When does the Johnny Depp trial resume? Upcoming schedule and break explained

Following three weeks of testimonies and depositions, the defamation trial of Johnny Depp's lawsuit against ex-wife Amber Heard is going on a break for little more than a week. Since the trial began on April 11, events at the Fairfax, Virginia courtroom have been telecasted live daily from Monday to Friday.

As of Thursday, May 5, the trial has gone on a hiatus owing to Judge Penney Azcarate's unavailability until May 15. The trial is slated to begin on Monday, May 16, and will reportedly end on Friday, May 27.

Last Thursday, before pausing the trial, Judge Azcarate reminded the jury to refrain from consuming content about the case in order to deliver an unbiased verdict in the lawsuit. The Judge told the jury:

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

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Exploring the break in the trial of Johnny Depp vs Amber Heard defamation lawsuit

According to reports, the pause in the trial is due to some prior commitments that presiding Judge Azcarate has in that week. As per multiple publications, the Judge is set to attend a conference during this time period, which requires the trial proceedings to be postponed.

As mentioned earlier, the trial will resume on May 16 and will continue with the remainder of Amber Heard's testimony against Johnny Depp over her alleged sexual assault and abuse by him.

Following six weeks of testimonies and depositions against both parties, the trial will conclude with closing statements from Depp and Heard's respective legal teams. After that, the jury will give a verdict, and based on which, Judge Azcarate will sentence the appropriate penalty for the guilty party.

It must be noted that the jury may take several hours to days following the closing statement from both legal teams. Furthermore, it also falls on Depp's legal counsel to prove that the actor had not assaulted Heard and that the claims of her 2018 op-ed in The Washington Post were false. Depp's team had alleged that the Pirates of the Caribbean star had lost around $40 million after the article.

Following Amber Heard's insinuated allegations, Johnny Depp was allegedly dropped from franchise roles from Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean and Warner Brothers' (now Warner Bros. Discovery) Fantastic Beast series.

This is partly why the trial is taking place in Fairfax, Virginia. While many publications claim that the location of the trial is due to the fact that The Washington Post's servers are located there, others have cited the SLAPP law as the reason.

In California, the anti-SLAPP (Strategic lawsuit against public participation) prevents Johnny Depp from suing Amber Heard for defamation. Thus, Virginia's lack of regard for the SLAPP laws enabled Depp to sue Heard there.