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The Deshaun Watson saga took an unexpected turn.
A sexual assault case was filed against the Texas quarterback. Lawyer Tony Buzbee revealed the dispute on Tuesday night. Buzbee told FOX 26 that Watson was receiving a massage from a woman and Watson “went too far”.
In a social media message Tuesday night, Watson addressed the situation.
“As a result of a social media post made by a plaintiff’s attorney seeking publicity, I recently learned of a process that apparently was moved against me”, Writes Watson. “I haven’t seen the complaint yet, but I know that: I’ve never treated any woman with anything other than the utmost respect. The plaintiff’s lawyer claims that it is not about money, but before filing the lawsuit he made an unsubstantiated six-figure settlement request, which I quickly rejected. Unlike him, it’s not about money for me – it’s about clearing my name, and I’m looking forward to doing that. “
The civil justice system has a low standard for proving allegations and an even lower level for making them. Watson may be right, but there is a process he will now have to navigate to prove it.
In the end, it could all come down to his word against the alleged victim’s word. This is something that a jury would have to resolve after hearing testimony and studying the behavior of witnesses at the trial.
Again, Watson can be totally right. But no civil action is dismissed simply because the defendant considers the claim to be unfounded – most defendants in these situations do so. The evidence developed or not will result in the conclusion on whether the accusations have merit or not, in the absence of a solution to the case.
Separated from the civil justice system is the NFL’s internal procedure for determining whether a violation of the Personal Conduct Policy has occurred. The league often investigates such complaints separately from the formal legal process. It remains to be seen what the league will do in this case; the first step will certainly involve a thorough examination of the judicial process.