Tony buzbee filing lawsuit against Deshaun Watson? Hints at mistreating women

To clarify: it happened in Canada and she went to Mexico because she didn't want to testify against him, and wanted him to be a part of her and their child's life. So I'd say the system worked out like she wanted.

 

In that sense, sure. In terms of the person who actually committed a crime receiving any punishment for that crime whatsoever, I'd say it didn't.

 

Nope, no substantial jail time, but it did cost him ~$2.5M

 

Sometimes "punishing" that person in the court's eyes actually punishes the victim and child just as much. That isn't a black and white issue. If the victim wanted him to be a part of her and their child's life, him avoiding legal punishment is a good way to start.

 

Is it a problem though?

Basically, the women interviewed by the NFL say they were not respectful by asking them questions like "what were they wearing" during the massage session with Watson. They said they felt like the NFL was trying to trip them up in contrast to interviews done with law enforcement where they could speak freely. However, the article even acknowledges that since NFL only gets one meeting with the women for an interview they have to ask questions. NFL doesn't have subpoena power. Also, in the complaints filed the women claim Deshaun asked them to dress a certain way so they were trying to see if that part was true and whether they complied with the request. Since Tony has been sitting with the women during the interviews, they feel much better about the process.

Also, this article asks why the NFL hasn't placed Watson on the exempt list since it leads many to believe there's nothing to the allegations while leaving these women "twisting in the wind." But the NFL's investigation is ongoing and active since they still haven't been given access to interview many of the plaintiffs due to the ongoing criminal investigation. It's not fair to place Watson on the exempt list while the legal process is playing out. That doesn't mean he's innocent, it just means that the investigation is still in process.

 

SI has honestly been the worst about throwing out opinion pieces instead of reporting the literal facts. Every article is littered with the author viewpoints.

 

OK, but I think we're just arguing semantics at this point. My overall point wasn't that the outcome of Osuna's case was necessarily best or not for his wife, it's that professional athletes are not typically held accountable for their actions in cases of domestic violence or sexual assault. He's one example in a sea of examples of professional athletes who got off with a slap on the wrist when they probably would have gotten jail time if they were your average working Joes.

It's why I disagree with the point of "let the court system decide if Watson did something wrong." He absolutely committed multiple crimes here, regardless of whether this ever gets to trial or he's found guilty.

 

I think he should be on the exempt list, and it's a bad look for the NFL to have him out there on the practice field while the investigation is ongoing. If the NFL can't come to a reasonable conclusion before the season starts and by some miracle, he actually steps on the field to play football in Week 1, what happens if mid-season the NFL's investigation unearths some pretty serious stuff or Watson is found guilty in a court system? He'll have been playing football that whole time—to me, that's inexcusable.

I'm not usually a fan of the way MLB handles off-the-field stuff, but look at the Trevor Bauer case. They were mid-season, and the second that stuff came out and the investigation began, he hasn't thrown a pitch for the Dodgers since. I feel like the NFL should have handled this case similarly.

 

DV outcomes like this also happen with non-professional athletes, all the time, so I'm not buying the athlete cop-out.

 

I think the difference between Bauer and Watson is that Bauer's accuser immediately went to the police, got her injuries examined by a doctor, and then filed a restraining order. Watson's accusers didn't go to the police at first. Solis sought legal help from an attorney and then other alleged victims heard about it and decided to speak up after Buzbee's firm picked up the case. I'm not saying this discredits Solis' story, but with Bauer there was more evidence of his guilt in contrast to allegations the massage therapists are making against Watson.

And majority of the allegations, if true, only amount to a misdemeanor for the sexual contact Watson allegedly tried to initiate during the session. Only a couple of women said that he "coerced" them into oral sex (not forced....coerced). So it's entirely possible that a few women felt pressure to consent to sex, gave in, and then felt bad about what happened afterward. That would still be terrible behavior from Watson, but not a felony. It looks like with Bauer there's more evidence (e.g. photos of injuries, restraining order request, etc.) to add credibility to the accuser's accusations.

The NFL investigation is still ongoing. I get fairness for the accuser but there should also be a fair process for the accused. Making a premature decision to put Watson on the exempt list to keep him out of sight when he hasn't had a chance to defend himself in either the NFL investigation or the civil case is not fair to Watson. And the civil case could take years if a settlement isn't reached so it wouldn't be fair to keep Watson on the exempt list all that time.

 

Does it happen? Sure. But you can't honestly tell me that professional athletes are treated the same in the court system as your average person. I don't buy that for a second.

 

Anyone with money has access to more resources and therefore has a better chance of escaping severe penalties.

Money is the key, not athletic prowess.

Is it fair? No. Welcome to the real world.

 

The Trevor Bauer situation had published text messages, photos, hospital records, a restaining order, etc. The Watson case, at this point, simply doesn't have that level of detail and secondary evidence.

I think the bigger question that should be asked is why the HPD investigation taking so long. There's no new evidence to be uncovered here - it's interviewing the therapists and Watson and copies of whatever communications/etc they had. I'm not sure what is the reason for the delays there - it seems unfair to everyone involved.

 

I never said it was fair, chief. I know how the real world works. But there ought to be consequences for your actions in 2021, regardless if the court system finds you guilty or not. If the NFL never comes down on Watson, and he's just allowed to play football like nothing happened, then any credibility the league has gained by cracking down on abusers of women will be lost. Watson's sponsors knew well enough to drop him the second all this news broke. At some point the NFL and the Texans need to get smart and do the same thing—the NFL through (at least) a length suspension, and the Texans by cutting or trading him.

 

oh boy

 

But does he still want a trade?

 

So would the charges be for trafficking? Send a weird charge. Send like prostitution would fit more if that were the case...

If he were trafficking, does it open the girls up for prostitution charges as well?


A lot to unpack there. Also, Instagram is basically the classifieds for escorts...

 

Maybe it's the one from Atlanta that he flew here.

 

If there are criminal charges, he has to be put on commissioners list right?