US prosecutors have amended the sentence for wrongful death charges against actor Alec Baldwin and the armor and weapon officer used in “Rust” who witnessed a fatal shooting during filming, removing the threat that either could spend years in prison.
Baldwin and Shields officer Hannah Gutierrez Reid were indicted last month on two counts of manslaughter in the October 21, 2021, killing of cinematographer Helena Hutchins on the film’s south Santa Fe set, in which Baldwin accidentally fired a firearm during filming, according to the Los Angeles Times. Times”.
The most serious charge involved aggravated punishment for the use of a firearm, with a maximum penalty of five years in prison, if convicted.
But New Mexico state prosecutors reversed that sentence after Baldwin’s attorneys argued that the charge had been improperly added.
Baldwin’s team pointed to the fact that legislation imposing a five-year prison sentence did not go into effect in New Mexico until several months after the shooting occurred.
The amendment came on Friday, when prosecutors submitted an amendment to the criminal information, removing the severity of the sentence.
According to the newspaper, the manslaughter charges that Baldwin and Gutierrez Reed now face carry a prison sentence of 18 months.
It is noteworthy that in March of last year, Baldwin filed an arbitration lawsuit against the producers of the movie “Rust” in an attempt to protect himself from legal accountability and cover legal fees after the killing of director of photography Helena Hutchins on the set of the movie in 2021.
Baldwin claimed at the time that he was not responsible for the death of Hutchins, who was shot during rehearsals for the film, and sought compensation for damages in accordance with the agreement with the producers.
He also said that he was only involved in creative decisions and was not responsible for weapon safety or operation.
In the lawsuit, Baldwin detailed that he tried to reach a settlement with the Hutchins family.
The actor said he took the initiative on behalf of the “Rust” producers in order to compensate Halena’s husband, Matthew Hutchins, and her son.
He also said that he reached out to the film’s staff to encourage them to complete “Rust” in an effort to honor the memory of the director of photography.
