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Amber Heard asks judge to throw out losing verdict in Depp trial

Author
NZ Herald,
Publish Date
Mon, 4 Jul 2022, 4:08PM
Amber Heard is calling for the judge in her defamation trial to throw out the verdict. (Photo / AP)
Amber Heard is calling for the judge in her defamation trial to throw out the verdict. (Photo / AP)

Amber Heard asks judge to throw out losing verdict in Depp trial

Author
NZ Herald,
Publish Date
Mon, 4 Jul 2022, 4:08PM

Amber Heard has called on a Virginia judge to throw out her losing verdict in her defamation lawsuit with ex-husband Johnny Depp, claiming the evidence isn't enough.

Heard's lawyers claimed in a motion filed last Friday that the judgement, which ruled she was guilty of defaming Depp, was not supported by the evidence given during the trial, reports the New York Post.

The motion claims Depp "proceeded solely on a defamation by implication theory, abandoning any claims that Ms Heard's statements were actually false".

The lawyers also raised questions about a juror - "Juror 15" - who was recorded as being born in 1945.

"[The juror] was clearly born later than 1945. Publicly available information demonstrates that he appears to have been born in 1970," the motion read, suggesting the juror may have been false.

They also claimed the jury did not have enough evidence to conclude that Depp had lost film roles as a result of Heard's opinion piece claiming she was a victim of domestic abuse.

The actor sued his ex-wife, claiming she hurt his career with her 2018 Washington Post opinion piece, with the jury concluding it was in reference to Depp.

Depp's lawyer Benjamin Chew told Courthouse News that Heard's filing was "what we expected, just longer, more substantive", reports the Guardian.

Judge Penny Azcarate previously implied she isn't obliged to schedule more hearings for the case.

Heard previously said she would be appealing the decision through her lawyer.

"You don't ask for a pardon if you are innocent. And, you don't decline to appeal if you know you are right," a spokesperson said in June.

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