The lies fell like a pack of cards in the #DeppvsHeard trial.
I'm a domestic violence (DV) practitioner and represent people on both sides of the aisle; the accused and the victim. And it hurts me to see what all the major news outlets such as CNN, NBC and CBS are reporting about the Johnny Depp v. Amber Heard defamation verdict and what it means for victims of domestic violence and intimate partner violence. Amber Heard’s attorney went on national television after losing her countersuit for defamation, essentially calling the verdict a loss for all women and for the #MeToo movement. Nothing could be further from the truth.
Firstly, the case was about defamation. Secondly, domestic violence trials are decided by the Judge and not the jury. Thirdly, the burden of proof at domestic violence (DV) trials is the lowest; preponderance of the evidence, where it is more likely than not, that there was an act of domestic violence against the victim. I have won cases where there was ZERO evidence and yet the Judge believed my client and issued an Order of protection. The real evidence is your own testimony. Because credible testimony IS all the evidence the Judge needs.
In my countless DV trials, spanning twelve years, I’ve noticed how important it is for my client to speak their truth, because the decision hinges on “credibility”. Is the victim credible? Is their story real, or are they telling the truth?
Let’s get the facts straight. Amber Heard’s outcome in the defamation lawsuit is not the standard in DV court or the standard of DV victims. Don’t let the defamation lawsuit fool you, and don’t let the mainstream media or Amber Heard’s attorneys blindsight you into believing that this is a loss for all women. Remember, Amber Heard successfully got a restraining order against Johnny Depp when she went to DV court in 2016, in the throes of the #metoomovement. She had her “day in court”, got a Restraining Order against Depp and then violated this Order by calling a meeting with him after she’d filed for divorce. Everything was fine. Then she wrote an op-Ed for the Washington Post, in 2018. That op-Ed was the center of the defamation lawsuit.
ARE YOU OR SOMEONE YOU KNOW A TRUE VICTIM OF ABUSE?
Please, I urge you, if you are a real victim of DV, come forward and do not believe the story they have spun about the evidence and the standard. Because real victims are always credible. Domestic abuse is a serious problem. If you, or someone you know, face domestic violence, please call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-900-799-SAFE (7233) www.TheHotline.org or your local police station. If you live in New Jersey, visit https://www.nj.gov/dcf/women/hotlines/ You can always reach out to my office at (973) 937-8693.
