Amber Heard’s post-trial motions in case against Johnny Depp denied by judge
By Lauren del Valle, CNN
A Virginia judge denied seven post-trial motions Amber Heard filed in an attempt to fight the jury verdict handed down in the defamation case with her ex-husband Johnny Depp.
After a weeks-long trial, a jury in June awarded $15 million in damages to Depp and only $2 million to Heard in their respective defamation lawsuits.
Attorneys for Heard petitioned for a new trial, claiming that information on the jury panel list sent to counsel ahead of trial did not appear to match the demographics of one of the jurors, and so compromised Heard’s rights to due process.
Judge Penney Azcarate said in the court order filed Wednesday that Heard’s rights to due process were not affected because no fraud or wrongdoing occurred in the jury selection process.
“The juror was vetted, sat for the entire jury, deliberated, and reached a verdict. 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,” Judge Azcarate wrote.
If Heard’s legal team had an issue with the jury selection process, they should’ve addressed it during the weeks-long trial, Azcarate added.
“A party cannot wait until receiving an adverse verdict to object, for the first time, on an issue known since the beginning of trial,” the order states.
Attorneys for Depp filed a response memo against Heard’s post-trial motions last week ahead of the judge’s decision, calling the legal arguments frivolous.
“While Ms. Heard slings an exceptional amount of mud at the wall in the hope that something might stick, the jury’s verdict on damages was perfectly reasonable and supported by the evidence and testimony in this case,” Depp’s memo stated.
Whent contacted by CNN, representatives for both Depp and Heard declined to comment further on the judge’s order.
Heard’s appeal of the verdict is still pending.
The-CNN-Wire
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