The claim: The ‘system’ chose to keep Ghislaine Maxwell’s trial private but live stream Johnny Depp’s lawsuit
Widespread news coverage of Johnny Depp’s lawsuit against his ex-wife Amber Heard has led some to engage in conspiracy thinking.
An Facebook from April 20 The post is one of many highlighting the differences in media coverage between this case and the Ghislaine Maxwell sex trafficking trial.
“The same system that kept you in the dark about Ghislaine Maxwell and her client list doesn’t mind live streaming Johnny Depp’s trial,” reads a caption inside the image.
The post shows a courtroom sketch of Maxwell preparing to sit at the defendant’s table along with a photo of Depp in court. It racked up more than 2,400 reactions and 26,000 shares in six days.
Similary publications they have also accumulated thousands of interactions on Facebook. a version accuses the media of broadcasting Depp’s trial to protect “the dirty business of powerful politicians”.
Maxwell He was convicted of five counts related to luring teenagers in connection with the late financier Jeffrey Epstein’s child sex trafficking operation. Depp’s trial is the result of a $50 million defamation lawsuit The actor filed a lawsuit against Heard in Virginia that has been ongoing since April 27.
News organizations used courtroom sketches during their coverage of Maxwell’s trial. Recent coverage of the Depp lawsuit contains a large number of videos and photos.
But the difference in photo and video coverage between the two cases is not the result of a conspiracy, as the publication implies. Maxwell’s case was a criminal trial in the federal court system, which does not normally allow coverage of proceedings electronically. The trial in Depp’s case has been televised and photographed because it takes place in Virginia state court, where the law leaves it to judges to decide whether or not to allow video coverage.
Fact check: Publication exaggerates benefits for members of Congress
USA TODAY contacted the Facebook user who shared the claim.
Depp’s case is happening in Virginia state court
Depp is suing Heard in the Fairfax County Circuit Court in Virginia. His defamation lawsuit is a civil case, meaning it involves Depp seeking damages for injuries allegedly committed by Heard.
Images and video of the proceedings have been widely featured in news reports and social media, because Virginia allows recording at the discretion of the presiding judgewith the exception of certain types of sensitive cases provided by law and in accordance with other guidelines established by law.
Virginia Personal Injury Lawyer Robert Byrne Jr. he told USA TODAY that because the Depp case is not considered sensitive, the judge had full discretion to allow video and photography.
The presiding judge set the parameters for videography and photography in the Depp case in a march order.
Federal courts do not allow photos, videos or recordings
Maxwell’s trial took place in the federal court system, which operates under much stricter media guidelines. Federal courts do not allow cameras or other recording devices, which is why media coverage is based on courtroom sketches.
The prohibition in criminal cases stems from Rule 53 of the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure which states “the court shall not permit the taking of photographs in the courtroom during court proceedings or the broadcast of court proceedings from the courtroom”, unless otherwise provided by law or criminal regulations. Over the years, the The US Judicial Conference has approved several pilot programs to study cameras in federal courts, but photography and video have never been generally approved for the federal court system.
As reported by USA TODAYprotecting the identity of the accusers was also a concern at Maxwell’s trial.
Our Rating: Missing Context
Based on our research, we rate as LACK OF CONTEXT the claim that the “system” chose to keep the Maxwell trial private but livestream the trial in the Depp lawsuit. Differences in media coverage result from different sets of rules in the federal and state court systems. Depp’s trial can be photographed and videotaped because that case is being heard in Virginia state court and the presiding judge has allowed photos and video. Maxwell’s trial was held in federal court where videos, photos and recordings are generally not allowed.
Our data verification sources:
- Fairfax County Circuit Court, March 29, Order in Depp v. heard
- Fairfaxcounty.gov, accessed April 27, Pool Cams – John C. Depp, 11 v. Amber Laura Heard Civil Trial
- Robert Byrne Jr.April 26, telephone interview with USA TODAY
- United States Courts, accessed April 25, History of the Cameras in the Courts
- United States Courts, accessed April 25, Chambers in Courts
- Associated Press, March 24, Amber Heard can argue immunity in Johnny Depp defamation lawsuit, judge rules
- Associated Press, December 29, 2021, Ghislaine Maxwell, associate of Jeffrey Epstein, sentenced in sexual abuse case
- USA TODAY, November 29, 2021, Fact Check: Cameras Not Allowed During Ghislaine Maxwell Trial
- USA TODAY, July 2, 2020, Feds Arrest Jeffrey Epstein Associate Ghislaine Maxwell Accused of Recruiting Child Sex Victims
- Virginia Legislative Information System, accessed April 25, Virginia Code § 19.2-266
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Reference-www.usatoday.com