Twist in the investigation into the shooting on the set of the film Rust in 2021: the actor Alec Baldwin was indicted by a New Mexico grand jury on two counts of involuntary manslaughter in the film director's death Halyna Hutchins. The director was also injured in the accident Joel Souza. If Baldwin is found guilty, he could face between 18 months and five years in prison.
The defence
“We look forward to our day in court,” Baldwin’s lawyers commented. Luke Nikas And Alex Spiro, who have always insisted on the theory that the actor was not guilty. Similar charges had been dropped almost a year ago, but then new elements emerged that restarted the trial by entrusting the verdict to a popular jury.
Vigil in Los Angeles to commemorate cameraman killed on set of Rust
The accident
The actor rehearsed a scene on the set of Rust in October 2021 Bonanza Creek Ranch near Santa Fe when the shot was fired from the gun he was holding, which was said to contain no “live” bullets, wounding Souza in the shoulder and killing Hutchins by a ricochet.
Alec Baldwin
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The investigations
Prosecutors decided to reopen the case after subjecting the gun to further analysis, the results of which they said would contradict Baldwin's version, which was that he did not put his finger on the trigger.
“The tests determined with certainty that the shot could not have been fired without the trigger being pulled,” the prosecutor said Kari Morrissey.
Alec Baldwin, the outburst after the tragedy on the set: “It's not true that I don't cooperate with investigators”
The report
Signed by Lucien HaagThe report on which the prosecutor's new decision is based does not directly address whether the weapon, a Pietta replica of an 1873 revolver, was modified. However, he claims that less than a kilogram of trigger pressure was required to fire the shot, much less than a modern pistol but not unusual for a vintage weapon.
Alec Baldwin on the set of the film “Rust”
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The other defendant
The weapons supervisor on the film set, Hannah Gutierrez Reed, has pleaded not guilty to manslaughter and tampering with evidence in the case. His trial is expected to begin in February. Last March David Halls, Rust's assistant director and security coordinator, pleaded no contest to the charge of unsafe use of a firearm and was sentenced to six months' probation. He agreed to cooperate in the investigation into the shooting.
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Process is ongoing
The 2021 incident led to a series of civil lawsuits, including wrongful death charges, by members of the Hutchins family, centered on allegations of negligence in safety standards. Baldwin and other defendants denied these allegations.
Society Rust film productions paid a $100,000 fine to state workplace safety regulators after reporting violations of protocols, including testimony about two fires that occurred on set before the fatal shooting.
Rust resumed filming in Montana last year under an agreement with Halyna Hutchins' widower. Matthew Hutchinswho was named executive producer.