Judge makes jury’s USD 10.3 million award official in Depp-Heard trial

By Associated Press

ALEXANDRIA: The decide within the Johnny Depp-Amber Heard defamation trial made a jury’s award official Friday with a written order for Heard to pay Depp USD10.35 million for damaging his repute by describing herself as a home abuse sufferer in an op-ed piece she wrote.

Judge Penney Azcarate entered a judgment order into the courtroom document after a short listening to in Fairfax County Circuit Court. She additionally ordered Depp to pay Heard USD 2 million, the jury’s award on her counterclaim that Heard was defamed by certainly one of Depp’s legal professionals.

The order was a formality after the jury introduced its verdict on June 1, largely siding with Depp after a sensational trial by which the couple revealed lurid particulars of their brief marriage throughout a televised trial that was carefully adopted on social media.

Depp sued Heard over a December 2018 op-ed she wrote in The Washington Post describing herself as “a public figure representing domestic abuse.” The jury present in Depp’s favour on all three of his claims regarding particular statements within the 2018 piece.

The jury discovered Depp ought to obtain USD 10 million in compensatory damages and $5 million in punitive damages, however the decide lowered the punitive damages award to $350,000 beneath a state cap.

Heard has mentioned she plans to enchantment the decision.

During Friday’s listening to, the decide mentioned that if Heard appeals, she should publish a bond for the complete quantity of the USD 10.35 million award whereas the enchantment is pending — a standard observe. The decide’s order says each awards are topic to six% curiosity per yr.