1-2-2024 (SANTA FE) Actor Alec Baldwin, 65, entered a plea of not guilty on Wednesday (Jan 31) to charges of involuntary manslaughter in connection with the tragic on-set shooting death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins during the filming of the Western movie Rust in New Mexico in 2021.
Court documents revealed that Baldwin waived his right to an arraignment as he submitted his plea, almost two weeks after a grand jury indicted him on Jan 19, reopening a criminal case that had been dismissed earlier in the year.
The Emmy-winning actor, known for his role in the hit NBC television comedy 30 Rock, was permitted to remain free without having to post bond under the arraignment waiver filed with the First Judicial District Court in Santa Fe.
The case has ignited discussions about firearms safety in the production of movies and television, as it is unprecedented for a Hollywood star to face criminal prosecution for an on-set fatal shooting.
Baldwin has consistently denied responsibility for Hutchins’ death, asserting that he was informed the gun contained only blank rounds, known as being “cold,” and that it discharged without him pulling the trigger.
Initial charges were dropped due to uncertainties about whether the reproduction Colt .45 revolver Baldwin was using could have been altered to discharge on its own.
Prosecutors sought the grand jury indictment after an independent forensic test revealed that the gun would not fire unless the trigger was pulled.
The same bullet that killed Hutchins on Oct 21, 2021, also injured director Joel Souza.
Baldwin’s plea follows recent revelations from special prosecutor Kari Morrissey, who stated in a court filing that evidence, including photos, suggested the live round was brought onto the set by the movie’s weapons handler, Hannah Gutierrez.
Testimony and police records indicated that the firearm was handled by Gutierrez before being passed to the film’s assistant director, David Halls, who informed Baldwin that the gun was “cold.”
Gutierrez is set to face trial on separate involuntary manslaughter charges, while Halls entered a plea deal and received a six-month suspended sentence for negligent use of a deadly weapon.
The presence of a live round, strictly prohibited on film sets, in Baldwin’s gun remains a central issue in the cases against Gutierrez and Baldwin, who also serves as a producer on the film.
Prosecutors disclosed that they possessed images of live rounds on set as early as Oct 10, 2021, 11 days prior to Hutchins’ death.
“The investigation conducted by the special prosecutor has developed substantial evidence that Ms. Gutierrez brought the live rounds on set when she first began work on the film,” Morrissey stated in Monday’s filing.
Gutierrez’s attorney, Jason Bowles, contested prosecutors’ claims, stating that the truth would emerge during the trial.
In police footage, Gutierrez suggested that the rounds inside the box could have been swapped during production from a box that did not belong to her.
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