“Prosecutions Dropped Against Alec Baldwin in ‘Rust’ Shooting Incident”

The new judicial authorities charged with looking into the shooting incident that claimed the life of a cinematographer during the filming of the movie “Rust” in 2021 announced, Thursday, dropping the prosecutions against actor Alec Baldwin, who is accused of manslaughter in the case, speaking of “new facts” that require in-depth investigation. Investigation.
However, this does not mean that the case has ended for the actor, according to the same sources.
The filming of the Western movie “Rust” on a farm in New Mexico, USA, witnessed a tragedy on October 21, 2021, when Baldwin operated a weapon that was supposed to contain claw bullets, but live ammunition fired from the weapon caused the death of photographer Helena Hutchins (42 years old). ) and injury to director Joel Souza.
This rare incident shocked Hollywood, and many calls were made to ban the use of firearms on filming sites.
The representative was expected to appear before the judiciary during a preliminary hearing on May 3, but two weeks before the date, the new public prosecutors in charge of following up the file announced dropping the prosecutions against him, while preserving the right to launch new ones.
Prosecutors Carey Morrissey and Jason Lewis, who received the file in March, said in a statement that “in recent days (…) new facts have been revealed that require a more in-depth investigation and forensic analysis.”
The statement indicated that these new elements justify dropping the current charges. However, “this decision does not absolve Baldwin of any criminal conviction, and criminal prosecutions may be launched again against him.”
The actor’s defense team welcomed this turnaround in the case.
“We are pleased with the decision to close the case against Alec Baldwin, and we encourage an in-depth investigation of the facts and circumstances surrounding this tragic incident,” attorneys Luke Nicas and Alex Spiro said in a statement to AFP.
Alec Baldwin, best known for his role in the series “30 Rock”, has consistently pleaded not guilty to this incident.
He pointed out that members of the work crew told him that the weapon was harmless, and he denied that he had pulled the trigger. However, this talk raised skepticism among many experts.
Alec Baldwin, 65, faced up to 18 months in prison and a $5,000 fine if convicted.
However, the prosecutions against the film’s weapons official, Hana Gutierrez Reid, who is also accused of manslaughter, are still ongoing, according to prosecutors’ confirmation Thursday.
During the initial investigation, the officers concluded that it was Gutierrez Reed who put the ammunition in the weapon that Baldwin used, instead of putting a muzzle bullet.
Her defense attorneys say they expect her to be “acquitted as well” during the judicial process. In a statement, her lawyers praised the “extremely thorough and in-depth approach” the new prosecutors took to the case.
The prosecution has shown signs of weakness in recent weeks.
In February, Santa Fe District Attorney Marie Carman Altois dropped an aggravating factor targeting Alec Baldwin that would have sent him to five years in prison. Altwiss then withdrew from the file under the pretext of heavy work pressure on her.
The announcement of the cessation of prosecution against Alec Baldwin coincides with the resumption of filming “Rust” in Montana, in the northern United States, a year and a half after it stopped.
Baldwin, who was involved in the production of the film, was allowed to continue filming the film despite being subject to judicial control, under which he was specifically prohibited from consuming alcohol or using firearms or any kind of dangerous weapon.
Filming will resume with Matthew, husband of the late photographer Helena Hutchins, acting as executive producer.
In October, the man dropped civil lawsuits he had filed against Alec Baldwin, under an agreement whose value was not disclosed.
As for the parents of the murdered cinematographer and her sister, they are still seeking compensation before the civil courts.
In parallel with “Rust”, a “documentary” is expected to be made about Hutchins’ life, and about the circumstances of the end of filming.
At the end of March, the film’s first assistant director, Dave Holz, was given a suspended 6-month prison sentence.
Halls, 63, had given Baldwin the gun, telling him it was not dangerous. He has agreed to plead guilty.