Amber Heard’s calling Johnny Depp back into the stands could be a ‘risk’, legal experts tell The Washington Post – in part as he testifies in ex-couple’s blockbuster libel trial How endearing.
Sources close to Hurd told The Washington Post last week that the “Aquaman” actress’ legal team may Plan to have Depp testify again As they defended her in an ongoing court battle in Fairfax, Virginia.
But the star of Pirates of the Caribbean, who It’s been four days since I’ve testifiedexperts said the jury found him credible and likable — noting that putting him in the stands for a second round could hurt Hurd’s case.
Civil lawyer Katherine Lizardo said: “It’s possible that he has more time to be likable in the stands when it’s actually time for Amber Heard to present his case.”
Seattle defamation attorney Bruce Johnson agreed that Depp’s apparent likability could be a problem for Heard.
“It’s a huge risk – if he’s a good witness and he’s going to be great again,” Johnson told The Post.
Halim Dhanidina — a former California judge and current criminal defense attorney — said Depp’s “very unique personality” likely led to his first appeal to a jury.
“He didn’t really make me feel like he was acting or making up people,” Dhanidina said. “The jury wants to know if they can rely on testimony, not based on the intelligence of the witnesses, but on their sincerity.”
Depp, 58, is suing his ex-wife, 36, accusing her of defaming him in a 2018 Washington Post op-ed when she called herself a “public figure representing domestic abuse.”
Hurd filed a $100 million countersuit, claiming Depp defamed her, accusing her of lying about the alleged abuse.
Her side is now presenting its case, Hurd’s fourth day on the stand ends on Tuesdayand continues to call witnesses until the conclusion of the argument, expected on May 27.
“Now we’re hearing the other side of Amber Heard’s … story,” said Lizardo, an attorney representing plaintiffs in the civil suit.
Follow The Post’s live coverage of the Johnny Depp-Amber Heard defamation trial
“It sounds counterintuitive to ask her opponent to speak on your behalf.”
Dhanidina noted that if Depp had a chance to speak to the jury again, he might try to gain an “advantage.”
“If he’s been landing with the jury, and if the jury likes him, then having more time in front of the jury would be a good thing for him,” the former judge said. “this might be [Heard] out of necessity, but that [Depp] You can benefit from it yourself. “
However, Lizardo noted that jurors will not be explained why Depp is back in the stands, which could “confuse” them.
“Most of the time, when you do cross-examination, it sounds hostile,” she explained. “The jury might be thinking ‘Okay, he’s back in the stands. Are they pestering him again?
Defamation lawyer Johnson also said Hurd’s team needed to weigh whether calling Depp again would get the attention of the jury — some were reportedly found dozing off in the fifth week of the trial.
“You’re performing for a jury, and you don’t want to drag on for too long,” Johnson said. “In any long-term trial, that’s a consideration.”
However, some experts point out that Hurd’s lawyers may try to gain the upper hand when questioning Depp again.
“I doubt they will want to cut [Depp] Downsize,” Virginia-based libel attorney Jeremiah Denton told The Washington Post.
“His first appearance in the stands was pretty good, so I guess they felt like they had to attack his credibility – it could be his memory, his authenticity [or] Cover what isn’t already covered,” Denton said.
Danedina said Hurd’s lawyers may have been caught off guard by their questions because they may have “new topics and new areas to cover,” including topics they were barred from asking him questions for the first time.
But the longer Depp spends in the stands, the better chance he has of slipping and rebutting what he said earlier, pundits agree.
“The more witnesses speak, the more likely they are to say things that are easily contradictory,” Johnson said. “Even when they try to tell the truth, we all have memory lapses.”
Danedina said, though he couldn’t predict which side would benefit more from Depp’s second term in the stands: “Fasten your seat belts because it’s going to be a lot of fun.”
“Any time one side is challenged by the other, it’s hard to predict who will win and whether it’s like a chess game or a knockout match,” Dhanidina said. “And we don’t really know what we’re going to get.”
Representatives for Depp and Heard declined to comment.
