Amber Heard calling Johnny Depp again to the stand could possibly be a “threat” — partly due to how likable he was when he testified within the former couple’s bombshell defamation trial, authorized consultants informed The Submit.
Sources near Heard informed The Submit final week that the “Aquaman” actress’s authorized staff could plan to have Depp testify once more as they argue her aspect within the ongoing courtroom battle in Fairfax, Virginia.
However the “Pirates of the Caribbean” star, who has already testified for 4 days, got here throughout as plausible and likable to the jury, consultants stated — noting that giving him a second spherical on the stand may damage Heard’s case.
“There's a threat that he's going to have extra time being likable on the stand,” stated civil legal professional Katherine Lizardo, “when it’s really Amber Heard’s time to current her case.”
Seattle defamation lawyer Bruce Johnson agreed Depp’s obvious likability could possibly be an issue for Heard.
“That may be a large threat — if he’s a great witness and he’s going to carry out effectively once more,” Johnson informed The Submit.
Halim Dhanidina — a prison protection legal professional and former California decide — stated Depp’s “very distinctive persona” seemingly made him interesting to the jury the primary time round.
“He didn’t actually strike me as somebody who was placing on an act or fabricating,” Dhanidina stated. “The jury goes to wish to know whether or not they can depend on testimony not based mostly on how good the witness seems, however how honest they're.”
Depp, 58, is suing his 36-year-old ex-wife, accusing her of defaming him when she known as herself “a public determine representing home abuse” in a 2018 Washington Submit op-ed.
Heard has filed a $100 million countersuit, claiming it was Depp who defamed her by accusing her of mendacity in regards to the alleged abuse.
Her aspect is now presenting its case, wrapping up with Heard’s fourth day on the stand on Tuesday, and persevering with to name witnesses till closing arguments, anticipated Could 27.
“Proper now we're listening to Amber Heard’s … aspect of the story,” stated Lizardo, an legal professional who represents plaintiffs in civil fits.
Observe The Submit’s stay protection of the Johnny Depp-Amber Heard defamation trial
“To name her opponent to talk in your behalf sounds counterintuitive.”
Dhanidina famous that Depp may attempt to achieve the “benefit” if he will get an opportunity to handle the jury once more.
“If he has been touchdown with the jury and if the jury is liking him, then extra time in entrance of the jury is an efficient factor for him,” the previous decide stated. “It could be one thing that [Heard] does out of necessity however that [Depp] himself can profit from.”
Jurors, nonetheless, wouldn’t be given an evidence as to why Depp is again on the stand, which may “confuse” them, Lizardo famous.
“More often than not if you end up doing cross-examination, it sounds hostile,” she defined. “A jury may suppose, ‘Okay, he’s again on the stand. Are they badgering him once more?'”
Johnson, the defamation lawyer, additionally stated Heard’s staff must weigh whether or not calling Depp once more will stretch the jury’s consideration — as some jurors have reportedly been noticed dozing off whereas the trial stretches into its fifth week.
“You might be placing on a efficiency for a jury and also you don’t wish to drag it on for too lengthy,” Johnson stated. “In any lengthy trial, that may be a consideration.”
A few of the consultants, nonetheless, famous that Heard’s attorneys could attempt to get the higher hand over Depp whereas grilling him once more.
“I'd suspect that they might wish to reduce [Depp] right down to dimension,” Virginia defamation legal professional Jeremiah Denton informed The Submit.
“He did moderately effectively in his first look on the stand, so I assume they really feel they must essentially assault his credibility — it may be his reminiscence, his truthfulness [or] protecting one thing that hasn’t been lined,” Denton stated.
Dhanidina stated Heard’s legal professionals may have the ability to catch Depp off guard with their questions as they are going to seemingly “have new matters and new areas to cowl,” together with matters they weren’t allowed to quiz him in regards to the first time round.
However the extra time Depp has on the stand, the extra alternative he has to slide up and contradict one thing he stated beforehand, the consultants all agreed.
“The extra a witness talks, the extra seemingly it's they are going to be saying issues that could possibly be simply contradicted,” Johnson stated. “Even when they’re making an attempt to be sincere, all of us have reminiscence lapses.”
Dhanidina stated whereas he can’t predict which aspect would profit extra from a second Depp stint on the stand, “Buckle up as a result of it’s about to get actually, actually fascinating.”
“Any time you may have a celebration being questioned by the opposite aspect, it may be very, very exhausting to foretell who's going to win and whether or not it resembles a chess match or a knock-down-drag-out combat,” Dhanidina stated. “And we don’t actually know what we're going to get.”
Depp and Heard’s reps each declined to remark.
Post a Comment