Amber Heard’s attorneys issued a 43-page document on Friday (July 1, 2022) seeking to have the verdict in the Johnny Depp defamation trial overturned.
Error in jury selection?
In the filing, Heard’s attorneys argue that the verdict is not supported by any evidence. They are also asking for an improper jury assignment to be reviewed.
“Ms. Heard is also asking the court to investigate possible improper jury designation and to take appropriate action as warranted by the findings of the investigation.”
“The information on the jury list does not appear to match the identity and demographics of any of the jurors,” the document reads. “Juryman No. 15 was apparently born in 1970 and not 1945,” it said.
“This discrepancy raises the question of whether juror 15 actually received a jury service subpoena and whether the court properly reviewed him,” Heard’s attorneys continue.
more on the subject
Depp’s lawyer responds
In addition, the jury’s $10.35 million award against the actress conflicted with the jury’s conclusion that there was mutual defamation.
“Mr. Depp has not presented any evidence that Ms Heard did not believe she was molested,” they wrote in the document. “Hence, Mr. Depp has failed to meet the legal requirements for actual malice and the judgment should be overturned.”
Depp’s main defense attorney, Ben Chew, has already commented in a statement to Courthouse News. He described the motion to overturn the verdict as “what we expected, only longer and not more substantial”.
The judgment
On June 1, 2022, the verdict was announced in the trial between Johnny Depp and Amber Heard. DThe jury found both parties guilty and ordered them to pay damages. The penalty of Amber Heard was $10.4 million. Johnny Depp only had to pay two million.