As the masses marveled, as Johnny Depp and Amber Heard broadcast it live, the people in the courtroom struggled to stay awake.
Judy Bellinger, the judicial stenographer of the defamation trial of Depp v. Hurd, released some bombastic revelations about the controversial six-week marathon in the courtroom.
“There were several jurors dozing off,” Bellinger told Law and Crime Network on Monday, acknowledging that “it was difficult” to withstand hours of testimony.
Bellinger also noted that the sleeping jurors were in both the front and back rows, and they found it especially difficult during the video screenings.
“There were a lot of videos and they were just sitting there – and suddenly I saw their heads fall,” she added, describing in detail the hours of pre-recorded segments that complemented the already long personal testimonies of standing.
Johnny Depp and Amber Heard in the closing arguments courtroom at Fairfax County Court in Fairfax, Virginia, May 27. AP Photos / Steve Helber, Pool
The stenographer also noted that the most careful juror was a deputy who did not even participate in the final sentence.
“Unfortunately, this alternative that was there – it was probably the one that listened the most,” Bellinger said. “I watched the look on her face. She was very thorough in every word she said. I thought he was going to be a great juror, but she couldn’t watch it until the end. She paid a lot of attention. “
The Post asked Depp and Hurd for comment.
Meanwhile, Bellinger’s court appearance also sparked a strange viral conspiracy theory that she was “hired by” and “paroned” with Depp, which had previously been debunked by Emmy-nominated law and crime correspondent Angenet Levy.
UPDATE: People report that court stenographer Judy from the #JohnnyDepp trial against #AmberHeard “had fun” with JD. This is not true. First, Judy is not a court clerk. She was hired by Depp and Hurd’s teams. Second, she did not party with him https://t.co/1i05fXXJS1
– Angenette Levy (@ Angenette5) June 2, 2022
Depp’s trial against Hurd ended last week, and a seven-member jury of five men and two women sided with the 58-year-old Depp in his verdict. They awarded him more than $ 10 million in damages, finding that 36-year-old Hurd slandered him in his 2018 Washington Post publication on domestic violence. Hurd was awarded $ 2 million in her counterclaim, and she plans to appeal.
Actor Amber Heard spoke with his legal team in the courtroom at Fairfax County Court in Fairfax, Virginia, May 27. AP Photo / Steve Helber, Pool Actor Johnny Depp arrives at the Fairfax County District Court in Fairfax, Virginia, May 4. Elizabeth Franz / Photo of the pool via AP
Depp, who was not there in person to hear the verdict read aloud, said in a statement, “The jury has given me back my life.”
Hurd said the verdict “takes the clock back to a time when a woman who speaks and speaks can be publicly embarrassed and humiliated.”
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