OAN’s Elizabeth Volberding
5:57 PM – Monday, February 26, 2024
A New Mexico judge has scheduled a trial date for actor Alec Baldwin on an involuntary manslaughter charge, which sparked from the 2021 fatal shooting on the set of the Western-themed film Rust.
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The First Judicial District Court of New Mexico has scheduled Baldwin’s involuntary manslaughter trial to begin in July in relation to the October 2021 shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the Rust set.
The trial is scheduled to run from July 10th to July 19th, with jury selection starting on July 9th.
However, Baldwin’s lawyers, had initially requested for the trial to begin a month earlier, on June 13th, demonstrating at a hearing last week that Baldwin is “eager” to have the case heard as soon as possible.
“Mr. Baldwin has been dealing with this for several years,” Spiro stated at the hearing. “We’re asking for a speedy trial.”
Prosecutor Kari Morrissey explained to the court that she would be occupied in June with a separate trial, and asked for a date in July or August.
After prosecutors dropped the initial manslaughter charges in April of last year, Baldwin was indicted by a grand jury on January 19th on an involuntary manslaughter allegation.
Hutchins, 42, is reported to have been shot and killed by Baldwin, 65, on the Western set of Rust in New Mexico on October 21st, 2021. The firearm reportedly went off as the actor was “rehearsing a cross-draw,” killing Hutchins and injuring director and cinematographer Joel Souza.
On January 31st, Baldwin, the lead actor and co-producer of the movie, entered a not guilty plea to the involuntary manslaughter.
Baldwin had claimed that he “pulled back the hammer, but not the trigger” when the gun blasted. However, the analysis that followed revealed that “the trigger had to be pulled or depressed sufficiently to release the fully cocked or retracted hammer of the evidence revolver.”
In addition, Baldwin has still consistently denied pulling the trigger, and he has also stated that he was allegedly told that the gun was “cold” before the rehearsal began.
Two additional individuals were fined for the on-set shooting, including armorer Hannah Gutierrez and first assistant director David Halls.
Baldwin’s case could land him up to 18 months behind bars if found guilty.
The actor is still at large while awaiting trial, subject to restrictions on his ability to carry a weapon, consume alcohol, and travel abroad. Baldwin’s ability to interact with witnesses is also restricted when it comes to advertising Rust, which is not yet available for general public viewing.
Legally, he is not allowed to approach cast or crew members of Rust about appearing in any related documentary films.
The movie’s armorer, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, has been accused of tampering with evidence and involuntary manslaughter, and she is currently on trial in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Prosecutors have claimed that Hutchins’ death was caused by her disregard for safety procedures and that she was “sloppy” and “unprofessional” on set.
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