Deshaun Watson lawsuits: Who is the Houston Texans star's lawyer Rusty Hardin?
Houston Texans star Deshaun Watson did his homework before hiring Rusty Hardin as his attorney to fight the lawsuits that have been filed against him. If there's one attorney every athlete calls when they're in trouble, it's Rusty Hardin, who has worked for some of the top athletes across all professional sports.
Rusty Hardin is no stranger to high-profile cases like the one he's currently in with Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson. Hardin believes that choosing a lawyer is a very personal decision. He has been a state prosecutor and knows how they think and work.
Rusty Hardin graduated from Southern Methodist University in 1975. After graduation, he began his career as an assistant district attorney. Over a 15-year period, Rusty Hardin tried over 100 felony cases and never lost. He has earned the Texas Prosecutor of the Year from the State Bar of Texas.
Deshaun Watson is in good hands with Rusty Hardin, who has an impeccable track record. He has represented clients like Dow Jones, ExxonMobil, Arkema, Rice University, J. Howard Marshall II against Anna Nicole Smith, and a number of athletes.
Let's take a look at why Deshaun Watson should feel good about hiring Rusty Hardin as his attorney.
Deshaun Watson lawsuits: Why should Deshaun Watson feel good about having Rusty Hardin as his attorney?
Deshaun Watson is not the first athlete to call Rusty Hardin for help during trouble. The lawyer has helped top athletes in the NFL, MLB, and NBA. Here are the NFL athletes that Rusty Hardin has represented over his career.
Adrian Peterson (Minnesota Vikings)
Adrian Peterson faced felony child abuse back in 2014, and was arrested in Montgomery County for beating his son with a tree branch also known as a switch.
Rusty Hardin defended Adrian Peterson by stating:
"He used the same kind of discipline with his child that he experienced as a child growing up in east Texas."
Adrian Peterson ended up agreeing to a plea deal. Rusty Hardin negotiated the plea deal down to a lesser charge of misdemeanor reckless assault. Peterson avoided jail time and was punished with fines and 80 hours of community service.
Warren Moon (Houston Oilers)
In 1986 Warren Moon was accused of choking and beating his wife Felicia Moon. At the time, Warren Moon was playing quarterback for the Minnesota Vikings. Felicia Moon did not want to press charges against her husband, but prosecutors pursued the case because Texas law forces assault victims to testify against their spouses.
Rusty Hardin represented Warren Moon and put together a solid defense for the NFL quarterback. It took eight days of testimony for the Fort Bend County jury to find Moon not guilty.
Michael Bennett (Seattle Seahawks)
Michael Bennett reached out to Rusty Hardin in 2017 after he was accused of injuring a security guard outside of NRG Stadium. Bennett was accused of pushing a 66-year old woman. The lady was in a wheelchair and said that Bennett pushed her arm while he was trying to get on the field after the Patriots came back to defeat the Atlanta Falcons in Super Bowl LI.
Michael Bennett was attempting to get on the field to congratulate his brother Martellus Bennett, who was playing tight end for the Patriots at the time. Michael Bennett faced a Harris County grand jury and was indicted on a felony charge of injuring the elderly. Rusty Hardin continued to work and got prosecutors to dismiss all charges against the Seattle Seahawks man.
Deshaun Watson (Houston Texans)
Deshaun Watson is the newest NFL athlete to hire Rusty Hardin. Watson is currently facing 16 different lawsuits for sexual assault. The lawyer did not take long to criticize the inconsistencies in the lawsuits that were filed.
Rusty Hardin denied all allegations against Deshaun Watson and, during an interview with TMZ Sports, had this to say about the lawsuits filed by attorney Tony Buzbee.
"I want to emphasize at the outset that we and Deshaun recognize that sexual assault and harassment are not only unlawful, but morally wrong. It takes courage for women to come forward to report being mistreated, particularly when they attach their names to a lawsuit. We do not take these allegations lightly. However, fairness to the accused is equally as important."
"Opposing counsel has orchestrated a circus-like atmosphere by using social media to publicize 14 'Jane Doe' lawsuits during the past seven days in a manner calculated to inflame the public and malign Deshaun's otherwise sterling reputation. In addition, the tactic of refusing our requests to confidentially provide the names of the plaintiffs so we can fully investigate their claims makes uncovering the truth extremely difficult. Anonymity is often necessary as a shield for victims but opposing counsel has used it as a sword to publicly humiliate Deshaun before the truth‑seeking process can even begin," stated Rusty Hardin.
Rusty Hardin understands the severity of the lawsuits that have been filed against Deshaun Watson and is handling the situation with care. Deshaun Watson should feel good about having Rusty Hardin on his side, as history suggests the lawyer will not stop until the Houston Texans QB's name is cleared of all the lawsuits against him.