Judge Penny Azcarate has denied Amber Heard’s request to have the $10 million defamation judgment ordered against her in favor of ex-husband Johnny Depp to be thrown out or re-tried in Azcarate’s Virginia courtroom, The Guardian reports.
Chief Judge Azcarate Just Denied All of #AmberHeard’s Post-Trial Motions @CourtTV #breaking #johnnydepp pic.twitter.com/O85RP0rWNi
— Chanley Shá Painter (@ChanleyCourtTV) July 13, 2022
- Heard filed the request earlier this month. Her lawyer, Elaine Bredehoft, filed documents on her behalf to request a mistrial or to have the verdict vacated altogether. The legal team cited several factors, including the fact that one of the jurors who participated in the case was not the one listed on official court documents.
- The mistaken identity was a huge point of contention for Heard’s team. It was revealed that a 77-year-old local resident was summoned, only to have his 52-year-old son, who has the same name and lives in the same house, respond and serve instead. However, there’s no evidence that this was done maliciously. “The court cannot assume, as Mr. Depp asks it to, that Juror 15’s apparently improper service was an innocent mistake. It could have been an intentional attempt to serve on the jury of a high-profile case,” Heard’s lawyers wrote.
- Judge Azcarate rejected every one of Heard’s claims on Wednesday, July 13. She claimed that the juror issue was irrelevant and shows no proof of prejudice. “The juror was vetted, sat for the entire jury, deliberated, and reached a verdict,” Azcarate wrote. “The only evidence before this court is that this juror and all jurors followed their oaths, the court’s instructions, and orders. This court is bound by the competent decision of the jury.”
- Heard can still appeal at the Virginia court of appeals. However, it’s uncertain whether or not she will continue to pursue this route, especially following the news that she’s currently being sued by a New York insurance company under which she had a policy.