NEW YORK, NY June 3 (DPI) – NYT columnist Michelle Goldberg yesterday called the jury’s decision in the Amber Heard-Johnny Depp defamation trial a “travesty” – an assertion that triggered more than 2,000 reader comments.

And virtually all the the most popular comments on the thread took aim at Goldberg’s logic – or lack thereof – as she echoed Heard’s claim that institutions – like the courts – systematically protect powerful men accused of domestic abuse. The 6-week trial revealed the tawdry and destructive relationship between the celebrities.

Heard wrote a 2018 op-ed in The Washington Post claiming – without naming Depp – that she was a victim of abuse. Depp sued for defamation.

The Fairfax County VA jury ruled in favor of Depp, who now has a $8 million claim against his ex-wife.

Readers of Goldberg’s column collectively shook their heads at her determined close-mindedness and “cherry picked facts.” The most popular comments (The top comment received more than 3300 recommendations):

I am really starting to get sick of these partial articles, of the cherry picked facts, of the caveats and concessions for Amber’s side when presenting this trial in the media. I am a progressive, a feminist, work in human rights. I am not a conservative or a wild Johnny Depp ‘tik tok’ fan. I watched the whole trial. I was on Heard’s side, for years. But it was clear as the trial went on, that it is very likely that Heard has fabricated the allegations – something absolutely heinous to do, to destroy someone else’s life. Please Michelle, don’t be dishonest here. Everyone watching the trial could see the facts as they were presented; most people are smart enough to infer their own conclusions that Heard acted with malice.

It’s distressing to read this sort of opinion piece. A jury put in six hard weeks of listening to evidence before coming to a conclusion, and because Ms. Goldberg clearly doesn’t agree with it, she calls it a “travesty.” It is the same logic that led to the Capital building being stormed on Jan 6 – don’t like the outcome, well, just assert then that it was flawed. In fact, take it a step further, use the flawed outcome to “validate” the bias in the system. These attacks on our institutions, from the right and the left, will one day destroy the country.

Ms. Goldberg has written previously on the trial, so it’s no surprise at her outrage at the verdict. But just because she doesn’t like it, to slam the jury as a group of Trump-supporting domestic-abuse deniers, as she insinuates here, is unfair. They heard all the evidence, weighed it according to their understanding of the law, and voted accordingly. No one should make unsubstantiated accusations against the personalties or political tilt of juries just because they don’t like the outcome.

I’ve been a trial lawyer for 38 years. In my experience, juries almost always get it right. Likewise, in my experience press reporting on trials is usually is off the mark, often by a lot. And finally, the idea that one should draw larger conclusions from a single verdict is a stretch. Real story here? Jury heard the evidence and reached a verdict. Time to move on.

The author wants this verdict to stand for something else–to be a message or a part of a narrative–but the jury listened to weeks of testimony and was given instructions to follow by the judge. I don’t see how this can be called a “travesty.”

Miss Goldberg conducts her own trial in this column, rules Mr. Depp is guilty and vents outrage that the jury does not agree as if it is common sense he is guilty. An opinion piece that advances no new arguments and simply assumes the woman is always innocent.

I’ve been on this planet for 67 years and worked as a professional women in executive positions for 30 of those years. I can say from personal experience that women are no more or less likely to lie or scheme to promote themselves professionally or personally. The Al Franken political lynching is a perfect example of the now common trend to “believe the woman”. I resent this deeply. I and many women in my generation spent our lives demonstrating through our words and actions that women deserve equal treatment and respect by law and in personal interactions. Now it seems all it takes is to simply be female and you’re off the hook.

Baloney. The verdict was justice. I am no fan of Johnny Depp, he is a deeply flawed individual, but the jury and most people observing the trial could plainly see that Amber Heard was performing and lying on the stand. Unfortunately, she isn’t a very good or believable actress and the jury saw through it, rightly finding siding overall with Mr. Depp. I pity the next man who becomes entangled in a relationship with Ms. Heard.