The article from Jenny Vrentas of the New York Times that allegedly exposed Deshaun Watson of seeing 66 different women for massages over a 17-month period also had other vital information that raised eyebrows.
It spoke on extensive communications between lawyer Rusty Hardin, who is Watson’s lawyer, and assistant district attorney Johna Staliings.
Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg, who runs the prosecutor’s office in Houston, was recently interviewed by Mike Melster and responded to the report.
“Totally normal,” Ogg said. “We contact defense lawyers. They contact us. A communication is far different than collaborating or working together to achieve an outcome. That just didn’t happen. It’s not ethical. And it’s not what we do. And it’s not what happened in this case.”
Ogg also spoke on Vrentas and her characterization of the communications between Hardin and Stallings.
“So I think there was a lot of artistic liberty taken by the writer in that case, who made a presumption — which we’re not allowed to do — that anytime someone shares a text of a phone call, that they’re colluding,” Ogg said. “We don’t work with the plaintiffs’ lawyers, for the reason I said. We don’t want the cross-contamination, if you will, of a bias or motive being alleged against us in terms of trying to put our fingers on the scale in our system to help the other side. So it’s different when you’re dealing with a criminal defense lawyer, they’re representing a person we can’t talk to without them, who we need to notify about where to be or what to do.”
Ogg also addressed the fact that Hardin was allowed to provide a “packet” for presentation to the grand jury.
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“When they have a packet as was talked about in this case, it’s funny, that’s just a local custom, allowing defense lawyers to put together a packet,” Ogg said. “You won’t find any support for it in the law, you won’t find any protocol for it because it’s something that’s just been crafted through literally practice between our criminal defense bar and our prosecutors. And what we do is they put together what they want the grand jury to see or hear, and we’ll present it. And we present it because we want to know, too. What’s their side? What are they presenting? And remember, we cannot compel their client, or target, to testify.”
Attorney Tony Buzbee, who represents the 24 women who have sued Watson in civil court, posted a statement criticizing the extent to which Hardin and the prosecutor communicated.
“I personally contacted the Harris County DA’s office one time on behalf of the victims to make available to her my clients and any evidence I had collected. My team also did so. They wouldn’t even talk to us!”
Buzbee continued, “I had no idea that the Assistant District Attorney was regularly corresponding with Deshaun Watson’s lawyer by email and text; I didn’t know that the Assistant District Attorney actually went to Hardin’s office to discuss the cases; I didn’t know that Watson’s lawyer provided a PowerPoint that was to be used before the grand jury. I didn’t know, but know now after speaking to the investigating officer under oath, that the police investigation team was convinced that Watson had committed more than ten sexual crimes, or that the ADA had prevented the investigating officers from talking to the women who had filed lawsuits but had not filed criminal complaints.
And what I do know is that, of the multiple criminal complainants in Houston, only one was asked by the ADA to appear in front of the grand jury, even though other victims were standing by to do so. As a taxpayer, and more importantly as the advocate for these women, I feel “home towned” in my own home town, and duped. I think the public and all interested were duped as well. Makes you wonder. . . Thank God for the civil justice system.”
Watson is facing 24 active civil lawsuits filed by massage therapists, each detailing graphic accounts of sexual harassment and sexual assault that occurred during massage therapy sessions.
The quarterback denied assaulting, harassing, or disrespecting any woman during his introductory press conference with Cleveland in March.
