No Mistrial
In July 2022, Judge Penney Azcarate denied Heard’s request for a mistrial after the actress and her attorneys claimed that one juror was not properly verified. The judge declared that the juror was properly questioned by both Heard and Depp’s legal teams. “The parties also questioned the jury panel for a full day and informed the Court that the jury panel was acceptable,” Azcarate wrote in her decision. “Therefore, due process was guaranteed and provided to all parties in this litigation … there is no evidence of fraud or wrongdoing.”
Azcarate added that Heard and her team didn’t allege that the juror’s inclusion “prejudiced” her in any way. “The juror was vetted, sat for the entire jury, deliberated and reached a verdict,” the judge continued. “The only evidence before this Court is that this juror and all jurors followed their oaths, the Court’s instructions, and orders. This Court is bound by the competent decision of the jury.”
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