From the heart of SANTA FE, N.M., the manslaughter trial of Alec Baldwin, a renowned actor, is set to commence on July 10. This follows the tragic incident that occurred in 2021, where cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was fatally shot on the set of the Western film “Rust”. The ruling was made by a New Mexico judge on Monday.
It’s worth noting that there’s a scarce record of actors in Hollywood being criminally liable for a shooting death during a film production.
The unfortunate incident led to the death of Hutchins when a live round was discharged from the revolver Baldwin was holding, which also injured director Joel Souza.
The “Rust” armorer, Hannah Gutierrez, is also facing trial for allegedly introducing the live round on set and failing to identify it. She confessed to the police that she loaded the live round into Baldwin’s gun, mistaking it for a dummy round.
However, Gutierrez’s lawyers argue that she is being unfairly blamed for Baldwin’s failure to adhere to basic firearm safety protocols. Gutierrez, like Baldwin, is facing an involuntary manslaughter charge.
Baldwin maintains his innocence, stating that he is not responsible for Hutchins’ death. His legal team is planning to file a motion to dismiss the charges, arguing that the grand jury did not follow the judge’s rules when they reinstated charges against him in January, after they were initially dropped in April 2023.
During Gutierrez’s trial on Monday, an FBI firearms expert testified that the Italian-made Pietta reproduction Colt .45 revolver Baldwin was holding would not discharge when fully cocked unless the trigger was pulled.
This testimony contradicts Baldwin’s initial statements after the shooting. He claimed that he cocked the gun but did not pull the trigger.
“The gun would not discharge without pulling the trigger in the full cock position,” testified FBI forensic examiner Bryce Ziegler. He added that he had to strike the gun’s hammer with a rawhide mallet to make it discharge in the fully-cocked position.
In a December 2021 interview with ABC television, Baldwin stated that it was the responsibility of Gutierrez and others to ensure firearm safety, and live rounds should never have been brought on set.
For over a century, live rounds have been prohibited on movie sets due to fatalities caused by their use during Hollywood’s silent era.
The SAG-AFTRA union, representing the movie industry, has backed Baldwin’s stance, asserting that actors are not hired to be weapons experts.
The outcome of Gutierrez’s trial is likely to influence Baldwin’s defense strategy. If she is found guilty, legal experts believe it would be challenging to convict Baldwin of criminal negligence, as it would be difficult to hold both Gutierrez and Baldwin accountable for firearm safety.
In a December 2021 television interview, Baldwin stated that he was instructed to aim the gun at the camera when it discharged.
“I didn’t pull the trigger,” Baldwin told ABC television journalist George Stephanopoulos. “I cocked the gun and go, ’Can you see that? Can you see that? And I let go of the hammer of the gun and the gun goes off.”
Last year, charges against Baldwin were dropped after new evidence suggested that the hammer of the “Peacemaker” Colt 45 might have been modified, and the gun could have discharged without the trigger being pulled.
However, prosecutors convened a grand jury to recharge Baldwin after an independent test of the single-action revolver confirmed the FBI’s findings that it would not discharge without a trigger pull.
Ziegler stated that he did not observe any modifications to the firearm when it arrived at the FBI labs in Quantico, Virginia.
“The firearm was functioning normally when I received it,” he said.
Disagree that the trial should be scheduled for July – justice should not be rushed.
Disagree with rushing the trial in July – justice must be thorough.
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