Knock! Judge Rejects Amber Heard's Appeal Against Johnny Depp

Amber Heard (Reuters via ANTARA)

JAKARTA - A judge has rejected an offer of appeal for a new trial in the defamation case filed by actress Amber Heard against Johnny Depp. Amber Heard filed an application with the court to overturn Depp's win after learning of jury differences in court.

Heard claims a 77-year-old man living in Virginia was called to serve on the jury. But another 52-year-old man who is not identified and also lives at the exact same address allegedly appeared to serve on a jury and was selected for trial.

Quoted from Reuters on Thursday, July 14, the judge rejected Heard's attorney's argument that one of the jurors had served "inappropriately".

In June, Heard was ordered to pay Depp $10.35 million in damages, when a jury in Fairfax County, Virginia, ruled that Heard had defamed the "Pirates of the Caribbean" star in a newspaper opinion.

The actress's lawyers have asked the judge in the case to overturn the decision and declare the trial annulled, arguing that one of the jurors in the case should not have been qualified to be involved for a number of reasons.

Judge Penny Azcarate ruled that there was "no evidence of fraud or wrongdoing" by the jury and that the jury's verdict should remain in effect. He also noted that both sides had questioned and accepted all jurors at the start of the trial.

"The legal process is guaranteed and given to all parties in this litigation," Azcarate said as quoted by ANTARA.

Depp has sued Heard and argued that he defamed Heard when he called himself "a public figure representing domestic violence" in an opinion piece published in The Washington Post.

Furthermore, Depp denied hitting Heard, and said she was the one who turned violent in their relationship.

Heard countered, saying Depp smeared him when his lawyer called his allegations a "hoax." The jury awarded Heard $2 million in damages for one of his counterclaims. Heard said she only hit Depp to defend himself or his sister.