HOUSTON (WJW) – Attorneys representing Deshaun Watson are asking a judge to decide if the Cleveland Browns quarterback needs to sit for depositions in several of the 22 lawsuits filed against him next week.

Attorney Tony Buzbee, who represents the 22 women accusing Watson of sexual misconduct, wants to take more pretrial deposition of Watson starting next week. The women filed the lawsuits last year.

Watson’s attorney, however, has filed an objection, stating Watson has started a new job and is not available.

“Mr. Watson recently moved out of state and currently lives in Ohio,” the motion filed by Atty. Rusty Hardin states. “He also has a full-time job that requires his presence in Ohio Monday through Friday. As a result, Mr. Watson is not available for depositions in Texas on the dates unilaterally noticed by Plaintiffs.”

Watson has already sat for some depositions and is willing to sit for additional depositions at a later time, his attorneys state. He has denied all of the allegations made by the women.

Attorneys for Watson have stated their client is available for depositions at other times, just not during the Browns off-season work-out program that started last week.

The motion further states that attorneys for Watson want to take the depositions of two of the women who filed suit against the quarterback.

“Additionally, Plaintiffs Shenee Lawson and Krystle DaRosa seek to depose Mr. Watson even though they have not yet sat for deposition and testified to their allegations under oath,” the motions states. “As
this Court has already ruled, Mr. Watson is not—and should not be—required to respond in a deposition to allegations that have not yet been asserted under oath. Stated differently, until Shenee Lawson and Krystle DaRosa appear for deposition, Mr. Watson should not be required to respond to the allegations drafted by the lawyers for which these Plaintiffs have not verified or confirmed under oath.”

A hearing on the matter has been set for May 3 in Harris County District Court.