Alec Baldwin’s trial for involuntary manslaughter in the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins will take place in July after a judge denied a motion to dismiss the case on Friday.
The 30 Rock star, 66, who was recently seen with his one-year-old granddaughter Holland, faces a maximum sentence of 18 months in prison if convicted of involuntary manslaughter.
Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer in New Mexico rejected arguments presented by the star’s attorneys, Luke Nikas and Alex Spiro, according to Variety.
In a statement following the judge’s decision, Baldwin’s attorneys said, “We look forward to our day in court.”
Sommer heard arguments from both Alec’s attorneys and prosecutors in court earlier this month, on May 17, in Santa Fe, according to NBC News.
The trial of Alec Baldwin, 66, for involuntary manslaughter in the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins will take place in July after a judge denied a motion to dismiss the case on Friday; seen in february in new york
A prosecutor, Kari Morrissey, stated that “the actor has responsibility for the firearms once they are in his hands.”
However, Baldwin’s attorneys argued that Morrissey failed to provide important evidence to the grand jury in early January of this year and that defense witnesses were unavailable.
The judge stated in her ruling, according to Variety, that Kari shared a letter to defense grand jury members “verbatim,” but explained that they made the decision not to “follow up” on the letter.
“The Court is not in a position to second-guess the grand jury’s decision in this regard,” Sommer said.
Later, the judge also added: “Although the State deferred certain questions, in many other cases grand jurors asked evidentiary questions and received complete answers from witnesses.”
In October 2021, Hutchins was shot and killed on the set of Rust, while the film’s director, Joel Souza, was injured.
Alec pleaded not guilty before the trial and also denied pulling the trigger of the gun and denied that it was his responsibility to make sure the gun was secure.
Last month in April, Rust gunsmith Hannah Gutierrez-Reed was sentenced to 18 months in prison for the involuntary manslaughter of Halyna Hutchins.
The 30 Rock star faces a maximum sentence of 18 months in prison if convicted of involuntary manslaughter; Hutchins seen in 2021
Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer in New Mexico rejected arguments presented by the star’s attorneys, Luke Nikas and Alex Spiro, according to Variety; seen on the set of Rust
Shortly after, an expert warned that his sentence was ‘a bad sign’ for the actor as his trial date approaches.
Alec had been offered a plea deal last year that would have allowed him to serve no prison time in connection with Hutchins’ manslaughter.
Variety reported in March that the actor could decide whether to accept the terms, but prosecutors withdrew the offer and said they would charge him.
In a document seen by the outlet, prosecutor Kari Morrissey offered “a plea agreement identical to the misdemeanor deal accepted by Dave Halls.”
The filing said the offer was made on Oct. 5 and that Baldwin had until Oct. 27 to decide, but prosecutors rescinded the offer on Oct. 17.
Halls, Rust’s first assistant director, served no prison time after pleading guilty to negligent handling of a deadly weapon.
He was given six months of unsupervised probation, a $500 fine, 24 hours of community service and ordered to take a firearms safety class.
Baldwin’s attorneys have accused prosecutors in the case of a list of abuses and hope the case will be dismissed.
Variety reported that his lawyers claim Morrissey repeatedly leaked confidential information about the grand jury proceedings to an NBC reporter.
In November, lawyers representing the actor filed a motion for sanctions over that issue and asked that Morrisey and his co-counsel be removed from the case. They also sought to have monetary sanctions imposed against Morrissey for his alleged misconduct.
Last month in April, Rust gunsmith Hannah Gutierrez-Reed was sentenced to 18 months in prison for the manslaughter of Halyna Hutchins; Gutiérrez-Reed seen in 2021
Shortly after, an expert warned that his sentence was ‘a bad sign’ for the actor given the proximity of his trial date; seen in March 2023 in New York
At a hearing on November 15, the judge overseeing the case admonished the parties not to reveal anything about the grand jury proceedings.
The judge also postponed the grand jury proceeding from November to January to allow more time to review the material the defense wanted to present.
Baldwin’s attorneys allege that an hour into the hearing, Morrissey called the NBC reporter with the scheduling update.
NBC reported that same day that the grand jury proceeding had been postponed, citing an “anonymous source.”
In a filing filed in March, Baldwin and his attorney Alex Spiro also claimed that prosecutors manipulated the jury process in the case.
They argued that the grand jury process was manipulated by the Santa Fe County Prosecutor’s Office, claiming they added 7 witnesses who were biased.
It is also alleged that the FBI tested the gun used at the fatal scene that killed Hutchins and that the district attorney did not present all evidence of the evidence.
The documents allege that tests showed that the revolver fired without pulling the trigger when fully loaded, just as they did on the day of the tragedy.
During Hannah Gutierrez-Reed’s trial earlier this year, Officer Bryce Ziegler said he had to break the gun with a sledgehammer to get it to fire without using the trigger.
In a filing filed in March, Baldwin and his attorney Alex Spiro also claimed that prosecutors manipulated the jury process in the case; seen in march in new york
Ziegler, who appeared for prosecution, said that couldn’t have happened on the set of Rust because the gun was in good condition when it arrived on the set.
His analysis contradicts Baldwin’s claims that he only removed the firing pin from the antique-looking pistol.
During Gutierrez-Reed’s trial, prosecutors painted a damning portrait of a film that was in a state of “hasty chaos.”
The night before the incident, six members of the camera crew resigned due to safety concerns.
The jury heard that Baldwin commissioned director Souza to write the script, to which he owned the rights. Baldwin was the lead actor in the film and was also a producer.
The criminal case is not the only judicial process arising from the shooting of Hutchins. In 2022, Baldwin settled a civil lawsuit filed against her by Matthew Hutchins, Hutchins’ widow and father of her child; seen in 2021 in New York
Bowles called Gutierrez-Reed, who was just 24 at the time of the incident, a “scapegoat” for broader failures that led New Mexico’s safety regulator to issue a $136,000 fine to producers for safety lapses. “intentional and serious.”
Bowles told the court that Baldwin himself made the set unsafe by waving his gun as if it were a “pointer” at people.
The criminal case is not the only legal proceeding arising from the Hutchins shooting. In 2022, Baldwin settled a civil lawsuit filed against her by Matthew Hutchins, Hutchins’ widow and father of her child.
Under the terms, Rust continued production at a new location in Montana and Matthew Hutchins, who called his wife’s death a “terrible accident,” is executive producer. A release date for the film has not yet been set.