The civil suit filed by the Rust film crew against Alec Baldwin was allowed, although the actor and director moved to dismiss it.
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According to Deadline, Judge Bryan Biedscheid of the First Judicial District Court of New Mexico ruled in a hearing Wednesday, August 23 (23) not to grant the Rust star’s motion to dismiss the civil suit filed by crew members Ross Addiego and Doran Curtin and Reese Price after the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins. The process continues.
Earlier this year, Ross Addiego, Doran Curtin and Reese Price filed a civil lawsuit against Baldwin and production companies El Dorado Pictures and Rust Movie Productions alleging “negligence and recklessness” on the film’s set. According to her, this attitude resulted in the death of Halyna Hutchins, who was killed when Baldwin’s prop gun was fired during a rehearsal for the film.
The judge also denied another request to stay the civil trial pending the conclusion of the criminal trial. The judge admitted he “didn’t know” where the “criminal case against Mr. Baldwin” related to the incident, noting that it was “surprisingly common” for a defendant to face both a civil case and a criminal case face criminal proceedings. Nonetheless, he emphasized how important it was for the accused to be able “to assert their constitutional rights at their own discretion”.
Plaintiff attorney Alex Cervantes said at the hearing that there were “many variable elements” in the actor-producer’s case. She also claimed that Rust officials decided to hire “inexperienced contractors” like gunsmith Hannah Gutierrez-Reed for the film’s set to “cut costs.”
The attorney cited the “many team members who resigned on the anniversary of Halyna Hutchins’ death,” citing “security issues” as the reason for their resignation. She concluded, “It’s all there, it’s a valid complaint.”
After the verdict, Baldwin’s attorney, Robert Schwartz, called the decision a “real injustice” because the 65-year-old comedian “faces criminal charges.”
The 30 Rock actor was initially charged with manslaughter over the incident, but the charges were dropped in April. He could be charged again, however, as forensic analyzes of the gun, conducted earlier this month, disproved Alec Baldwin’s claim that he did not pull the trigger.
Hannah Gutierrez-Reed will face trial in February 2024 for manslaughter and evidence tampering in connection with this tragedy.