Not sure how this looks. Settling means ending a suit before a verdict. Maybe Depp's legal team thought a guilty verdict could be used against him in future abuse claims / could be more damaging in the future and settling could prevent that to a certain degree.
From what I noticed from the deposition transcript, & witness list, this case is ridiculous. I can safely say that Rocky case is shady at best, & Johnny had higher chance to win this. He had 40 timestamped photos from the script supervisor & her sworn testimony realted to the incident that support his claim. Granted we didn't see those photos yet, but they are in the evidence list. but you never know if someone of the jury happened to be an Amber supporter & want to get him. & also probably Johnny doesn't want to be dragged again to court. The media will smear him regardless of the verdict unfortunately.
My thoughts about the case (& please correct me if I got something wrong):
- The damages claim that can be recovered is only $800! (that's the cost for 4 visit to therapist for emotional distress
years after the incident & Rocky claims it be realted, although forgot to mention it earlier in deposition, strange, though it appears to be realted to other things going in his life like the car accident he has been through. It's worth noting that 2 of those visits happened after his deposition been recorded. I personally think it's to set the story straight, since the therapist was going to be a witness in the trial)
- The attorney's cost for both sides is for sure more than the damages claimed, which makes it not worth it. This was designed from the beginning for the big settlement money not for winning. If Rocky wanted to clear his name from being a racist, he should have never settled then. and also it was clear that this case is another front for Amber Heard lawyers since they openly supported Rocky. Amber Heard herself, the queen of perjury, is in his witness list.
- Rocky claims that Johnny punched him twice in the ribs, & Johnny claims that didn't happen, but agrees that he scolded him for berating a poor woman. Regardless of what really happened, the two men resolved this conflict later in the same night. Rocky was the one who wanted to take a photo together.
In the photo you can see both smiling, no injuries, no grudges. It was solved!
- Rocky had this photo posted on his Facebook for years. He only took it down just before filling the lawsuit. During his deposition, he was asked why he took it down, & he said it shouldn't be out there, just common sense. Yeah, an attempt to hide an evidence that the issue was resolved & that it undermine his case, that doesn't look good.
- During discovery, it was revealed that Rocky had a dispute 15min before the alleged incident with another building manager. He was witnessed cursing & flipping off the other person before leaving the site. Rocky
didn't deny that during deposition. This point is important, because he was already angry & agitated, & makes it more likely that he put his anger on a poor woman if she was on his way.
- Johnny didn't know about the earlier incident until it was brought to him during deposition. This makes it less likely that he made up the story about the woman, if he already know what causing Rocky bad temper.
- Rocky's lawyers filed a motion to not bring up that 15min earlier dispute during the trail claiming it's not realted & prejudicial. Yeah, they know it makes his case more weak.
- They also wanted to bring Rocky's therapist as an expert witness, which would allow them to bring up hersay & talk in generalization.
- Johnny team filed a motion to not bring up Johnny's drug addiction history or Amber's case. It's clear that the opposition will use those to sway the jury, even if they aren't releated to the incident.
The case is shady & the Jury most likely will see through it. But if Johnny want to just move on, well, good for him too.
