Court spectators

**Court spectators** refers to members of the public who visited the Fairfax County Courthouse during the US trial.

## Pre-trial

In April 2022, ahead of the start of the trial, judge Penney Azcarate signed an order banning Johnny Depp and Amber Heard signing autographs and taking selfies with fans that are hoping to meet the pair outside the court.

## Outside the courthouse

Every court day, four days a week, hundreds of people would camp outside the courthouse to seek seats at the trial. Due to the fact that only 100 spectators could be selected each day, a wristband system was implemented. A fresh round of brightly colored spectator wristbands were released each day at 7:00 am. By the second week, the county court put tighter security measures in place and deputies started requiring photo IDs and recording the names of everyone who gets a wristband. The line to enter the courthouse began before sunrise. Some of the spectators traveled from across the US as well as from countries including the UK. One was reported to have spent $30,000 on travel expenses.

Throughout the day, people appeared outside the courthouse carrying signs, wearing fan merch and costumes. Nearly all of them are Depp supporters. A Depp supporter even brought two alpacas, reporting this as an attempt to brighten Depp's day. A Heard supporter was seen handing a bouquet of flowers into Heard's departing vehicle.

Crowds outside the courthouse would cheer Depp on his arrival, while heckling and booing Heard. Some Depp supporters have been seen chasing cars transporting Heard and her legal team away from the building. Reports emerged that Heard had hired an elite security team to protect her while at the courthouse building and when traveling to and from the trial. The security detail, many of them former military and government officials working undercover, has been told to be on the lookout for “lone-wolf supporters trying to gain access to the [Fairfax] County Circuit Courthouse grounds, vehicles, or entrance to the facility”, according to a memo seen by the *New York Post*.

## In the courtroom

Spectators who successfully procured a wristband would gain access to sit in the seats at the gallery in the back of the courtroom to observe the proceedings first-hand. They were separated by a partition from the rest of the courtroom. The courtroom filled to near-capacity most days.

Due to incidents of the lively reactions from the crowd, the conduct of the spectators was watched carefully. A deputy warned the spectators against laughing loudly, cheering or rolling their eyes.

### Incidents

On the fourth day of the trial, two Depp supporters were removed from the courtroom when it was discovered that they had made death threats towards Heard online.

In the final week of the trial, a woman was removed from the courtroom after she stood up holding a child and yelled to Depp: "This baby is yours!" and claimed to be his soulmate.

A court spectator had previously removed himself after being unable to control his laughter during the trial.

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Rachael Bunyan (May 20, 2022). 'I've spent $30,000 to be here!': Johnny Depp superfans are CAMPING outside courthouse to cheer on actor and bag a seat to watch trial with one splashing out on new outfits especially for livestream appearance. Daily Mail.
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Ezra Marcus. Johnny Depp Case Brings Stan Culture Into the Courtroom. The New York Times. Archived from the original on May 6, 2022.
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Mike Reyes (April 25, 2022). What It’s Really Like To Be At The Johnny Depp And Amber Heard Trial: Alpacas, Wristbands And Screaming Fans. CinemaBlend.
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Emily Yahr (April 25, 2022). In Va. court, Depp fans clamor for seats. Alpacas must wait outside. The Washington Post. Archived from the original on April 28, 2022.
5. ↑ Rachel Sharp (May 26, 2022). Amber Heard faces ‘culture’s wrath’ at trial: Death threats, taunting Depp fans, shirts branding her a liar. The Independent.
6. ↑ Elizabeth Rosner; Ben Kesslen (April 14, 2022). Amber Heard faces ‘culture’s wrath’ at trial: Death threats, taunting Depp fans, shirts branding her a liar. New York Post. Archived from the original on April 15, 2022.
7. ↑ Stephen M. Lepore (May 24, 2022). 'This baby is yours!' Johnny Depp trial takes even stranger turn when fan holds up her child and tells Pirates of the Caribbean actor claiming he's the FATHER. Daily Mail.
8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Inga Parkel (May 24, 2022). Johnny Depp trial: Spectator removed after shouting ‘this baby is yours’ at Pirates actor. The Independent.