Attorney: Deshaun Watson lawsuits may have different result than criminal process, trade has ‘chilling effect’

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Two grand juries in Texas declined to bring criminal charges against former Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson who was traded earlier this month to the Cleveland Browns – a deal that has since stirred questions about the organization's decision to bring him in despite 22 ongoing civil lawsuits alleging sexual assault and harassment. 

But a prominent Texas-based criminal attorney who specializes in sexual abuse cases, believes those civil cases will shed light on the victims’ claims. 

Michelle Simpson Tuegel, who has represented sexual abuse and assault survivors in high-profile cases such as the Larry Nassar litigation, told Fox News Digital in an interview Tuesday that she was not shocked by the Harris County and Brazoria County grand juries' decisions not to bring charges against Watson and that the outcome of those cases will not necessarily be the same in the civil proceedings. 

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"I think where people really miss certain things is that the criminal process commonly fails adult survivors and the burden of proof in a criminal case is a lot higher than in a civil case or in an administrative investigation – like what the NFL conducted or what schools conduct for sexual assault on campus – a similar administrative type of investigation of sexual misconduct," Simpson Tuegel explained.

Deshaun Watson #4 of the Houston Texans looks on prior to their game against the New England Patriots at NRG Stadium on November 22, 2020 in Houston, Texas. (Carmen Mandato/Getty Images)

"A lot of people think ‘well there’s no prosecution therefore these claims