Hector Presiado
Hector Presiado served as plaintiff's counsel on Johnny Depp's legal team during the 2022 Fairfax County defamation trial. He was one of several supporting attorneys working alongside lead counsel Benjamin Chew and Camille Vasquez, contributing focused witness examination work across five proceedings. His courtroom assignments spanned cross-examinations and direct examination of witnesses central to the no-injury and damages threads of Depp's case theory.
Testimony Impact
Presiado advanced Depp's case on two fronts: building a cumulative record of zero observed injuries and establishing causation for Depp's career damages. His crosses of LAPD Officer Melissa Saenz and Eastern Columbia Building front-desk attendant Alejandra Romero used methodical leading questions to lock in unshaken testimony that neither witness saw bruising, marks, or swelling on Heard across multiple dates and close-range encounters. With talent agent Christian Carino, Presiado pivoted to a document-driven approach — walking through texts and emails to establish Heard's post-TRO reconciliation attempts and to confirm Carino's opinion linking the op-ed's timing directly to Depp's loss of the Pirates 6 role. His most significant courtroom contribution came during the direct examination of iO Tillett Wright, when he elicited the admission that Wright — a close mutual friend who lived in Depp's building — had never personally witnessed Depp assault Heard on any occasion.
Notable Quotes From The Record
“It was so good that had she had any bruises, swelling, or marks on her face, you would have noticed that, correct?”
Establishes the premise that lighting conditions preclude Romero having missed visible injuries.
“You say, "Seems like a press release. You weren't in love with him, and you told me a thousand times you were just filling space."”
Presiado reads back Carino's own text to Heard characterizing the Musk relationship as not genuine, supporting Depp's team's narrative that Heard remained emotionally attached to Depp after the divorce.
“Finally I am single, clear in my heart and my mind. I just want him to know that I loved him and that I am sorry.”
Presiado reads Heard's August 2017 text to Carino, in which she expressed love and apology to Depp and asked Carino to deliver a handwritten letter — evidence of her reconciliation intent more than a year after the divorce filing.
Key Moments
Presiado's methodical cross locked in LAPD Officer Saenz's testimony that she observed no injuries, no disarray, and no probable cause on May 21, 2016, while a side-by-side photo exhibit neutralized the inference of bruising from photographic redness.
Day 9 · Cross of Melissa Saenz
Presiado secured Alejandra Romero's unshaken confirmation — across two close encounters on March 25 and May 24, 2016, under good lighting at close range — that she saw no bruising, marks, or swelling on Heard's face.
Day 10 · Cross of Alejandra Romero
Using Carino's own produced texts and a December 20, 2018 email chain, Presiado established both that Heard initiated a post-TRO in-person meeting with Depp and that Carino attributed Depp's loss of Pirates 6 directly to Heard's abuse allegations.
Day 10 · Cross of Christian Carino
Presiado elicited from iO Tillett Wright — a close friend who lived in Depp's building — the direct admission that Wright never personally witnessed Depp assault or beat Heard on any occasion.
Day 17 · Direct of iO Tillett Wright
In redirect, Presiado drew concessions that both parties exchanged 'mean and vicious' statements during arguments, tempering the one-sided domestic violence narrative while Wright maintained his dishware and substance-use testimony.
Day 17 · Redirect of iO Tillett Wright
Evidence From Their Proceedings (16)
Heard Washington Post Op-Ed (Dec 18, 2018)
Amber Heard's opinion piece titled 'I spoke up against sexual violence and faced our culture's wrath. This has to change.' published in the Washington Post on December 18, 2018,…
Catalog entry →LAPD Domestic Violence Supplemental Report Form (Form 15.40.02)
The LAPD Domestic Violence Supplemental Report form containing victim observation checklists, victim emotional state assessments, crime scene indicators, and approximately 70…
Catalog entry →May 21, 2016 Face Photos — Exhibits 24–29 Series
Multiple photographs of Heard's face from May 21, 2016 showing facial redness, including two photos sharing an identical timestamp of 9:25:12 PM but differing in brightness and…
Catalog entry →December 2015 Hair Clump Photograph
Photograph depicting a clump of hair on the floor, associated with the December 15–16, 2015 incident at Depp's penthouse. iO Tillett Wright identified this as the clump of hair he…
Catalog entry →Jack Sparrow Removal Email Chain (Dec 20 2018)
An email chain dated December 20, 2018, with the subject 'Johnny Depp's Jack Sparrow Won't Return,' in which Depp's publicist Robin Braun forwarded a movieweb.com article about…
Catalog entry →Carino–Depp Texts, San Francisco Meeting Logistics
Text messages between Christian Carino and Johnny Depp regarding logistics of a San Francisco reconciliation meeting that Heard had requested.
Catalog entry →Carino–Heard Post-Divorce Reconciliation Texts (Ex. 22)
A text exchange or package of exchanges between Christian Carino and Amber Heard, covering post-divorce communications including Heard's reconciliation requests and TRO-related…
Catalog entry →Carino–Heard Text Exchange re: Anderson (July 14, 2016)
Text exchange dated July 14, 2016, between Christian Carino and Amber Heard discussing couples therapist Laurel Anderson and paparazzi avoidance, produced by Heard (Bates ALH).
Catalog entry →Carino–Heard Texts, Musk Breakup (Aug 7–16 2017)
A text exchange between Christian Carino and Amber Heard dated August 7–16, 2017, in which Carino wrote that Heard 'wasn't in love with' Elon Musk and had told him 'a thousand…
Catalog entry →Exhibit 41 — Scene Disarray Photo or Document (Saenz)
A photograph or document shown to Officer Saenz during cross-examination in connection with questions about whether she observed any disarray during her protective sweep of the…
Catalog entry →Heard to Carino Text 'God, I Miss Him' (Sep 23 2017)
A text dated September 23, 2017, in which Heard wrote to Carino 'God, I miss him,' confirmed by Carino to refer to Depp.
Catalog entry →Heard to Carino Text re Depp Birthday (Jun 9 2018)
A text dated June 9, 2018, in which Heard told Carino she had sent Depp a happy birthday message.
Catalog entry →Heard to Carino Text, Letter for Depp (Aug 16 2017)
A text dated August 16, 2017, in which Heard asked Carino to deliver a handwritten letter to Depp, stating she was 'finally single' and wanted Depp to know she loved him and was…
Catalog entry →Heard–Carino 'WME' Email (Jan 11 2018, Exhibit 16)
An email exchange with Bates reference CC00070, dated January 11, 2018, subject 'WME,' in which Heard discussed with Carino her decision to leave CAA for William Morris Endeavor.
Catalog entry →Melissa Saenz Deposition Transcript — July 18, 2016
The transcript of Melissa Saenz's deposition taken approximately two months after the May 21, 2016 incident, introduced as Exhibit 57.
Catalog entry →Prior deposition transcript excerpt: Carino's deposition testimony (approximatel
Prior deposition transcript excerpt: Carino's deposition testimony (approximately one year prior to trial) about Pirates 6 loss, Jerry Bruckheimer, Jack Whigham, and Brian Lourd —…
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