No verdict yet in Depp-Heard trial; jury dismissed until Tuesday
Jury in Johnny Depp, Amber Heard trial dismissed for the day after testimony wraps
After Amber Heard's final appeal on the witness stand, both sides in the explosive defamation trial for Johnny Depp and Amber Heard rested their cases on Thursday.After Heard's testimony, Fairfax County Circuit Judge Penney Azcarate told the jury to "have a good, restful afternoon and evening" before dismissing them around noon on Thursday.Closing arguments in the sensational trial are scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. ET on Friday, after six weeks of testimony in the case.
They'll start deliberations on Friday afternoon, and Azcarate has no plans to limit the time they have to consider their decision.For the long Memorial Day weekend, the court will be closed. If necessary, jurors will resume deliberations on Tuesday, May 31.It was a half-day of court for both sides Thursday, with Heard returning to the stand and making her final appeal to the jury.
Johnny Depp’s and Amber Heard’s respective legal teams are gearing up for closing arguments.
When Heard wrote an op-ed about how she had become a "public figure representing domestic abuse," Depp, then 58, claimed she had defamed him. He now seeks $50 million in damages.Heard countersued her ex-husband for $100 million, claiming she was defamed when his team made statements on his behalf that she fabricated domestic abuse allegations.
Both suits will be decided by the jury. Depending on the outcome, either Depp or Heard could be found guilty, or both could be cleared. For now, it's not clear whether or how much money will be given to each of the plaintiffs.
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Amber Heard returned to the stand Thursday and made her final plea to the jury.
It's impossible to predict how long the seven jurors and two alternates will take to deliberate because juries are notoriously unpredictable. However, they do have a mountain of evidence in front of them that they must consider.
Witnesses from both sides could be called and cross-examined for a total of more than 60 hours of testimony. Around four days of testimony were spent by Depp and Heard, and both sides called on an array of character witnesses, expert voices as well as those directly involved in the tumultuous marriage to testify.
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