Amber Heard will plead not guilty to illegally importing animals to Australia, according to a statement released by the actress’ lawyer on Sunday.
“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. 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,” reads the statement.
Back in July, The Danish Girl actress was charged with two counts for breaching Australia’s biosecurity laws by illegally importing animals and one count for falsifying documents. According to legal documentation, Heard “sneaked in” her and her husband Johnny Depp‘s two Yorkshire Terrier dogs, Pistol and Boo, into the country.
The case began in May when Depp was shooting scenes for the latest Pirates of the Caribbean movie in Australia. Agriculture Minister Barnaby Joyce accused the actor and his wife of smuggling their dogs aboard his private jet and gave the couple a period of 72 hours to send Pistol and Boo back to the United States, warning that if they didn’t, the dogs would be euthanized.
A court hearing is scheduled for December 15th. If found guilty, Heard could face up to 10 years in prison and a $75,000 fine.
