would neither admit or deny.

In August of last year, Defector reached out to three different employees of Genuine Touch, the company contracted by the Texans for massage therapy. All three refused to answer questions regarding Watson, though one person said they did participate in the NFL investigation and the Houston police investigation. “I can’t talk or I will lose my contract [with the Texans],” she said.

In late January, Buzbee’s office sent a press release to the media and attached to it the full transcript of Weisheit’s deposition. Weisheit asserted her Fifth Amendment right on most questions, refusing to answer if she knew Watson, and whether she arranged massage appointments for him, his preferences in massages, and whether she’d massaged him herself. She refused a question on her relationship with the Texans, whether she sent photos of massage therapists to Watson ahead of their appointment, and another question about how much money she made from referring him to other therapists.


And later:


Weisheit did admit to speaking to Sports Illustrated. She is “Susan,” the woman who referred Watson to “Mary,” the anonymous massage therapist who spoke to SI last March about her experience being sexually harassed by Watson in a massage appointment. Weisheit told SI much more than she would answer in her deposition.


Weisheit also said that she had talked to Houston police twice, but would not say if she was being investigated by the police.

In August, Defector called Masako Jones, one of the 18 women who supported Watson, to ask her about Weisheit. Jones was referred to work with Watson through Weisheit. Jones said that in late May or early June, Weisheit called her to let her know that “HPD had pretty much grilled her and that she didn’t anticipate that they would need to talk to me because she pretty much shut down any sort of thoughts that they had that she was running some sort of shady massage madame business.”

THE REST OF THE STORY
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This is a bombshell. There’s a real problem for the Watson camp, that Magen Weisheit spoke to SI as “Susan” saying she was aware of what Watson was doing and then decided not to answer questions in her deposition. Also, telling one of the 18 women in support of Watson, essentially to not worry about speaking to the police....
 
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CloakNNNdagger said:
Weisheit told SI much more than she would answer in her deposition.
Click to expand...
That article convinced me Watson is guilty.

I understood then as I understand now it's still difficult to prove in a criminal court. But he's going to have trouble with the civil suits if Weisheit testifies & she should be called for every trial.


CloakNNNdagger said:
In August of last year, Defector reached out to three different employees of Genuine Touch, the company contracted by the Texans for massage therapy.
Click to expand...
Texans are screwed if any of these providers complained to the Texans.
 
Magen Weisheit and other potential witnesses that have been deposed will have a very big problem when they are subpoenaed to testify as a witness in court.............witnesses in civil court may take the 5 th to protect oneself, not someone else............with potentially great peril to themselves. If they use the plead inappropriately, they can face contempt and be subject to fine and jail time.

In 1995 in Matter of C.C., the court did not apply the principle of §2513: “ ‘[T]he Fifth Amendment does not forbid adverse inferences against parties to civil actions when they refuse to testify in response to probative evidence offered against them: the Amendment ‘does not preclude the inference where the privilege is claimed by a party to a civil case.’ … Moreover, ‘[f]ailure of a party who is present at the trial to answer questions based on the privilege against self-incrimination raises a strong inference that the answers would have been unfavorable and damaging to him, and comment to that effect is proper.’” Id. at 244.
Practical considerations

A civil case may proceed even if a party may be subject to criminal prosecution. Evidence cannot be coerced from that party, but can be discovered and placed in evidence when it comes from another source. The question will be whether evidence from third-party sources will be sufficient to prove or defend a claim.
 
Texansballer74 said:
Dang, this is not good for the Texans.

sports.yahoo.com

Source: Two of Deshaun Watson’s 22 civil cases could be scheduled for July — or they all may be pushed to 2023

A moratorium may pause legal proceedings from August 1, 2022 to March 1, 2023, which could push any potential NFL punishment into next season's salary.
sports.yahoo.com sports.yahoo.com
Click to expand...

I disagree, in the long run it maybe better for the Texans. While 22 is not the throw away year 21 was it is another rebuild year and a chance for Lovie to get things set plus for us to see what we have in Mills. Even if Cleveland plays well in 22 I don't the Texans will all that much so we'll have our own high pick to help with the rebuild and the Cleveland one will be gravy. Then by 23 we should be ready to make some noise and be more competitive so Watson getting suspended that year and Cleveland bombing would help us when, hopefully, our own pick isn't so high.
 
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thunderkyss said:
That article convinced me Watson is guilty.

I understood then as I understand now it's still difficult to prove in a criminal court. But he's going to have trouble with the civil suits if Weisheit testifies & she should be called for every trial.



Texans are screwed if any of these providers complained to the Texans.
Click to expand...

True but I doubt they did, we know that Watson didn't get grabby with all his therapists and most of the team massages are in more open, public areas in the sense that it wouldn't just be Watson and the therapist. Watson himself provided coverage for the Texans when he said that they weren't aware he was seeking out all these different women. First rule is go after the deepest pockets but the second rule is go after the one you can actually win. Texans have deeper pockets but proving that they knew about it and enabled him would be very hard to do.
 
maverick512000 said:
we know that Watson didn't get grabby with all his therapists and most of the team massages are in more open, public areas in the sense that it wouldn't just be Watson and the therapist
Click to expand...
We don't "know" this.

& while "most" are public, it seems Buzbee is asking if any were private.

To me, this seems like something Watson "can't" control & pathological

Again I'm not saying this as fact. Only that I believe Buzbee is trying to "prove" this is pathological.

Regardless if it was reported to the Texans.

maverick512000 said:
Texans have deeper pockets but proving that they knew about it and enabled him would be very hard to do.
Click to expand...
I'm not even thinking about them "enabling" him. What if Genuine Touch was told not to provide services to Watson. Then the question is why?
 
maverick512000 said:
I disagree, in the long run it maybe better for the Texans. While 22 is not the throw away year 21 was it is another rebuild year and a chance for Lovie to get things set plus for us to see what we have in Mills. Even if Cleveland plays well in 22 I don't the Texans will all that much so we'll have our own high pick to help with the rebuild and the Cleveland one will be gravy. Then by 23 we should be ready to make some noise and be more competitive so Watson getting suspended that year and Cleveland bombing would help us when, hopefully, our own pick isn't so high.
Click to expand...

Makes sense... also that'd be a "whoops" on the Browns and WD40 with the $1M first year contract
 
thunderkyss said:
We don't "know" this.

& while "most" are public, it seems Buzbee is asking if any were private.

To me, this seems like something Watson "can't" control & pathological

Again I'm not saying this as fact. Only that I believe Buzbee is trying to "prove" this is pathological.

Regardless if it was reported to the Texans.


I'm not even thinking about them "enabling" him. What if Genuine Touch was told not to provide services to Watson. Then the question is why?
Click to expand...

I'm guessing Buzbee already thought of that and didn't find anything which would go with why he asked if the Texans knew anything because if Watson said yes then it would be worth digging deeper since he said no then that is most likely the end of it.
 
maverick512000 said:
if Watson said yes then it would be worth digging deeper since he said no then that is most likely the end of it.
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I don't think Buzbee is waiting on Watson's statements. He doesn't believe a word Watson is saying & is just trying to catch him in a lie. That's why he wants to talk to Genuine Touch employees.
 
thunderkyss said:
I don't think Buzbee is waiting on Watson's statements. He doesn't believe a word Watson is saying & is just trying to catch him in a lie. That's why he wants to talk to Genuine Touch employees.
Click to expand...

Its not about believing Watson its about what is on record now. I agree he is trying to catch him in a lie but Buzbee is to smart and been doing this to long not to have first investigated if there was any sign the Texans knew about this and tried in anyway to cover it up. Remember Buzbee doesn't care about the criminal side really he cares about getting the most money and again Texans have deeper pockets. I could very well be wrong though.
 
Genuine Touch Massage Therapy Website

Genuine Touch Massage Therapy began providing world class massage therapy to the residents of the Greater Houston area since 1994. Contracted with the Houston Texans since the teams establishment in 2002 and working with the Houston Rockets starting in 1994,


Where will my massage or bodywork session take place?
Your massage or bodywork session will take place in a warm, comfortable, quiet room. Soft music may be played to help you relax. You will lie on a table especially designed for your comfort.

Must I be completely undressed?
Most massage and bodywork techniques are traditionally performed with the client unclothed; however, it is entirely up to you what you want to wear. You should undress to your level of comfort. You will be properly draped during the entire session.

Will the practitioner be present when I disrobe?
The practitioner will leave the room while you undress, relax onto the table, and cover yourself with a clean sheet or towel.

Will I be covered during the session?
You will be properly draped at all times to keep you warm and comfortable. Only the area being worked on will be exposed.

What parts of my body will be massaged?
A typical full-body session will include work on your back, arms, legs, feet, hands, head, neck, and shoulders.
 
CloakNNNdagger said:
Genuine Touch Massage Therapy Website

Genuine Touch Massage Therapy began providing world class massage therapy to the residents of the Greater Houston area since 1994. Contracted with the Houston Texans since the teams establishment in 2002 and working with the Houston Rockets starting in 1994,


Where will my massage or bodywork session take place?
Your massage or bodywork session will take place in a warm, comfortable, quiet room. Soft music may be played to help you relax. You will lie on a table especially designed for your comfort.

Must I be completely undressed?
Most massage and bodywork techniques are traditionally performed with the client unclothed; however, it is entirely up to you what you want to wear. You should undress to your level of comfort. You will be properly draped during the entire session.

Will the practitioner be present when I disrobe?
The practitioner will leave the room while you undress, relax onto the table, and cover yourself with a clean sheet or towel.

Will I be covered during the session?
You will be properly draped at all times to keep you warm and comfortable. Only the area being worked on will be exposed.

What parts of my body will be massaged?
A typical full-body session will include work on your back, arms, legs, feet, hands, head, neck, and shoulders.
Click to expand...
And butt hole
 
IDEXAN said:
I'm sure glad that Watson is outta here so we can concentrate on Texans football and not worry about all the issues we had when he was on the team, but as a disinterested bystander for a form of amusement IMO it still seems to me that the Watson side has a very strong PR position by having two different GJs decide not to go to trial, and lets face it you know that's all that Goodell and the league ultimately really care about - PR for selling tickets & merchandise, & Cable/TV deals.
Not saying that's right, just saying like always it comes down to the greenbacks and that's how the world works.
Click to expand...

Correct, except owners will want a pound of flesh for the contract Haslem signed Derrick too.

This truly will come down to the greenbacks.
 
leebigeztx said:
You're making assumptions about the trade demand. Match it up and you will see the trade demands before the accusations. Believe what you want.
Click to expand...

(Moved here out of courtesy to other posters.)

You haven’t been following the story.

Watson was directly informed in December of 2020 of a pending lawsuit.

In January a MT and her boyfriend contacted Watson’s agency/lawyer trying to get a settlement and a NDA.

Watson asked for a trade last week of January feeling the heat. Days later the equipment manager was fired. (Probably the one who lent Watson a massage table.)

Then Buzbee contacts Watson’s agency/lawyer The first week of February.

Someone correct me if I am wrong.
 
CloakNNNdagger said:
For those who might not know, Tres Wingo currently is the Chief NFL Analyst at Pro Football Network.
Click to expand...
So that's where Wingo ended up, as I hadn't seen lately.
At the very least a double digit (# of Games) suspension if not for the entire season.
Well I certainly don't have a clue, so we shall see if Wingo knows what he's talking about ?
 
'Backed into a corner:' Why the lawsuits against Deshaun Watson could take a heavy toll
USA TODAY Sports gathered court records and spoke to legal experts who say Deshaun Watson is under increasing pressure in these cases and “backed into a corner."



Brent Schrotenboer
USA TODAY
Sometime in the next three weeks, NFL quarterback Deshaun Watson will be forced to produce a series of answers about his prolific history of massages, including the following:

► Of the 22 women who are suing him, which of them does he claim to have had consensual sex?

► Of the 18 other women who supported him publicly last year, which of those did he have sex with, if any?

► He also must list all other women who gave him a massage from June 2, 2019, to June 2, 2020, including their email addresses and Instagram handles, according to court records.

“These are very extensive requests,” one of Watson’s attorneys, Leah Graham, told the judge in a hearing last week that was monitored online by USA TODAY Sports.

But the judge determined they were relevant to the lawsuits he faces in Houston and ordered him to provide the information within 30 days. It’s all part of the pretrial evidence discovery process that has intensified recently, more than a year after 22 women sued him and accused him of sexual misconduct during massage sessions.

Even after two criminal grand juries declined to indict him in the 10 cases that were reported to police, these civil lawsuits proceed separately and still could take a big toll on him in several ways.

To assess the stakes, USA TODAY Sports gathered court records and spoke to legal experts who say Watson is under increasing pressure in these cases and “backed into a corner” just a few weeks after being given a blockbuster contract with the Cleveland Browns.

Why the civil cases still matter

The 22 women who have sued him generally accuse him of exposing himself and causing unwanted touching during massage sessions from early 2020 to March 2021, often after he initiated contact with them on Instagram. Watson has denied wrongdoing. His attorney, Rusty Hardin, said the women are lying but there were “sometimes consensual encounters.”


As part of these lawsuits, Watson has been forced to testify in depositions and answer written questions about these appointments. His attorneys objected to many of those questions and declined to answer them, leading to the court hearing last week, when Harris County District Court Judge Rabeea Sultan Collier compelled him to answer some.

“Watson is being backed into a corner,” said David Ring, an attorney in Los Angeles who has represented sex assault victims but is not involved in the Watson litigation. “He has to settle these cases. The longer they go on and the more he admits to any kind of sex acts with masseuses, the more he is placing his NFL career in jeopardy. There will be a tipping point where even though he got off criminally, the civil cases could irreparably damage his reputation and his career.”

Embarrassing details about him could spill into public court and the news media as the cases bring more scrutiny on his behavior. Hardin already has accused the women’s attorney, Tony Buzbee, of selectively leaking information from the proceedings to make Watson look terrible. And even though Watson avoided criminal charges, that doesn’t mean he was declared “innocent” or cleared of questionable or disturbing conduct.

Buzbee previously compared the situation to the separate criminal and civil trials of O.J. Simpson, the former football star. Simpson was acquitted of double murder in a criminal trial in 1995 but later was found liable for the killings in civil court.

The NFL is watching these civil cases, too

The league is conducting its own investigation and could discipline Watson with a suspension.

“We are closely monitoring all developments in the matter which remains under review of the personal conduct policy,” NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy told USA TODAY Sports.

But all or most of these civil cases might not go to trial until after February, as reported by USA TODAY Sports this month. This was part of deal between the sides to avoid the football season for Watson.

Will the league wait until the civil cases are resolved before deciding on discipline?

“We are not going to speculate on a timeline for decisions while the review is ongoing,” McCarthy said.

Beyond that, sponsors also have an interest in what happens. Several dropped or suspended deals with Watson after the allegations mounted last year, including Nike.

“An adverse civil verdict would also almost certainly close the door on any endorsement deals in the future,” said Kenneth Williams, professor at South Texas College of Law Houston.

The Browns traded for Watson anyway and gave him a contract with the most guaranteed money in NFL history – $230 million over five years.

Two weeks later, the judge ruled he must answer questions about his sexual history with at least 40 women who gave him massages, including the 22 plaintiffs.

Graham, his attorney, had fought this, saying these questions from plaintiffs were overly broad and not relevant to the individual cases at hand. She suggested his legal team might appeal to a higher court.

Why the judge’s decision is a big deal

After the lawsuits against Watson started in March 2021, Hardin tried to take some heat off his client by publicly releasing a list of 18 other therapists who supported him and said they didn’t experience trouble during their interactions with him.

But the attorneys for the plaintiffs wanted to know something else about these 18 women. If Watson had sexual relations with them, they believe it will show Watson routinely entered massage appointments with sexual intentions even though that feeling was not mutual with all the women he contacted for massages.

“Any additional instances of sexual relations between he and other massage therapists makes his accusers more believable,” Williams said. “These additional instances of sexual relations between Watson and other therapists is likely to be admitted as evidence of his intent and therefore problematic should the case go to trial. The women would be able to testify at any trial even if they are not suing him. Thus, he has a very strong incentive to settle before the cases go to trial.”

Buzbee told USA TODAY Sports that Watson admitted in a pretrial deposition that he engaged in consensual oral sex with at least one plaintiff. That plaintiff denies it was consensual. But this admission gives Buzbee an opening to show he’s “reaching out to these women for that very purpose” and pushing them to get it, Buzbee said.

Last week the judge ruled Watson also must identify the plaintiffs with whom he had sex, what he was given consent to do, when consent was given and the method by which he received consent, according to court records.

In another development, the plaintiffs' attorneys started expanding the scope of the lawsuits by adding claims of negligence against Watson.
 
https://twitter.com/x/status/1515042039892791302
Reminder: Burney said in his deposition that Watson got the NDA’s from the Texans

Watson, in his deposition, said he never told the team about anything.

Burney shouldn’t have lied about those NDAs....because Buzbee could be setting up at going after him and Athletes first if Burney knew about any allegations and set up the hotel rooms.
 
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