Why The Jury Didn't Fill Out The Form Correctly Ahead Of Verdict

The jury in Johnny Depp’s defamation trial against ex-wife Amber Heard reached a verdict earlier today, 1 June, with Depp winning the case.

However, the verdict was slightly delayed due to the fact that the jurors had missed out some important information when filling in the forms to declare their verdict. 

The jury of five men and two women spent almost 13 hours, across three days, before reaching their verdict.

Originally, Judge Penney Azcarate was set to announce the jurors verdict at a court in Fairfax, Virginia at 3.00pm local time (8.00pm BST). 

Alamy

But when the jurors’ papers were handed over to the judge she called the attorneys for both Depp and Heard and spoke to them. 

She then instructed the jurors to go back to their quarters and complete the part of the paperwork in which they suggest compensatory and punitive damages, and told them it must be at least $1. 

The jury was back out for around 15 minutes or so before returning to the court where the verdict was finally read out. 

The case was brought by Depp, 58, who was seeking $50 million (£38.2 million) for domestic abuse claims she made in a 2018 article in The Washington Post, and she issued a counterclaim for $100m (£76.4m).

The article did not mention Depp by name, yet his lawyers argued it falsely implied he physically and sexually abused the Aquaman actor while they were together.

The jury found ‘yes’ to all of the questions and statements presented on the paperwork and awarded him a total of $15 million (£11,930,430) in damages. 

While Heard was awarded $2 million (£1,589,510) in her countersuit against Depp.

Heard was in court for the verdict, while Depp is currently in the UK and didn’t fly back over to the US for today’s conclusion. 

Alamy

Following the verdict, Heard released a statement in which she said: “The disappointment I feel today is beyond words. I'm heartbroken that the mountain of evidence still was not enough to stand up to the disproportionate power, influence, and sway of my ex-husband.

“I’m even more disappointed with what this verdict means for other women. It is a setback. It sets back the clock to a time when a woman who spoke up and spoke out could be publicly shamed and humiliated. It sets back the idea that violence against women is to be taken seriously.

“I believe Johnny’s attorneys succeeded in getting the jury to overlook the key issue of Freedom of Speech and ignore evidence that was so conclusive that we won in the UK.

“I’m sad I lost this case. But I am sadder still that I seem to have lost a right I thought I had as an American – to speak freely and openly.”