The Lawsuits Thread

[Lbock]

Johnny back in court tomorrow with The Sun

[justintime]

My take on the lawsuits overall is laid out below.

Adam Waldman has claimed there are interconnected legal procedures and described “the tip of a defamation iceberg”. <my comments start> Each lawsuit is leveraged into the next (or in parallel).

And:

… a conspiracy is at the heart of this matter. A hoax with multiple players is a conspiracy.

I wish you could explain this conspiracy theory to me. Who is behind this and what is their motive? Can you be very specific about what you think is happening? Who are the criminals and what crimes did they commit? The time frame of the spousal abuse is past the statute of limitations. Nobody has to cover up Amber's abuse, because too much time has passed to charge Amber Heard with a crime. In my opinion the media blackout is because the media took Amber Heard's side and trashed Johnny. Now the news media look like fools. They can not admit that they rushed to judge Johnny without looking at the facts. I was born in the U.S and have lived here my whole life. I just can not figure out what you mean by referencing a "criminal conspiracy."

I think we have about as comprehensive an explanation, above (thank you, Inquiring Minds), as we can expect to get given our (granted, concerned) spectator status. I have felt uncomfortable from the get-go with the inexplicable lawsuit pile-on hitting JD from every angle imaginable, not to mention initial nonstop caustic media pieces followed by total silence. If Mr. Waldman is going with “a hoax with multiple players” or an “interconnected legal procedures” description, that’s telling us quite a bit: He’s not entertaining a “coincidence” option. No need to give away the store just yet when there’s a fire sale coming up.

[Lbock]

Without requoting the above, do not forget the Rocky case not so randomly filed a year after the “incident” just when the trailer was released (as I recall) and Adam stating her lawyers had been working with. And Rocky suddenly getting a high powered trial lawyer

I am worried that the VA judge still hasn’t ruled. And out of the blue we are getting VA pushing through new anti-SLAPP laws and articles specifically citing his case (just after VA Press was denied as friend of courts), which she can use for an appeal. (And I believe this as I see them filing additional cases as they are ruled on they perceive in her favor.). If this bill goes through before the judges decision, AH will also file this for the demurrer. The judge may be waiting on this

I think there are valid reasons to be worried. There is way too much happening here

[Lbock]

Just seeing this Daily Mail article I hadn’t read. This is saying The Sun may be claiming new allegations based on evidence not necessarily AH. I like when quotes are used

“Even in this action, further allegations have been made against Mr Depp by a series of amendments (to the case) on the basis presumably of Ms Heard’s evidence, including new incidents which have never been alleged before.”

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/pa/ar ... s-say.html

[justintime]

Without requoting the above, do not forget the Rocky case not so randomly filed a year after the “incident” just when the trailer was released (as I recall) and Adam stating her lawyers had been working with. And Rocky suddenly getting a high powered trial lawyer

I am worried that the VA judge still hasn’t ruled. And out of the blue we are getting VA pushing through new anti-SLAPP laws and articles specifically citing his case (just after VA Press was denied as friend of courts), which she can use for an appeal. (And I believe this as I see them filing additional cases as they are ruled on they perceive in her favor.). If this bill goes through before the judges decision, AH will also file this for the demurrer. The judge may be waiting on this

I think there are valid reasons to be worried. There is way too much happening here

Yes, Lbock, attorney collusion is referenced in the first post I quoted from Inquiring Minds, §5 or 6, I think. The addition of Pat Harris - high powered and expensive - to Rocky’s legal team was startling. He, too, was immediately conferring with Kaplan.

I’d forgotten about the new anti-SLAPP laws, but I think I remember ForeverYoung giving us some professional input from a retired attorney or judge who felt JD’s case was way too far along to be held to the parameters of the new law. If not, that is extremely worrisome. I’m hoping Judge White is a fair as well as brave man. Perhaps tomorrow’s Hearing (The SUN) will give him cause to rule on the currently pending demurrer.

[Ruby Begonia]

Thank you for the alert to the DM article, Lbock!

In the US, all evidence must be presented to each side for review by a preset number of days prior to the start of trial, e.g. 60 days. I imagine the British courts work similarly but I don't know how many days in advance of trial date March 23rd they'd need to be filed in the High Court. No dramatic surprise witnesses or evidence at a trial such as you'd find on an old episode of Perry Mason.

Since the Sun case began approx 1 year ago (?), I wonder if these new amendments are the sensational allegations attached to Heard's 2nd or 3rd dismissal filed in the VA case. They'd could be new to the Sun case but not new to Johnny's legal team or us.

[Lbock]

That’s what I’m thinking Ruby. After reading this Dail Mail article. Now I have hoped it won’t be some new chain ny her. Just new to this lawsuit/Wootten’s article

[Judymac]

JudyMac thank you. That’s it just thank you for your wisdom and calmness.

[Judymac]

The news media blackout is not part of a conspiracy. The First Amendment of the Constitution guarantees the freedom of the press. They can not be forced into writing any story. The only thing the press has to do is write stories that are truthful. If they choose not to write a story, they are exercising their Constitutional right. I don't know why they are not covering this story, maybe they don't like Johnny Depp or maybe they like Amber Heard or maybe they just don't want to get involved with this story. I am sorry to say that they can not be held accountable for not writing a story about the abuse of Johnny Depp.

Also I still do not see a criminal conspiracy. Criminal cases have a much higher standard of proof than Civil Cases. There could be a conspiracy to defame Johnny Depp. That is a civil matter and the basis of this civil lawsuit. I think that is what Adam Waldman was referring to a civil conspiracy. Did he every actually say that there were going to be criminal charges against anyone? When an attorney is out of court he is off the record and can say whatever he wants. Attorneys often make bold statements out of court to upset the other side and gain an advantage. Also, any criminal case would need a lot of evidence because the standard of proof is high. The fact that multiple cases were filed in a short amount of time would not be enough proof for a criminal case.

[Inquiring Minds]

Judymac: I spent 24hrs or more composing a response to your posting. It answered each of your questions, hopefully in an honest and non-confrontational way. But discussion moved on and it was very lengthy. Rather than clutter the thread (with most points already addressed by others) I figured I would spare everyone. I will attempt to respond to one of you later posts (touching on the same points) as time permits me.

It did help me get a few thoughts together though. Although a statute of limitations may have expired in the US, the DV incident/s in Australia are still prosecutable here. I’m not sure that Johnny even has to press charges. I suspect the attempt to suborn perjury is also still possible to prosecute. Extradition could even be sought.

During one of the audiotapes Johnny reminds Amber that Australia could still revive charges against her (and the abuse was not public knowledge at that time). Amber (and to a lesser extent Johnny) really pissed off a lot of Aussie politicians that can make these charges happen. However:

Aquaman was mostly shot in Queensland. If Amber is acknowledged as a domestic abuser and not recast by Warner, she may face assault charges with potential jail time mid-shoot (though unlikely) and it raises the question: should a visa be granted in the first place? After 10 years of drought, 20% of the country burned in the last 3 months and coronavirus the Government is in serious economic trouble. Politically they will either have to absolve her or lose the revenue and jobs. Revenue will win and that will have its own political repercussions. The good news is that things would be much simpler for both Warner Bros and the Australian Government if Mera was recast without Amber and both parties may come to see it that way.

Re the Sun case, I tend to agree with others here that we will not see much or even anything not already out there. “Mr Sherborne said there is ‘no single smoking gun’ and as they have seen all the texts I have to (provisionally) believe him. It’s the echo of the odd angry shot that may hurt, but should not injure.

I find it amusing to see the same solid arguments made on each side of the pond, but expressed with different vocabulary and grammar.

[Inquiring Minds]

Lbock and justintime raise good points re the Rocky case. On a similar collusion line, I found it noteworthy that no sooner had Kaplan come off the Weinstein case and onto Heard’s team that a subpoena was issued for any Weinstein-Depp connection. That sends a signal to the public that there is a link, even when it turns up nothing.

But back to Rocky, Waldman has indicated he will file a malicious prosecution case once they have won. In Games Theory terms, this is essential anyway (otherwise every gold-digger that ever encounters him will concote some false claim). But the discovery during this case should hopefully reveal any of the suspected collusion.

Ruby Begonia:

No dramatic surprise witnesses or evidence at a trial such as you'd find on an old episode of Perry Mason.

But look!!! The murder victim is actually alive!!!!
LOL

[ForeverYoung]

I am not loosing any sleep over any of this. What has Amber really provided as evidence she was abused? Pictures with no date and time stamp (and Brian McPherson has already broken down those lies), declarations from friends who witnessed nothing, and a text apologizing for something that never mentions abuse. My guess is that if Johnny has one tape of a secret recording then he probably has more. In one of his declarations he mentions soda cans and burning candles being thrown at and we haven't seen anything about that yet. I would think that if commercial planes have video cameras then private planes have them too. Also, the house in Australia is owned by man who rents it out so I would think he has video cameras either in or around the property. I know I would. Amber said her feet were all cut up but right after that fight she went to London and there are pics of her in the dance studio preparing for her role. Whoever was training her would know if she had any problems with her feet. If they were cut as bad as she said they were then she wouldn't even be able to walk. Notice she never said that she had to get medical attention for those shards of glass she had to step on?

As for the new VA laws, yes, I know some lawyers and one of them told me that usually when a case is this far into litigation a new law does not apply. Sure, she can try to use it but Johnny has a great legal team and they will oppose the request. I was wondering too why the Judge was taking so long for his decision but that is not necessarily a bad thing. Maybe in a way, he is just blocking her from filing a fourth or fifth request and delaying the proceedings even more. Who knows.

[ForeverYoung]

Another thing I just remembered...Amber never produced any medical records from any of the injuries she said she suffered that weekend in Australia to prove she had any kind of medical issue but guess who did get treated? Stephen Deuter's wife, Gina. Right after the pics came out of Johnny boarding the plane back to the U.S. Gina posted a pic on her IG of a medical facility wristband and thanked the Australian medical team. I can only assume that maybe she got hit with a piece of the bottle when it hit the counter and shattered which severed Johnny's finger, or the first bottle Amber threw that missed his head. Another mystery we may never know....or will we....

[Inquiring Minds]

ForeverYoung:

Maybe in a way, he is just blocking her from filing a fourth or fifth request and delaying the proceedings even more. Who knows.

Nice catch. I figured maybe he was waiting for revealations from The Sun case but I believe it was said somewhere that he has been avoiding press reports and social media surrounding the case.

But blocking these nuisance demurrers would be a very shrewd move. I can't see them doing the Heard case any good either. He has already reprimanded her team on the press releases claiming Johnny was delaying the case by refusing the medical records, so he is not blind (and is obviously aware of the media reports, if not actually reading them). It he sees constant and increasingly desperate attempts to kill the case he will not be impressed (imo). These are more like SLAPP lawsuits than the defamation case.

[ForeverYoung]

IMO, the VA judge has to decide on what is presented to him through whatever the lawyers provide in their papers. Not the media, not what is going on with other cases, and not with any new laws that may or may not get passed. If the lawyers provide to him what is being said in the media by the other party then he will address that as he should, and he did. So far she has not filed an answer to the complaint where she would have to admit or deny the counts but instead keeps avoiding it by filing these motions to dismiss and the judge knows what's going on here.