The involuntary manslaughter charge against Alec Baldwin will not be dropped in the 2021 fatal shooting of Halyna Hutchins on the set of the Western film “Rust.”
In a ruling on Friday, Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer supported the special prosecutors from New Mexico and rejected the motion filed by Baldwin’s lawyers to dismiss the grand jury indictment that was issued in January.
After a week of hearing arguments from both sides, Judge Sommer has finally reached a verdict. The proceedings took place on May 17th, with Baldwin’s attorney, Alex Spiro, and special prosecutor Kari Morrissey presenting their respective cases.
In March, Baldwin’s legal team filed a motion to dismiss the indictment, alleging that state prosecutors had unfairly biased the case against the “30 Rock” actor. They claimed that this was an abuse of the system and a violation of the rights of an innocent person whose rights had been severely violated.
According to the motion, the state failed to provide the grand jury with any favorable or exculpatory testimony and documents that were necessary for a fair and informed decision. Furthermore, the grand jury was not informed of their right to review and request this information.
In late January, Baldwin entered a plea of not guilty for the charge of involuntary manslaughter. The trial for the case was set to commence on July 10th.
Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, the armorer of the film “Rust,” was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter in the death of cinematographer Hutchins by a jury in March. She has been sentenced to the maximum term of 18 months in prison for this charge. Despite the verdict, Gutierrez-Reed’s lawyers have expressed their intention to appeal the case.
According to prosecutors, Alec Baldwin displayed “bullyish behavior” while on the set of the film “Rust” and also altered his initial account of the incident.
New Mexico prosecutors claimed Baldwin showed ‘bullyish behavior’ on ‘Rust’ set
In response to Baldwin’s motion to dismiss, the special prosecutors in his case filed a comprehensive 316-page document. State prosecutors Kari Morrissey and Jason Lewis asserted that Baldwin engaged in “bullyish behavior” on set and altered his narrative to shift blame onto others.
According to the 316-page filing made by prosecutors, Baldwin is portrayed as a demanding actor and producer who ignored safety measures, disregarded instructions from the director, and provided inconsistent accounts of the shooting incident.
According to prosecutors, Mr. Baldwin’s statements were constantly shifting, with each new statement offering a different account of the events and contradicting his previous statements.
What happened to Hannah Gutierrez-Reed: How the trial of the “Rust” armorer came to a close.
According to sources, Baldwin’s defense team is actively trying to manipulate the course of the case. Their primary goal seems to be avoiding a fair trial by discrediting the prosecution, investigation, and witnesses in the media. By doing so, they hope to create doubt and make it unlikely for Baldwin to be convicted, regardless of his actual criminal responsibility.
According to Morrissey and Lewis, they stated that Mr. Baldwin held the position of lead actor and producer on the project. They further mentioned that in addition to hurrying the cast and crew, Mr. Baldwin would often yell and swear at himself, crew members, or no one in particular, without any specific reason.
Witnesses have testified that Mr. Baldwin’s conduct on the set of Rust reflects a lack of emotional control and disregard for the impact of his behavior on others. They have stated that such conduct has led to compromises in safety on set.
Prosecutors attribute the tragic death of 42-year-old Hutchins to a combination of factors. They highlight the negligence and inexperience of 24-year-old armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, as well as Baldwin’s complete disregard for the safety of those present on set.
During rehearsals on the movie set near Santa Fe, New Mexico on October 21, 2021, Baldwin unintentionally fired a .45 caliber single-action army revolver, resulting in the tragic death of Hutchins and the injury of director Joel Souza. Baldwin has consistently stated that he did not intentionally pull the trigger.
Alec Baldwin’s involuntary manslaughter charge in the fatal ‘Rust’ shooting will not be dismissed, according to a judge’s ruling.
