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It is widely believed that the Houston grand jury’s decision on March 11 not to indict Browns quarterback Deshawn Watson means he will never face criminal prosecution for any events related to the habit of harassing masseurs via social media and having some encounters become sexy. It may not be.
First, complaints can be filed again with a grand jury as long as the statute of limitations has not expired. The danger doesn’t set in until the jury is in for the trial. During the grand jury stage, charges may be brought multiple times.
Second, the federal government could intervene if it believes Watson specifically paid to transport someone across state lines for sexual encounters. Lawyer Tony Bazby has attempted to initiate such an investigation in the past. From the looks of it, he didn’t get any traction.
However, the Department of Justice does not usually put up a billboard about its investigations. It’s still possible that the feds might look into this matter. It is possible that they are secret.
Watson’s legal team is confident he’s fine. Otherwise, attorney Rusty Hardin would have prevented Watson from testifying in 22 civil cases after a grand jury decided not to indict him nine days ago.
None of this means anything else will happen. But the door has not been permanently closed to potential prosecution, either at the state or federal level.