This article was originally posted on 06/29/22 titled: Amber Heard Just Announced That She Intends To Appeal The Depp Vs. Heard Verdict—The Saga Continues!
While it may have seemed that the Depp vs. Heard trial concluded on June 1st, its legacy and impact continues. Amber Heard just announced that she intends to appeal the guilty verdict in ex-husband Johnny Depp‘s defamation case against her. The Aquaman actress, 35, announced her decision last week that she aims to go after an appeal in the verdict that declared that she defamed the Pirates of The Caribbean star, 59.
Amber Heard plans to appeal ruling that she defamed Johnny Depp https://t.co/KbQ2iG20da pic.twitter.com/arprpFwK0w
— Reuters (@Reuters) June 2, 2022
Per The Los Angeles Times, a spokesperson for Heard said, “As stated in yesterday’s congressional hearings, you don’t ask for a pardon if you are innocent, and you don’t decline to appeal if you know you are right.” This announcement won’t surprise many, as we learned from Heard’s attorney as early as June 2nd that the mom of one wanted to pursue an appeal.
During an appearance on the Today Show a few weeks back, Elaine Charlson Bredehoft (who represented Heard) was asked by co-host Savannah Guthrie if Heard would ever plan to appeal her loss. Bredehoft replied, “Absolutely, and she has some excellent grounds for it.” The lawyer added that there were a “number of evidentiary issues,” and “so much evidence that did not come in.”
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In a short hearing last Friday, Bredehoft, Channel 24 reports, sought to set a briefing schedule and more for a proposed appeal for her client. According to Deadline, Judge Penney Azcarate told Bredehoft that she would have to file motions with the court if Heard wanted to appeal the infamous verdict from the 7-person jury. Azcarate also told Bredehoft that Heard would have to put up an $8.35 million bond with 6% annual interest for any appeal to truly move forward.
This article was updated on 07/16/22 with the information below:
The verdict is in – and it doesn’t look like Amber Heard has gotten the good news she wanted, as her request for a new trial was rejected by Azcarate on Wednesday, July 13th on multiple grounds, according to court filings.
Part of Heard's reasoning for requesting a new trial was due to a case of mistaken identity with one of the jurors, as Juror 15 was not the person who was summoned for jury duty, which her lawyers believe negatively affected her right to a fair trial. For reference, Heard’s lawyers claimed in a memorandum filed on July 8th that the mix up may have happened due to the fact that there were two people with the same last name living at the same address. The person who was 77 years old was the one who was originally summoned, but it was the 52-year-old who responded to the call for jury duty.
"As the court no doubt agrees, it is deeply troubling for an individual not summoned for jury duty nonetheless to appear for jury duty and serve on a jury, especially in a case such as this," Heard's lawyers wrote. "This was a high-profile case, where the fact and date of the jury trial were highly publicized prior to and after the issuance of the juror summonses. Ms Heard has a right to rely on the basic protection … that the jurors in this trial would be individuals who were actually summoned for jury duty." They also went on to say that her due process was "compromised," and that "a mistrial should be declared, and a new trial ordered."
However, Azcarate found no issues with the juror and tossed the claim, writing: "The juror was vetted, sat for the entire jury, deliberated, and reached a verdict." Azcarate also mentioned that any objections to the juror should have been raised much earlier. "The only evidence before this court is that the juror and all jurors followed their oaths, the court’s instructions, and orders," Azcarate added. "This court is bound by the competent decision of the jury." Better luck next time, Amber!
