Johnny Depp VS Amber Heard: Court Stenographer Drops Shocking Revelation About Jurors
Johnny Depp and Amber Heard's defamation trial was long enough to make jurors do something shocking inside the courtroom.
For six weeks, the seven-person jury witnessed Depp and Heard's exchange of allegations. In the end, they sided with the actor and ruled the verdict in favor of him.
After reading the ruling, the court informed the viewers that the jury awarded him $10 million in compensatory damages and $5 million in punitive damages.
The current total, however, is $10.35 million as Fairfax County Circuit Court Judge Penney Azcarate reduced the punitive damages due to the state's statutory cap or legal limit.
But after the trial, a court stenographer revealed to Law & Crime Network that some jurors fell asleep during the trial.
"There were a few jurors who were dozing off. And it was tough. There were a lot of video deposition, and they would just sit there and all of a sudden I'd see their head drop," Judy Bellinger said.
The court reporter added that the best juror who paid the most attention ended up not being involved in the final verdict. According to Bellinger, the female juror listened the most despite not getting to see her ruling in the end.
The jurors' names will remain sealed for one year, as the judge previously stated and ruled.
Amber Heard's Trial Stenographer Sparks Rumors
In similar news, Heard's supporters claimed that Bellinger was biased as she allegedly partied with the actor and his team.
During the final day of the trial, a video of the stenographer hugging the "Pirates of the Caribbean" actor went viral.
Heard's supporters said it is proof that it was not a fair trial since hugging Depp was a non-impartial behavior, especially since it happened five days before the verdict was read.
Bellinger has since set the record straight, explaining that she arranged to pick up her computer from Depp's team at the hotel they were staying at.
"Johnny was in there, and so I had to go in there and get my equipment, and I saw him, and they're like 'he really wants to meet you'," Bellinger went on. "I was probably in there for less than 10 minutes, and he just hugged me and thanked me again. And I hugged a couple of other people there, and I got my equipment and I came out, left, and went home."
