Why The Depp/Heard Jury Took So Long To Reach A Verdict

After deliberating for 13 hours, the jury in Johnny Depp and Amber Heard's defamation case returned a verdict in favour of the Pirates of the Caribbean actor.

The jury broke for deliberations on 27 May, at which point they were tasked with answering 42 questions to help them determine whether Heard defamed Depp in a 2018 op-ed, as he alleged in his $50 million lawsuit.

After breaking for the weekend the jury continued their deliberations on Tuesday (May 31), though a delay in the proceedings was caused when the jurors came back to the courtroom to ask Judge Azcarate for clarity on one of the questions given in their document.

Alamy

Jurors were confused by one question which asked them to determine whether they found the headline of the op-ed written by Heard as defamatory, as it read: "I spoke up against sexual violence — and faced our culture’s wrath."

The jury were not sure whether the question related to the headline alone, or the op-ed as a whole, but the judge clarified that the question related specifically to the headline.

After a total of 13 hours it was announced that the jury had reached a verdict. However, further delays occurred when the judge sent jurors back to the deliberation room.

Cathy Russon, Executive Producer at Law&Crime Trial Network, which has been covering the trial, wrote on Twitter: "Judge tells jury to go back and fill out the damages section. I guess that means someone won something."

It was not immediately clear whether the jurors simply forgot to fill out all of the relevant paperwork, or if the panel had not yet reached a decision on the damages that would be awarded.

The jury ultimately granted Depp $15 million in damages, granting him $10m in compensatory damages and $5m in punitive damages.

Following the result, Depp said the jury 'gave [him his] life back', saying: "I am truly humbled."

"From the very beginning, the goal of bringing this case was to reveal the truth, regardless of the outcome. Speaking the truth was something that I owed to my children and to all those who have remained steadfast in their support of me. I feel at peace knowing I have finally accomplished that," he continued.

Heard has also spoken out following the news of the verdict, saying in a statement she was disappointed with the result and expressing belief it was a 'setback' on the idea that 'crime against women is to be taken seriously'.

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