Samuel Moniz

Samuel Moniz examined witnesses for Johnny Depp on what they observed and how they documented it. He called Gina Deuters, but the judge later struck her testimony after determining that she had watched trial clips. With former house manager Ben King, Moniz developed testimony about damage at the Australia house and where King found Depp’s severed fingertip. Heard’s counsel challenged gaps in King’s timeline and the photographs he had supplied to Depp’s lawyers. Moniz said any additional photographs were not in his team’s custody or control, did not object to King producing them, and the judge directed that they be turned over.

Moniz also examined security guard Malcolm Connolly about arguments, objects thrown at Depp and marks Connolly said he had seen on him. Heard’s counsel challenged Connolly’s ties to Depp and limits on what he had witnessed. Moniz’s redirect focused on Connolly’s distance from Heard and the lighting during the Australia incident. He later questioned LAPD domestic-violence coordinator Marie Sadanaga about documentation and what officers can do when a potential victim does not cooperate. In the deposition of a Children’s Hospital Los Angeles representative, he elicited testimony about the $250,000 the hospital had received toward Heard’s pledge and its follow-up requests.

Moniz examined hand surgeon Richard Gilbert about Depp’s finger injury. Gilbert said the fracture was consistent with a thrown bottle and that wall-punching was highly unlikely. On cross-examination, Heard’s counsel established that Gilbert was not offering an opinion on what caused the injury and corrected his characterization of Heard’s account: she had said she did not know how it happened. On Moniz’s redirect, Gilbert said an isolated finger injury could occur through any mechanism, though wall-punching would more likely injure multiple fingers.