When Does the Johnny Depp Trial Continue?

The defamation lawsuit of Johnny Depp against ex-wife Amber Heard is entering its fourth week, and the court will be on vacation for a little less than a week. The Fairfax, Virginia courtroom has been broadcast live daily from Monday to Friday since the trial began on April 11.

As of May 5, the case has been on hiatus owing to Judge Penney Azcarate’s absence until May 15. The Johnny Depp trial will continue on Monday, May 16, 2022 and end on Friday, May 27th, 2022

On Thursday, before suspending the trial, Judge Azcarate reminded the jury to avoid consuming material regarding the case in order to obtain an impartial decision in the lawsuit.

“What you learn about this case is limited to what you learn in the four walls of this courtroom when proceedings are underway, OK?”

According to reports, the suspension of the study was caused by prior obligations on the part of sitting Judge Azcarate in the coming week. According to multiple sources, the Judge is scheduled to attend a conference during this time period, which necessitates that the trial be delayed.

The trial is expected to resume on May 16, with Amber Heard’s testimony against Johnny Depp over her alleged sexual assault and abuse by him continuing.

After six weeks of witness testimony and depositions, the case will come to a close with closing remarks from each defendant’s attorneys. The jury will then deliver a verdict, which Judge Azcarate will consider before handing down the appropriate penalty for the liable party.

Following the closing statement from both legal teams, the jury might take hours or days to deliberate. Furthermore, it is Depp’s legal team’s responsibility to show that he had not assaulted Heard and that her 2018 op-ed in The Washington Post were false.

Depp’s camp and the publication’s attorneys said he had lost around $40 million as a result of the story.

Johnny Depp was supposedly removed from franchise roles with Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean and Warner Bros.’s Fantastic Beasts series following Amber Heard’s leaked allegations.

This is why the lawsuit is being held in Fairfax, Virginia. While some media outlets claim that the trial’s location was determined by the fact that The Washington Post’s servers are located there, others have linked it to California anti-SLAPP legislation.

In California, the anti-SLAPP statute (Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation) prevents Johnny Depp from suing Amber Heard for defamation. As a result, Depp was able to sue Heard in Virginia owing to the state’s lack of respect for SLAPP laws.

When does the Johnny Depp trial continue? Monday, May 16, 2023