Johnny Depp Trial: Amber Heard’s New Lawyer Thinks They Can ‘Reverse the Judgment,’ Highlights New Evidence
Amber Heard hired legal firm Ballard Spahr as her lead appellate counsel, and her legal team will be led by David L. Axelrod and Jay Ward Brown. JIM LO SCALZO/POOL/AFP via Getty Images

The saga between Johnny Depp and his ex-wife Amber Heard is far from over, as the actress has new attorneys to represent her in her motion to appeal the decision that granted her former husband over $10 million in damages in his highly-public defamation lawsuit.

The Aquaman actress hired legal firm Ballard Spahr as her lead appellate counsel. Her legal team will be led by David L. Axelrod and Jay Ward Brown. Axelrod and Brown previously defended the New York Times against a defamation lawsuit from former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin.

Elaine Charlson Bredehoft stepped down from the case, while Ben Rottenborn will still be representing her. In a statement to E! News, Bredehoft said it's the "perfect time to pass the baton."

Depp's legal team did not comment on Heard's decision to change legal counsel.

New Amber Heard Legal Team Confident With New Evidence

With the new lawyers from Ballard Spahr on board, Heard's legal team is teasing new evidence. They are quite confident with their case to reverse the decision because of the new lawyers and the new evidence.

A spokesperson for Heard said in a statement to People Magazine that "A different court warrants different representation, particularly as so much new evidence is now coming to light."

Amber Heard Legal Team To Focus on First Amendment

Meanwhile, Axelrod and Brown released a joint statement saying they are welcoming the opportunity to represent Amber Heard, adding that this case has "important First Amendment implications." They also said that the appellate court will reverse the judgment against their client.

According to Deadline, the hiring of Axelrod and Brown signals that Heard is changing tactics in her legal battle and will be focusing more on the First Amendment aspect of her defense. The two attorneys specialize in the U.S. Constitution's freedom of speech clause, having defeated Sarah Palin in a messy court battle in 2017.

Deadline also noted that the palpable First Amendment grounds were largely ignored in the trial, with former Heard attorney Bredehoft allowing the defense to get into a "he-said-she-said" battle with Depp's lawyers, which they clearly lost as Depp was largely given the victory in that case.

On July 21, Amber Heard gave notice to the court that they are appealing the case. As with the previous case trial, Travelers Commercial Insurance is the ones paying the bill for Heard's undoubtedly heavyweight legal team. Meanwhile, Depp's team also filed their own notice of appeal just a day later, on July 22.

However, Heard still needs to pay the $8.3 million bond required for her to challenge the verdict. This bond is required under Virginia law, and that she only has until September 4 to file her appeal.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Rick Martin

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