In a significant legal development, Houston Texans player Charles Ward is facing a civil lawsuit stemming from allegations of domestic violence. The unnamed plaintiff is claiming more than $20 million in damages in Harris County District Court. The federal lawsuit filed on behalf of Ward’s family follows the 24-year-old’s violent arrest on June 12. Now he’s being sued for all the physical and sexual abuse charges.
Plaintiff claims Ward was engaged in a pattern of violence. These range from slapping her, to choking and threatening her life, and forcing her to perform oral sex on him. These violent incidents allegedly took place very early on the day of Ward’s arrest. Even more disturbingly, the plaintiff claims that these attacks occurred in view of their three-year-old child.
Ward, who is now 34 years old, is being represented by attorney Stephen Jackson. Since his arrest, Ward has purportedly reached out to the plaintiff, an action that breaches the conditions of his bond agreement. This newly exposed breach only deepens the concern about an already bad situation.
Ward’s criminal case will be presented to a grand jury starting on August 31. Prosecutors would then review the evidence, including testimony from the victims, in determining whether to pursue charges.
“Our main focus right now is the grand jury, that is set for the first week of September, to try to convince the grand jury that Jimmy should not be indicted.” – Stephen Jackson
Ward’s allegations ring true to recent complaints about player behavior off the field in the NFL. Former Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson faced dozens of sexual misconduct and assault claims. Tony Buzbee, attorney for such battles. It should be noted that Watson is not a party to the ongoing lawsuit against Ward.
Ward has gotten into trouble with the law just this year. Earlier this month, he got arrested again, this time for being a minor in possession of alcohol. This habit of abusing his power calls into question the personal character, conduct and accountability of Mr. Wolf.
“We’re going to take this one step at a time. We’re going to focus on the criminal allegations to try to get those dismissed, and then we’ll focus on the civil suit.” – Stephen Jackson
Nick Caserio, the Texans’ General Manager, addressed the ongoing saga, stressing the need to let legal matters play out.
“We will work with the league. We will be compliant on our end, do the best we can.” – Nick Caserio
As this case unfolds, both the civil lawsuit and pending criminal charges will likely impact Ward’s career and the organization’s response to player conduct issues. The Texans and their management are poised to navigate these challenges while keeping an eye on developments in the legal arena.
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