Alec Baldwin pleads not responsible to refiled manslaughter cost in “Rust” capturing

Actor Alec Baldwin has pleaded not responsible to a refiled depend of involuntary manslaughter within the 2021 deadly capturing of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of the Western movie “Rust” in New Mexico.

In line with court docket paperwork filed Wednesday in Sante Fe County court docket, the 65-year-old Baldwin waived his proper to an arraignment — initially scheduled for Thursday — and pleaded not responsible to the cost, which was introduced earlier this month by New Mexico particular prosecutors.

On Oct. 21, 2021, on a movie set exterior Santa Fe, the 42-year-old Hutchins was struck and killed by a reside spherical when a prop gun being held by Baldwin discharged throughout a rehearsal. Joel Souza, the movie’s director, was additionally wounded.

Baldwin has repeatedly denied that he pulled the gun’s set off. Nonetheless, a forensics report launched by prosecutors final August decided it was probably the set off had been pulled.

“Though Alec Baldwin repeatedly denies pulling the set off, given the assessments, findings and observations reported right here, the set off needed to be pulled or depressed sufficiently to launch the absolutely cocked or retracted hammer of the proof revolver,” firearms knowledgeable Lucian Haag Lucien Haag wrote within the report.  

Baldwin and the movie’s armor, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, have been each charged with involuntary manslaughter in reference to the capturing in January 2023.

About 4 months later, particular prosecutors Kari Morrissey and Jason Lewis mentioned the involuntary manslaughter cost towards Baldwin could be dropped based mostly on the revelation of “new details” within the case that demanded extra evaluation.  

A grand jury then indicted Baldwin, who’s a producer on the movie, on a depend of involuntary manslaughter on Jan. 19 of this yr. In line with the indictment, the cost was based mostly on extra testimony from seven witnesses given to a New Mexico grand jury.

Baldwin isn’t allowed to eat alcohol and can’t depart the U.S. with out written permission from the court docket, in accordance with a conditional launch order signed by the decide Wednesday. He’s additionally solely allowed to have contact with potential witnesses because it pertains to “enterprise issues” to do with the “Rust” film.

The preliminary involuntary manslaughter fees introduced towards Gutierrez-Reed weren’t dropped. Final June, prosecutors additionally introduced an extra depend of felony fourth-degree tampering with proof towards her. She is anticipated to go to trial subsequent month. 

In a beforehand filed possible trigger assertion, prosecutors alleged that on the afternoon of the capturing, Gutierrez-Reed retrieved the gun from the prop truck and handed it to “Rust” assistant director David Halls with out conducting a crucial security test.

Prosecutors mentioned Halls additionally didn’t request the security test — which might contain Gutierrez-Reed exhibiting Halls every dummy spherical within the gun — earlier than he subsequently handed the weapon to Baldwin.

In March 2023, as a part of a cope with prosecutors, David Halls pleaded responsible to unsafe dealing with of a firearm and was sentenced to 6 months’ probation.

Manufacturing on the movie resumed in early 2023 and wrapped up in Might of that yr.

— Alex Sundby contributed to this report.