Johnny Depp’s team has responded to Amber Heard’s motion to dismiss the verdict. Image Source: EW
Johnny Depp’s team has responded to Amber Heard’s motion to dismiss the verdict.
According to multiple reports, Johnny Depp’s team has responded to Amber Heard’s legal team’s motion that had been filed at Fairfax County Court, Virginia, in which the actress’ team has mentioned that they want the judge to dismiss the verdict that was announced on June 1, 2022, as one of the jurors who appeared for jury duty was not summoned for it and mentioned that the verdict was excessive and not supported with enough evidence adding that Amber Heard was deprived of due process.
Amber Heard’s team said that an unidentified 77-year-old person living at an address in Virginia was summoned to appear for jury duty, but a 52-year-old person living at the same address with the same last name showed up for jury duty he was picked for the trial. Because of this, team Amber Heard wants the judge to declare a mistrial and order a new trial. They have also mentioned that Amber Heard was not given a fair chance during the trial.
Now, Johnny Depp’s team has responded by asserting that the actress was found guilty in almost every way by the legitimate jury of peers. The papers also said that the actress had been upset by the jury's decision, which was not in her favor, and that there was no good reason to disregard the jury's conclusion. This announcement came after a six-week trial that was televised for the world to witness. The information acquired further said that the court should reject Amber Heard's unfounded argument and that it is obvious under Virginia law that a decision cannot be overturned unless it is incorrect or lacks sufficient evidence to sustain it.
Johnny Depp’s team further mentioned that the verdict that was announced was well supported by the overwhelming evidence, consistent with the law, and should not be set aside, and Johnny Depp respectfully submits the request that Amber Heard’s post-motion trial should be denied and describes it as frivolous.They have also mentioned that the amount that was awarded to the actor by the jury was solely based on the damage her op-ed had caused while stating that Johnny Depp deserved more but as it was always said that the case was never about the money but clearing his name.
Talking about the alleged juror mix-up, Johnny Depp’s team said that Juror Number 15 should not be the subject of Amber Heard's frantic, post-event demand for an investigation based on a fictitious inaccuracy in his birth date. They asserted that the actress had failed to show how the confusion over the jury would have violated her right to due process and made it clear that the juror had through the same screening as the other candidates. Amber Heard's side chose to bring up the issue after the verdict, despite Johnny Depp's team claiming that they had plenty of time to confirm the juror's facts and voice their concerns before the trial.
Johnny Depp's team which consists of Benjamin Chew and Camille Vasquez said that in a rare moment of candor, Amber Heard had admitted that she was aware of this purported discrepancy in juror number 15’s birth year from the start of the trial because juror number 15 was born post-1945 and the actress did not decide to raise the alleged discrepancy with the court at the time or any time during the six-week trial. Benjamin also mentioned that if Amber Heard's claims are to be believed then also she has not proved that she was prejudice due to the mix up of the jurors and said that the one who showed up was qualifed and was vetted just like every other jurors.
The verdict that was announced favored Johnny Depp as the jury believed that Amber Heard did defame the actor with her op-ed which went on to damage Johnny Depp's reputation and work in the industry, and thus, he won all three counts of defamation while she won only one. Johnny Depp was awarded $10.35 million, while Amber Heard was awarded $2 million. After the verdict was announced, Johnny Depp took to his social media to share a lengthy statement, sharing that six years ago his voice was taken away from him, but now six years later, the jury gave him his life back. He thanked everybody involved in the defamation trial for their support and patience.
On the other hand, Amber Heard was upset, and disappointed and said that the verdict is going to be a setback for women and stated that the amount of evidence she had against Johnny Depp was not enough to stand up against the disproportionate power, influence, and sway of her ex-husband. Johnny Depp has been traveling abroad with a friend and British guitarist Jeff Beck, with whom he is releasing an album this Friday, in the weeks after the decision. In a sit-down interview with Savannah Guthrie of NBC News, Amber Heard stated that she still has "no ill will" against Johnny Depp and that she stands by every word of her testimony. The actress said that she wants people to see her as a human being and added that no one can look her in the eye and tell her that the trial's representation online was fair.
