Tragic event in which Alec Baldwin 'discharged' prop gun that left cinematographer dead.

PJPOWER

HughFreakingDillon said:

but if the jumpmaster cut corners, and someone dies, and the person who hired the jumpmaster (baldwin) (allegedly) knowing corners were being cut, the person who hired that jumpmaster would be liable criminally. 

The whole argument is ludicrous.  I’m not sure of any state that would give an adult that pointed a gun at someone and fired it a pass on liability, regardless of if they thought it was unloaded, paid someone else to check it on a movie set, or “thought” it was safe in whatever other ways.  If an adult is handling a firearm, they are responsible for what that firearm does, movie standards be damned.  Hell, if a police officer gave you a firearm, said it was unloaded, and you pointed it at someone and shot them, you would still be liable for handling it in an unsafe, neglectful way.  It’s a pretty simple concept…don’t point guns at things/people that you are not willing to shoot, and you will not accidentally shoot it/them.  If you do not know the basic firearm safety rules, then use a fake gun that is not capable of firing real bullets.
Baldwin is just learning these things the hard way…

mickeyrat

charged.....

https://apnews.com/article/alec-baldwin-crime-santa-fe-movies-d605e97752556dd444369b3fdbbd9f68

 

Alec Baldwin Crime New Mexico Santa Fe

Manslaughter charge for Alec Baldwin in 'Rust' set shooting

By MORGAN LEE

36 mins ago

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — Actor Alec Baldwin and a weapons specialist have been formally charged with involuntary manslaughter in the fatal shooting of a cinematographer on a New Mexico movie set, according to court documents filed by prosecutors Tuesday.

Santa Fe District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies filed the charging documents naming Baldwin and Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, who supervised weapons on the set of the Western “Rust.”

Halyna Hutchins died shortly after being wounded during rehearsals at a ranch on the outskirts of Santa Fe on Oct. 21, 2021. Baldwin was pointing a pistol at Hutchins when the gun went off, killing her and wounding the director, Joel Souza.

Prosecutors have said that Baldwin’s involvement as a producer and as the person who fired the gun weighed in the decision to file charges.

The filing Tuesday comes nearly two weeks after prosecutor Carmack-Altwies first announced that Baldwin and Gutierrez-Reed would be prosecuted for what authorities have described as a pattern of criminal disregard for safety. In recent weeks, she outlined two sets of involuntary manslaughter charges in connection with the shooting.

The manslaughter charge against Baldwin includes alternative standards and sanctions. One would apply a charge of manslaughter for reckless disregard of safety “without due caution and circumspection.”

A probable cause statement outlining evidence against Baldwin alleges many instances of “extremely reckless acts” or reckless failures to take precautions in the days and minutes leading up to the deadly shooting.

Investigators say that Baldwin drew a revolver from a holster, pointed it at Hutchins and fired the weapon when a plastic or replica gun should have been used by industry standards.

It says photos and videos of the rehearsal, including moments before the deadly shooting, showed Baldwin with his finger inside the trigger guard and on the trigger while “manipulating” the pistol's hammer, and that an FBI analysis shows the pistol could not be fired without pulling the trigger.

Investigators say Baldwin failed to appear for mandatory firearms training prior to filming, and that he didn’t fully complete on-set training while distracted by phone calls to family. They also cite several breaches of required safety-checks and protocols as the gun was loaded and provided to Baldwin.

Baldwin and Gutierrez-Reed maintain their innocence and have vowed to fight the charges.

Baldwin’s attorney Luke Nikas declined comment Tuesday and referred to his previous statement on the case, in which he called the charges a “terrible miscarriage of justice” that he and his client would fight and win.

“Mr. Baldwin had no reason to believe there was a live bullet in the gun – or anywhere on the movie set,” the statement said. “He relied on the professionals with whom he worked.”

Gutierrez-Reed’s attorney said they would release a statement later.

Hutchins’ death already has led to new safety precautions in the film industry.

Carmack-Altwies told The Associated Press in a Jan. 19 interview that the set was “really being run pretty fast and loose” and that Baldwin should have known there had been previous misfires on the set and that multiple people had brought up safety concerns.

Baldwin and Gutierrez-Reed will be issued a summons to appear in court. Prosecutors will forgo a grand jury and rely on a judge to determine if there is sufficient evidence to move toward trial. It could take up to 60 days for decision.

Involuntary manslaughter can involve a killing that happens while a defendant is doing something lawful but dangerous and is acting negligently or without caution.

Prosecutors say that a proposed plea agreement signed by assistant director David Halls, who oversaw safety on set, has not yet been approved by a judge and cannot be published.

Prosecutors said previously that Halls has agreed to plead guilty in the negligent use of a deadly weapon. Prosecutors say Halls may have handled the gun improperly before it was given to Baldwin.

Heather Brewer, a spokeswoman for the district attorney's office, said in a statement Monday that prosecutors are “fully focused on securing justice for Halyna Hutchins” and "the evidence and the facts speak for themselves.”

Baldwin, also a co-producer on “Rust,” has described the killing as a tragic accident. The 64-year-old actor said he was told the gun was safe and has sought to clear his name by suing people involved in handling and supplying the loaded .45-caliber revolver.

In his lawsuit, Baldwin said that while working on camera angles with Hutchins, he pointed the gun in her direction and pulled back and released the hammer of the weapon, which discharged.

Defense attorney Jason Bowles, who represents Gutierrez-Reed, said the charges are the result of a “flawed investigation” and an “inaccurate understanding of the full facts.”

Defendants can participate remotely in many initial court proceedings or seek to have their first appearance waived.

The decision to charge Baldwin marks a stunning turn of events for an A-list actor whose 40-year career included the early blockbuster “The Hunt for Red October” and a starring role in the sitcom “30 Rock,” as well as iconic appearances in Martin Scorsese’s “The Departed” and a film adaptation of David Mamet’s “Glengary Glen Ross.” In recent years, Baldwin was known for his impression of former President Donald Trump on “Saturday Night Live.”

___

AP Entertainment writer Andrew Dalton in Los Angeles contributed to this report.

PJ_Soul

I feel really bad for Baldwin (obviously I also feel really bad for the family of Hutchins too).

josevolution

PJ_Soul said:

I feel really bad for Baldwin (obviously I also feel really bad for the family of Hutchins too).

Yeah totally tragic event! It’s unreal how quickly life can deal a blow like this.

Spiritual_Chaos

I don’t see how him as a producer can weigh in (?).

mickeyrat

https://apnews.com/article/alec-baldwin-new-mexico-state-government-legal-proceedings-089584785158a600ca5437ac5c98c48c

 

Alec Baldwin New Mexico state government Legal proceedings Crime New Mexico Shootings

Alec Baldwin says part of shooting charge unconstitutional

By ANDREW DALTON

6 mins ago

Alec Baldwin on Friday asked a judge in New Mexico to dismiss a five-year firearm sentencing enhancement in the charges against him, saying it is unconstitutionally based on a law passed after the shooting on the set of the film “Rust.”

“The prosecutors committed a basic legal error by charging Mr. Baldwin under a version of the firearm-enhancement statute that did not exist on the date of the accident,” a court filing from Baldwin’s attorneys said.

Baldwin and Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, the weapons supervisor on the set of the Western, were charged last month with felony involuntary manslaughter in the shooting death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins.

Hutchins died shortly after being wounded during rehearsals at a ranch on the outskirts of Santa Fe on Oct. 21, 2021. Baldwin was pointing a pistol at Hutchins when the gun went off, killing her and wounding the director, Joel Souza. Hutchins' parents and sister filed a lawsuit over the shooting Thursday, after a similar suit filed by her husband and son was settled.

Baldwin's attorneys also filed a motion on Tuesday to disqualify the special prosecutor in the case, asserting that her position as a state lawmaker constitutionally prohibits her from holding any authority in a judicial capacity.

---

ALEC BALDWIN

Slain cinematographer's Ukrainian relatives sue Alec Baldwin

Alec Baldwin wants prosecutor in on-set death case dropped

Alec Baldwin scheduled for court on charges in set death

Manslaughter charge for Alec Baldwin in 'Rust' set shooting

Baldwin's legal team is mounting an aggressive legal fight against the charges before he has even made his initial court appearance, which is scheduled to take place by videoconference later this month. Baldwin has not been arrested.

“Another day, another motion from Alec Baldwin and his attorneys in an attempt to distract from the gross negligence and complete disregard for safety on the ‘Rust’ film set that led to Halyna Hutchins’ death," district attorney's spokeswoman Heather Brewer said in an email.

She added that the prosecution team "will review all motions — even those given to the media before being served to the DA. However, the DA’s and the special prosecutor’s focus will always remain on ensuring that justice is served and that everyone — even celebrities with fancy attorneys — is held accountable under the law.”

The manslaughter charges against Baldwin and Gutierrez-Reed include two alternative standards and sets of penalties, and a jury can decide which to pursue, according to prosecutors.

One version would require proof of negligence, which is punishable by up to 18 months in jail and a $5,000 fine under New Mexico law.

The second alternative is reckless disregard of safety “without due caution and circumspection.” It carries a higher threshold of wrongdoing and includes the gun enhancement that could result in a mandatory five years in prison.

But legal experts said Baldwin has a strong chance of seeing it thrown out.

“This is a violation of the ex post facto clause of the constitution," said Neama Rahmani, president of West Coast Trial Lawyers. “The government can’t pass a law and retroactively punish someone under that law. The judge is likely going to toss that enhancement and so Baldwin is just looking at a maximum sentence of 18 months in jail.”

In court documents, the district attorney's office said reckless safety failures accompanied the film production from the outset, and that Baldwin's "deviation from known standards, practices and protocol directly caused” Hutchins’ death.

They cited Baldwin’s failure as an actor to appear for mandatory firearms training prior to filming and his decision as a producer to work with Gutierrez-Reed, who was an uncertified and inexperienced armorer.

Baldwin's attorney Luke Nikas said when the charges were announced that they were “a terrible miscarriage of justice." He said Baldwin relied on the professionals with whom he worked and “had no reason to believe there was a live bullet in the gun.”

___

Associated Press writers Susan Montoya Bryan in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and Morgan Lee in Santa Fe, New Mexico, contributed to this report.

___

Follow AP Entertainment Writer Andrew Dalton on Twitter: https://twitter.com/andyjamesdalton

Halifax2TheMax

Guess he won’t be going to jail after all.

‘Rust’ charges dropped against Alec Baldwin, attorneys confirm

The actor had been charged with two counts of involuntary manslaughter after the fatal shooting on the set of ‘Rust’

Charges against actor Alec Baldwinhave been dropped for the fatal shooting on the set of “Rust,” Baldwin’s attorneys said Thursday.

“We are pleased with the decision to dismiss the case against Alec Baldwin and we encourage a proper investigation into the facts and circumstances of this tragic accident,” Baldwin’s attorneys Luke Nikas and Alex Spiro said in a statement.

Baldwin was handling a prop gunon the set of “Rust” in October 2021 when it discharged, killing cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and wounding the film’s director, Joel Souza.

Baldwin and the “Rust” set’s armorer, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, were charged with involuntary manslaughter in January for their alleged role in the fatal shooting of Hutchins. Both pleaded not guilty.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/movies/2023/04/20/alec-baldwin-rust-shooting/

HughFreakingDillon

what I heard on the radio this morning was that the charges were dropped because the prosecution wouldn't have been ready in time for the preliminary hearing. the charges can be re-brought later down the line if they find it necessary. 

igotid88

I'm not sure why they're doing this? Waste of taxpayers money

https://twitter.com/ABC/status/1714357593773068729?t=29vKB9QPbObc8r-kWdudgQ&s=19

brianlux

igotid88 said:

I'm not sure why they're doing this? Waste of taxpayers money

https://twitter.com/ABC/status/1714357593773068729?t=29vKB9QPbObc8r-kWdudgQ&s=19

I thought this was all wrapped up.  Seems like it's never going to end. 

mickeyrat

https://apnews.com/article/closing-arguments-trial-baldwin-shooting-3fdc75c2510804065a19a9fa374cfefd   'Rust' armorer convicted of involuntary manslaughter in fatal shooting by Alec Baldwin on movie set

 

Rust' armorer convicted of involuntary manslaughter in fatal shooting by Alec Baldwin on movie set

By MORGAN LEE

Yesterday

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — A jury convicted a movie weapons supervisor of involuntary manslaughter Wednesday in the fatal shooting of a cinematographer by actor Alec Baldwin during a rehearsal on the set of the Western movie “Rust.”

The verdict against movie armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed assigned new blame in the October 2021 shooting death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins after an assistant director last year pleaded no contest to negligent handling of a firearm.

Gutierrez-Reed also had faced a second charge of tampering with evidence, stemming from accusations that she handed a small bag of possible narcotics to another crew member after the shooting to avoid detection. She was found not guilty on that count.

Immediately after the verdict was read in court, the judge ordered the 26-year-old armorer placed into the custody of deputies. Lead attorney Jason Bowles said afterward that Gutierrez-Reed will appeal the conviction, which carries a penalty of up to 18 months in prison and a $5,000 fine.

Santa Fe-based state district court Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer did not immediately set a sentencing date.

Baldwin, the lead actor and a co-producer on “Rust,” was indicted by a grand jury in January on a charge of involuntary manslaughter. He was pointing a gun at Hutchins on a movie set outside Santa Fe, New Mexico, when the gun went off, killing the cinematographer and wounding director Joel Souza.

The trial was a preamble to Baldwin's trial scheduled in July. He has pleaded not guilty.

Messages seeking comment about Wednesday's verdict from Baldwin’s spokeswoman and a lawyer were not immediately returned.

Prosecutors said at trial that Gutierrez-Reed unknowingly brought live ammunition onto the movie set, and it remained there for at least 12 days before the fatal shooting, giving the armorer plenty of time to remove it.

In closing arguments, prosecutor Kari Morrissey described “constant, never-ending safety failures” on the set of “Rust” and Gutierrez-Reed's “astonishing lack of diligence” with gun safety.

“We end exactly where we began — in the pursuit of justice for Halyna Hutchins,” Morrissey told jurors. “Hannah Gutierrez failed to maintain firearms safety, making a fatal accident willful and foreseeable.”

Prosecutors also contended that the armorer repeatedly skipped or skimped on standard gun-safety protocols that might have detected the live rounds.

“This was a game of Russian roulette every time an actor had a gun with dummies,” Morrissey said.

An attorney for Hutchins' parents and sister issued a statement expressing their satisfaction with Wednesday's verdict.

“Today was the first trial and conviction in the criminal justice process,” said the statement from Gloria Allred on behalf of parents Olga Solovey and Anatolli Androsovych and Hutchins’ sister, Svetlana Zemko. “We look forward to the justice system continuing to make sure that everyone else who is responsible for Halyna’s death is required to face the legal consequences.”

Inside the courtroom Wednesday, Gutierrez-Reed's mother reacted with dismay at the conviction, bursting into tears and cursing the proceedings as her daughter was led away.

Defense attorneys told jurors that the problems on the set extended far beyond Gutierrez-Reed’s control, including the mishandling of weapons by Baldwin, citing sanctions and findings by state workplace safety investigators.

The defense also cast doubt on accusations that Gutierrez-Reed brought live rounds to the set and said an Albuquerque-based ammunition supplier was never fully investigated.

Juror Alberto Sanchez said Gutierrez-Reed could have paused work on the set to address safety issues. Jurors concluded she brought live ammunition on set, whether she knew it or not, Sanchez said outside of court after jurors were dismissed.

“Pretty much it was just that (she) never did the safety checks,” said Sanchez, whose work nearby in Los Alamos has involved safety decisions. “Never checked the rounds, to pull them out to shake them. I mean, if she’d have done that this wouldn’t have happened.”

Bowles, the defense attorney, had told jurors that no one in the cast and crew thought there were live rounds on set and Gutierrez-Reed could not have foreseen that Baldwin would “go off-script” when he pointed the revolver at Hutchins. Investigators found no video recordings of the shooting.

“It was not in the script for Mr. Baldwin to point the weapon,” Bowles said. “She didn’t know that Mr. Baldwin was going to do what he did.”

To drive the point home, Bowles played a video outtake from another day in which Baldwin fired a revolver loaded with blanks — including a shot after a director calls “cut.”

On the day of the shooting, Bowles said, Gutierrez-Reed alone was segregated in a police car away from others, becoming a convenient scapegoat.

“You had a production company on a shoestring budget, an A-list actor that was really running the show,” Bowles said. “At the end, they had somebody they could all blame.”

Dozens of witnesses had testified during the 10-day trial, from FBI experts in firearms and crime-scene forensics to a camera dolly operator who described the fatal gunshot and watching Hutchins go flush and lose feeling in her legs before death.

The prosecution painstakingly assembled photographic evidence it said traced the arrival and spread of live rounds on set and argued that Gutierrez-Reed repeatedly missed opportunities to ensure safety and treated basic gun protocols as optional.

The defense had cast doubt on the relevance of photographs of ammunition, noting FBI testimony that live rounds can't be fully distinguished from dummy ones on sight.

Prosecutors said six live rounds found on set bear mostly identical characteristics and don’t match live rounds seized from the movie’s supplier in Albuquerque. Defense attorneys said the cluttered supply office was not searched until a month after the shooting, undermining the significance of physical evidence.

___

This story has been updated to correct the last name of Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer.

brianlux

mickeyrat said:

https://apnews.com/article/closing-arguments-trial-baldwin-shooting-3fdc75c2510804065a19a9fa374cfefd   'Rust' armorer convicted of involuntary manslaughter in fatal shooting by Alec Baldwin on movie set

 

Rust' armorer convicted of involuntary manslaughter in fatal shooting by Alec Baldwin on movie set

By MORGAN LEE

Yesterday

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — A jury convicted a movie weapons supervisor of involuntary manslaughter Wednesday in the fatal shooting of a cinematographer by actor Alec Baldwin during a rehearsal on the set of the Western movie “Rust.”

The verdict against movie armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed assigned new blame in the October 2021 shooting death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins after an assistant director last year pleaded no contest to negligent handling of a firearm.

Gutierrez-Reed also had faced a second charge of tampering with evidence, stemming from accusations that she handed a small bag of possible narcotics to another crew member after the shooting to avoid detection. She was found not guilty on that count.

Immediately after the verdict was read in court, the judge ordered the 26-year-old armorer placed into the custody of deputies. Lead attorney Jason Bowles said afterward that Gutierrez-Reed will appeal the conviction, which carries a penalty of up to 18 months in prison and a $5,000 fine.

Santa Fe-based state district court Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer did not immediately set a sentencing date.

Baldwin, the lead actor and a co-producer on “Rust,” was indicted by a grand jury in January on a charge of involuntary manslaughter. He was pointing a gun at Hutchins on a movie set outside Santa Fe, New Mexico, when the gun went off, killing the cinematographer and wounding director Joel Souza.

The trial was a preamble to Baldwin's trial scheduled in July. He has pleaded not guilty.

Messages seeking comment about Wednesday's verdict from Baldwin’s spokeswoman and a lawyer were not immediately returned.

Prosecutors said at trial that Gutierrez-Reed unknowingly brought live ammunition onto the movie set, and it remained there for at least 12 days before the fatal shooting, giving the armorer plenty of time to remove it.

In closing arguments, prosecutor Kari Morrissey described “constant, never-ending safety failures” on the set of “Rust” and Gutierrez-Reed's “astonishing lack of diligence” with gun safety.

“We end exactly where we began — in the pursuit of justice for Halyna Hutchins,” Morrissey told jurors. “Hannah Gutierrez failed to maintain firearms safety, making a fatal accident willful and foreseeable.”

Prosecutors also contended that the armorer repeatedly skipped or skimped on standard gun-safety protocols that might have detected the live rounds.

“This was a game of Russian roulette every time an actor had a gun with dummies,” Morrissey said.

An attorney for Hutchins' parents and sister issued a statement expressing their satisfaction with Wednesday's verdict.

“Today was the first trial and conviction in the criminal justice process,” said the statement from Gloria Allred on behalf of parents Olga Solovey and Anatolli Androsovych and Hutchins’ sister, Svetlana Zemko. “We look forward to the justice system continuing to make sure that everyone else who is responsible for Halyna’s death is required to face the legal consequences.”

Inside the courtroom Wednesday, Gutierrez-Reed's mother reacted with dismay at the conviction, bursting into tears and cursing the proceedings as her daughter was led away.

Defense attorneys told jurors that the problems on the set extended far beyond Gutierrez-Reed’s control, including the mishandling of weapons by Baldwin, citing sanctions and findings by state workplace safety investigators.

The defense also cast doubt on accusations that Gutierrez-Reed brought live rounds to the set and said an Albuquerque-based ammunition supplier was never fully investigated.

Juror Alberto Sanchez said Gutierrez-Reed could have paused work on the set to address safety issues. Jurors concluded she brought live ammunition on set, whether she knew it or not, Sanchez said outside of court after jurors were dismissed.

“Pretty much it was just that (she) never did the safety checks,” said Sanchez, whose work nearby in Los Alamos has involved safety decisions. “Never checked the rounds, to pull them out to shake them. I mean, if she’d have done that this wouldn’t have happened.”

Bowles, the defense attorney, had told jurors that no one in the cast and crew thought there were live rounds on set and Gutierrez-Reed could not have foreseen that Baldwin would “go off-script” when he pointed the revolver at Hutchins. Investigators found no video recordings of the shooting.

“It was not in the script for Mr. Baldwin to point the weapon,” Bowles said. “She didn’t know that Mr. Baldwin was going to do what he did.”

To drive the point home, Bowles played a video outtake from another day in which Baldwin fired a revolver loaded with blanks — including a shot after a director calls “cut.”

On the day of the shooting, Bowles said, Gutierrez-Reed alone was segregated in a police car away from others, becoming a convenient scapegoat.

“You had a production company on a shoestring budget, an A-list actor that was really running the show,” Bowles said. “At the end, they had somebody they could all blame.”

Dozens of witnesses had testified during the 10-day trial, from FBI experts in firearms and crime-scene forensics to a camera dolly operator who described the fatal gunshot and watching Hutchins go flush and lose feeling in her legs before death.

The prosecution painstakingly assembled photographic evidence it said traced the arrival and spread of live rounds on set and argued that Gutierrez-Reed repeatedly missed opportunities to ensure safety and treated basic gun protocols as optional.

The defense had cast doubt on the relevance of photographs of ammunition, noting FBI testimony that live rounds can't be fully distinguished from dummy ones on sight.

Prosecutors said six live rounds found on set bear mostly identical characteristics and don’t match live rounds seized from the movie’s supplier in Albuquerque. Defense attorneys said the cluttered supply office was not searched until a month after the shooting, undermining the significance of physical evidence.

___

This story has been updated to correct the last name of Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer.

Looks like it will be appealed.  I wonder if they will ever sort this out?

mickeyrat

https://apnews.com/article/alec-baldwin-judge-trial-rust-charges-ec40b6a5685f2252d3ff69823a5c25e3   Judge considers dismissing indictment against Alec Baldwin in fatal shooting of cinematographer

 

Prop gun shooting NY State Wire NM State Wire NYC State Wire CA State Wire

Judge considers dismissing indictment against Alec Baldwin in fatal shooting of cinematographer

By MORGAN LEE

Today

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — A New Mexico judge is considering Alec Baldwin's request to dismiss a grand jury indictment against him at a scheduled court hearing Friday.

The indictment in January charged Baldwin with involuntary manslaughter in the fatal shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on Oct. 21, 2021, at a movie ranch on the outskirts of Santa Fe.

Baldwin, a lead actor and co-producer on the Western “Rust,” has pleaded not guilty to the charge and his attorneys have urged dismissal. They have argued that prosecutors flouted the rules of grand jury proceedings to divert attention away from exculpatory evidence and witnesses. The involuntary manslaughter charge carries a maximum sentence of 1.5 years in prison.

During rehearsal, Baldwin was pointing a gun at cinematographer Halyna Hutchins when the revolver went off, killing Hutchins and injuring Joel Souza, the director. Baldwin has maintained that he pulled back the gun’s hammer, but not the trigger.

Baldwin’s motion to dismiss the indictment also argues that the grand jury received inaccurate and one-sided testimony about the revolver involved in the fatal shooting.

Special prosecutors say they followed grand jury protocols and accuse Baldwin of “shameless” attempts to escape culpability, highlighting contradictions in his statements to law enforcement, to workplace safety regulators and in a televised interview. A jury trial is scheduled for July.

Prosecutors turned their full attention to Baldwin after a judge in April sentenced movie weapons supervisor Hannah Gutierrez-Reed to the maximum of 1.5 years at a state penitentiary on an involuntary manslaughter conviction for Hutchins’ death.

Prosecutors last year dismissed an earlier involuntary manslaughter charge against Baldwin after being told the gun he was holding might have been modified before the shooting and malfunctioned. A new analysis of the gun last year enabled prosecutors to reboot the case.

The indictment against Baldwin offers two possible standards for prosecutors to pursue. One would be based on the negligent use of a firearm. An alternative is to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Baldwin caused Hutchins’ death without “due caution” or “circumspection,” also defined as “an act committed with total disregard or indifference for the safety of others.”

Defense attorneys also say prosecutors steered the grand jury away from testimony by witnesses including the film's director, as well as assistant director and safety coordinator Dave Halls and props master Sarah Zachry. Halls last year pleaded no contest to negligent handling of a firearm and completed a sentence of six months of unsupervised probation.

The two-week trial of Gutierrez-Reed gave attorneys for Baldwin and the public a unusual window into how the actor's own trial could unfold.

Baldwin figured prominently in testimony and closing arguments that highlighted his authority as a co-producer and the lead actor on “Rust.” Both the prosecution and defense in Gutierrez-Reed’s trial dissected video footage of Baldwin before the fatal shooting for clues about breakdowns in firearms safety.

Prosecutors said Gutierrez-Reed unwittingly brought live ammunition onto the set of “Rust,” where it was expressly prohibited, and failed to follow basic gun safety protocols.

Gutierrez-Reed is appealing the conviction, decided by a jury in March, to a higher court but hasn’t yet filed detailed arguments. At sentencing, Gutierrez-Reed told the judge she tried to do her best on the set despite not having “proper time, resources and staffing.”

After the shooting in New Mexico, the filming of “Rust” resumed but in Montana, under an agreement with Hutchins’ husband, Matthew Hutchins, which made him an executive producer. A wrongful death lawsuit in civil court by Matthew Hutchins and the Hutchins' son was settled under undisclosed terms.

Defense attorneys say Baldwin last year was offered a deal to plead to a “minor offense” before a grand jury was convened, but the offer that was “inexplicably retracted” before the deadline to respond.

mickeyrat

https://apnews.com/article/alec-baldwin-trial-rust-halyna-hutchins-a309d951238e4a11adcc2edc235a3ab1

Halifax2TheMax

What’s the conspiracy theory making the rounds? As a Brandon supporter AG Garland fucked up the investigation?

https://www.cnn.com/2024/07/12/entertainment/alec-baldwin-trial-rust/index.html