Actress Amber Heard has stated that she will plead not guilty to charges that she illegally imported dogs into Australia.
Back in July, Heard was charged with two counts of illegally importing her and husband Johnny Depp’s Yorkshire Terriers, Pistol and Boo, into the country, as well as one count of presenting a false document.
According to the Commonwealth Department of Public Prosecutions, Heard is facing a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and hefty fines.
However, the 29-year-old said she is innocent. “Whilst I am unable to comment on the specific matters before the Court I would like to say that I respect the importance of Australia’s laws,” Heard said in a statement released by her lawyer. “My decision to defend these charges, as will become apparent in the appropriate forum of the Court, is not intended in any way to diminish the importance of Australia’s laws.” She also added that she is “looking forward” to fighting the charges.
Australia has a very strict law regarding the entrance of animals into the country. All animals must have a permit and undergo testing and health checks by the government to ensure foreign diseases do not enter the country. Apparently, Heard and Depp did not have the right permits, and at the time, Barnaby Joyce, the country’s minister of agriculture, wanted to euthanize the dogs. However, Heard and Depp were able to successfully return them to Los Angeles.
In September, Depp explained on Jimmy Kimmel Live, that couple thought they were doing everything correct. “We were under the impression that we had all the paperwork done for the dogs, we were there with the dogs in front of everybody.”
The court date is set for December 15, and it will be interesting to see how this turns out…
Do you think Amber Heard and Johnny Depp were in the wrong?
