After weeks of eye-catching moments in court, the Johnny Depp vs Amber Heard trial will hear closing arguments Monday, May 27.
Over the previous month, a variety of allegations have been heard, and now both sides’ legal teams have the opportunity to present their final arguments to the jury.
Heard reported graphic stories of Depp’s sexual assault, but the actor denies the charges and says they are “unimaginably harsh, vicious, and all fake.”
The case has piqued the curiosity of people all over the world, who have been able to follow the proceedings in the Virginia courthouse as they unfold.
In support of them, a strange tribal nature has arisen, with accounts of one Depp admirer bringing alpacas to the Fairfax court every day to cheer him up.
Depp is suing his ex-wife for more than £39 million after she claimed she was the victim of domestic abuse in a Washington Post op-ed. Heard is counter-suing for double the figure.
It’s impossible to predict when the defamation action between Johnny Depp and Amber Heard will be resolved. It is up to the jury to decide how long it will take to make a decision, which might take a few hours or several days.
Judge Penney Azcarate, on the other hand, indicated the jury would not return from discussion until Tuesday, May 31, following the US holiday weekend.
They are likely to reflect on significant events during the trial and will have heard a variety of testimonies, including expert assessments of the couple’s mental health as well as testimony from Depp’s ex, supermodel Kate Moss.
Both Heard and Depp gave emotional statements in court, discussing about alleged prior affairs.
The jury will have to decide if Amber Heard’s Washington Post piece was defamatory to Johnny Depp.
The jury in Virginia must reach a unanimous decision on the case’s conclusion. If they can’t, the jury will be deadlocked, and the judge will have to declare a mistrial.
A panel of seven jurors and four alternates can potentially propose that Depp be paid less than the full amount of damages he is seeking if they judge the story was defamatory.
If the court rules in Heard’s favour, she will not have to pay any money to her ex-husband and may be granted the £78 million she countersued him for.
In this case, the jury can also advise the judge that the figure is too high and that a lower amount should be handed out.
A motion to dismiss the countersuit against the Pirates of the Caribbean actor was denied by the judge.
Because the case is a civil trial rather than a criminal one, neither Heard nor Depp will be sentenced to prison regardless of the outcome.
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