Deshaun Watson Will Not Face Criminal Charges For The Sexual Assault And Inappropriate Conduct Allegations Made Against Him

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ESPN- A grand jury has 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. The announcement on Friday came nearly a year after the first civil lawsuit was filed against Watson.

A grand jury in Harris County returned nine no bills on the nine criminal complaints presented to it. The grand jury process does not require a unanimous vote. According to prosecutor Johna Stallings, the criminal proceedings in Harris County have concluded.

"Today we presented nine criminal complaints for consideration by the grand jury. Beginning at 9 o'clock this morning, we presented evidence for over six hours for the grand jury to consider, as well as having witnesses available for those persons to testify in front of the grand jury," said Stallings, division chief of adult sex crimes and trafficking at the Harris County District Attorney's Office. "And the grand jury considered all of that evidence and returned nine no bills against Deshaun Watson involving these nine criminal complaints. We respect the grand jury's decision and … conclude the criminal proceedings in Harris County."

Eight of the women who sued Watson filed criminal complaints against him with Houston police and appeared before the grand jury. Two other women who didn't sue Watson also filed police complaints. The grand jury was presented with nine of those complaints. The FBI also had been reviewing the allegations.

The NFL news cycle continues to ramp into overdrive, with this announcement being a doozy that just happened to drop smack dab in the middle of the Friday news dump timeframe. 

I think I speak for everyone that this was a wild story the second it came out and only got wilder/uglier as more women came forward. However, Watson has been cleared of criminal charges in a court of law after all those allegations were made but could still face civil charges and the NFL could still suspend him as Roger Goodell sees fit. Watson's lawyer added his two cents as well.

Since this is the NFL and a 24/7 news cycle, all of the insiders are already putting together the pieces of what a Watson trade would look like now that criminal charges are not going to happen.

I feel like Watson has been linked to no less than half the teams in the NFL since last year before the criminal charges were wiped out today, so we'll have to see where things go from here.