Johnny Depp Verdict Thrown Into Chaos As Wrong Juror Seated In Virginia Trial

[Nevilledog]

Link to tweet

https://deadline.com/2022/07/johnny-depp-juror-chaos-verdict-dismissed-amber-heard-1235060587/

EXCLUSIVE: If there wasn’t enough drama swirling around Johnny Depp’s win over Amber Heard in his multimillion-dollar defamation suit last month, things have turned judicially weird.

“Ms. Heard had a right to rely on the basic protection, as prescribed by the Virginia Code, that the jurors in this trial would be individuals who were actually summoned for jury duty,” says a partially redacted new filing Friday by the Aquaman star’s legal team (read it here).

“In this case, it appears that Juror No. 15 was not, in fact, the same individual as listed on the jury panel,” attorney Elaine Bredehoft adds in language similar to a previous filing of June 24. “Ms. Heard’s due process was therefore compromised. Under these circumstances, a mistrial should be declared, and a new trial ordered.”

Unlike the previous motion and memorandum placed in the Fairfax County courthouse docket late last month to dismiss the June 1 verdict and get a new trial, today’s supplemental memo has a lot more details on what could snatch victory from Depp in his long legal battle with his ex-wife.

According to the redacted filing, the summons for jury duty was sent out to a Virginia resident in April for the much-delayed $15 million defamation action Depp had set off in March 2019 against Heard for a 2018 Washington Post op-ed she penned on being the “public face” of domestic abuse. However, also according to today’s filing, it seems that there are two individuals residing at the same address with, at the very least, “the same last name” — one a 77-year-old and another a 52-year-old.

*snip*

[madaboutharry]

1. I don't see how there won't be a mistrial.

What a fuck up.

[Nevilledog]

2. I've never heard of this happening. Really bizarre.

[viva la]

3. Someone really wanted to be on that jury--

Good grief, does this mean we'll have to have another 6 weeks of this?

[Rebl2]

4. That was my

thought too. I turned the channel whenever they talked about this.

[iemanja]

7. May have been some crazed fan desperate to influence the jury

[madaboutharry]

5. I think Depp is going to call it a day.

He has nothing to gain by wanting another trial. I think it would make him look like a vengeful jerk who just wants to torture an obviously troubled person. He said himself it wasn’t about the money. Everyone has now heard his side of the story.

[UTUSN]

6. I will be sitting *out* any re-trials.

[Nevilledog]

8. I'll be right there with you.

Pretty sure this is my first and only post about it. The whole wrong juror thing caught my attention.

[ZonkerHarris]

9. Amber made the switch as a backup plan

[ripcord]

10. I don't see how a mistrial can't be declared

Someone manipulated the system to get seated on this jury then voted against Heard, although it is no fault of Depp she didn't get a fair trial and will most likely get a do over.

[iemanja]

11. It would be shocking if there wasn't a mistrial

Only a sworn juror can cast a vote.

[patricia92243]

15. He/She was sworn. Both sides had a list and could have easily dismissed

the person. The lawyers might be cited for contempt or whatever, but the jury was of sworn in people.

I do not think there will be a new trial.

[CanonRay]

12. I spent 23 years doing jury trials

and NEVER heard of this happening.

[Nevilledog]

13. 27 years here. Totally bonkers.

[Tomconroy]

14. Sometimes it an issue isn't raised in a timely fashion, it is

deemed to be waived.