Johnny Depp has called for some of Amber Heard’s closing remarks to be dropped, asking jurors to consider the “message” the ruling against her will send to other victims of domestic violence.
Mr Depp’s lawyers expressed concern about the “inappropriate argument” in a complaint in Fairfax County Court on Tuesday as the jury debated the second day of the couple’s defamation case.
They asked Judge Penny Azcarate to delete the argument from the record, instruct the jury to ignore it and review the special sentence form. The judge said he would not consider the request due to the fact that the discussion is already underway.
Closing in defense on May 27, Hurd’s lawyer, Ben Rothenborn, warned that the ruling in Mr Depp’s favor would make jurors “accomplices” in his alleged abuse.
“In trying to convince you that Mr. Depp has borne the burden of proof to prove that he was never abused by Amber, even in one case, consider the message that Mr. Depp and his lawyers are sending to “Amber and from there to every victim of domestic violence everywhere,” he said.
“If you didn’t take the picture, it didn’t happen. If you took pictures they are fake.
“If you haven’t told your friends, you’re lying. If you told your friends you were part of a scam.
“If you did not seek medical help, you were not injured. If you seek medical help, you are crazy.
“If you’ve done everything you can to help your husband, the person you love, get rid of the overwhelming drug and alcohol abuse that makes him an insulting, furious monster, you’re grumpy.
“And if you finally decide that enough is enough, fear and pain are enough for you and you have to leave to save yourself, you are a gold digger.
He warned: “This is the message that Mr. Depp is asking you to send.
Mr Rothenborn called on the jurors not to be “accomplices” in this message and in the “global humiliation” campaign of the Pirates actor against his ex-wife.
Asked to delete this argument from the minutes, Mr Depp’s lawyers said Mr Rothenborn’s statements “wrongly called on the jury to focus on a greater social goal beyond [case]“, Citing a 2021 decision from the 4th district in Plymail v. Mirandi.
“Such an argument by Ms. Hurd’s lawyer wrongly urged the jury to decide the case” on the basis of passion and prejudice “and special instructions from the jury are needed to cure this wrongdoing,” the document said.
Mr Depp is suing his ex-wife, Ms. and I faced the wrath of our culture. That needs to change. “
Ms. Hurd filed a counterclaim against her ex-husband for $ 100 million, claiming he had launched a “defamation campaign” against her.
In a statement Tuesday, the court also asked to amend part of the special sentence form with regard to Mr Depp’s assertions against Ms Hurd – the claims that the jurors are hearing in his case against her.
They are seeking to change the question of the title of her publication, which reads “The statement was false” to “The statement about Mr. Depp was false?”
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