Internet response after judge denies Amber Heard’s request to have Johnny Depp’s trial victory overturned: “Hopefully it’s over.”
Amber Heard
A Virginia court has denied Amber Heard’s request for a mistrial in her well-known defamation case against her separated husband Johnny Depp. The judge said there is no justification to overturn the $10 million judgment against her.
Following the judge’s revised decision, Johnny Depp supporters criticized the American actress on Twitter for opposing the motion. One person called the judge’s decision “excellent” and added, “Hopefully it’s over for good.”
The 36-year-old actress’ defense team requested that the June 1 verdict be set aside in a move submitted on June 8 due to allegations of a phony jury. They claimed that one of the seven chosen jurors did not get a summons addressed to them and that Juror No. 15 was actually another member of the same household.
On July 13, however, Judge Penney Azcarate denied the application, arguing that Heard’s legal team ought to have challenged the verdict earlier. The judge also said that the decision was correct.
“Defendant makes no claims that the jury’s selection of Juror Fifteen in any way disadvantaged her. The juror underwent screening, served on the jury as a whole, deliberated, and rendered a decision. The sole proof in front of the court is that this juror and all other jurors adhered to their oaths, the court’s rules, and its directions. The jury’s expert judgment is binding on this court.
Reactions on Twitter to Amber Heard’s rejected plea
Supporters of Johnny Depp cheered the judge’s decision to reject Amber Heard’s plea, and some even mocked her attorney’s attempts to appeal the ruling. One supporter claimed that Heard’s attorney Elaine Bredehoft was aware of the purportedly bogus statements.
What was said about the allegedly phony juror by Amber Heard’s team?
Two people with the same last name lived at the home where the summons was received in April 2022, according to a court plea submitted on June 8. The summons was for a 77-year-old man, but when it came time for jury service, the other local, a 52-year-old, turned up as Juror 15.
The public has not been informed of the person’s identity as of yet.
Heard’s team wrote the following in the documents:
“As a result, the 52-year-old (redacted) who served on the panel for six weeks never received a summons for jury duty on April 11 and failed to “appear in the list,” as required. In this instance, it seems that Juror No. 15 was not the person identified on the jury panel. As a result, Ms. Heard’s right to due process was violated. A mistrial should be ruled in this case, and a new trial should be scheduled.”
For an opinion piece she published in the Washington Post in 2018, Amber Heard was sued by Johnny Depp for $50 million. She identified herself as “a public person representing domestic abuse” and claimed to have experienced domestic abuse in the article.
Although she did not specifically mention Depp, his attorneys claimed that the piece implied that Heard was referring to the actor. They demanded money from his ex-wife in retaliation for damaging his reputation in the workplace.