By Andrew Dalton and Morgan Lee, AP
Prosecutors in New Mexico plan to drop an involuntary manslaughter charge against Alec Baldwin in the fatal 2021 shooting of a cinematographer on the set of the Western film “ Rust,” Baldwin’s attorneys said Thursday.
“We are pleased with the decision to dismiss the case against Alec Baldwin and we encourage a proper investigation into the facts and circumstances of this tragic accident,” Baldwin’s attorneys Luke Nikas and Alex Spiro said in a statement.
Baldwin and the film’s weapons supervisor, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, were both charged with involuntary manslaughter in the shooting.
Baldwin was pointing a pistol at cinematographer Halyna Hutchins during a rehearsal when the gun when off, killing Hutchins and wounding director Joel Souza.
Baldwin has said the gun went off accidentally and that he did not pull the trigger. An FBI forensic report found the weapon could not have fired unless the trigger was pulled.
Prosecutors didn’t immediately comment on the case. It wasn’t immediately clear whether charges could be refiled, nor whether the charge would also be dropped against Gutierrez-Reed.
Gutierrez-Reed’s attorneys said that they “fully expect at the end of this process that Hannah will also be exonerated.”
“The truth about what happened will come out and the questions that we have long sought answers for will be answered,” the lawyers, Jason Bowles and Todd Bullion, said in a statement.
The case against Baldwin had already been diminishing. A weapons charge that would have meant a much longer sentence had already been dismissed, and the first special prosecutor appointed in the case resigned.
The charges against Baldwin had marked a stunning fall for an A-list actor whose 40-year career included the early blockbuster “The Hunt for Red October” and a starring role in the sitcom “30 Rock,” as well as iconic appearances in Martin Scorsese’s “The Departed” and a film adaptation of David Mamet’s “Glengary Glen Ross.” In recent years, he was known for his impression of former President Donald Trump on “Saturday Night Live.”
The 65-year-old worked little since the shooting but hardly went into hiding. He stayed active on social media, making Instagram videos and posting picture of his wife and seven children.
“Rust” safety coordinator and assistant director David Halls pleaded no contest in March to a conviction for unsafe handling of a firearm and a suspended sentence of six months of probation.
News of the dismissal came on the day that filming on the movie, relocated to Montana, was expected to restart.
Melina Spadone, attorney for the production company behind the movie, said via a representative this week that filming would restart Thursday at the Yellowstone Film Ranch.
Plans to resume filming were outlined last year by widower Matthew Hutchins in a proposed settlement to a wrongful death lawsuit that would make him an executive producer. Souza has said he will return to directing “Rust” production to honor the legacy of Halyna Hutchins.
After a scathing safety review by regulators in New Mexico that detailed ignored complaints and misfires before Hutchins’ death in October of 2021, the production company agreed to pay a $100,000 fine.
Baldwin had yet to even travel to New Mexico for a court appearance, and none had been required of him under state law. Evidentiary hearings had been scheduled for next month to determine whether to proceed toward trial.
Santa Fe District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies had said previously that her office is pursuing justice in the death of Hutchins and wants to show that no one is above the law when it comes to firearms and public safety. She says the Ukrainian-born cinematographer’s death was tragic and preventable.
Some animals are more equal than others.
This is my shocked face 😐
Did anyone really think AB was ever going to face charges and prosecution?
DooshBaldwin is complete trash. “Oh the mean old gun just went off by itself and killed an innocent woman!” Paid off her gigalohubby who is now exec producer? Poor Halyna, spinning in her grave
at first glance, it would appear we truly do have a two-tiered justice system….
Not really news. We all said this would be the result the day it happened. Next up, dbag will sue the state for deformation.
I think his deformation has more to do with donuts.
Mmmm doh nuts.
Yep. We pretty much called it. What a joke, except it really isn’t funny.
try defamation
I’m pleased that at least one poster recognized the error.
Yep, fat finger and a cell phone, it happens. same result. we called it, same dbag. someone died at his hand and he walks a few bucks lighter. the woke are fighting the wrong snause.
Investigation? WTF do they think they’re gonna find that hasn’t been found? That kind of craven cynicism is only surpassed by OJ vowing to find the “real” killer.
Brodirt, man, you nailed exactly. We all knew this would be the result.
“Gutierrez-Reed’s attorneys said that they “fully expect at the end of this process that Hannah will also be exonerated.””
That’s criminal, right there.
It was her movie set, her rules, and therefore her shared responsibility… 🙁
Not so fast…When it comes to verifying a firearm is safe Do It For Me doesn’t fly.
baldwin was not blindfolded or were his hands and feet restrained to prevent him from checking the firearm himself. No matter if someone swears on a stack of Bibles the firearm is clear…Anytime an individual picks up a known to be real firearm and whether they know the business end is going to be pointed in an unsafe direction or not it is their sole responsibility and duty to check it and its ammo. In other words if it were me in baldwin’s poisition come hell and high water the woman would be alive and well today.
Charges should have been dropped against Reed before baldwin.
.
“baldwin was not blindfolded“
The fact is, it was a close-up shot which required dummy rounds in the cylinder for authenticity. Baldwin relied on his expert armorer to ensure the gun was ‘cold’ as was confirmed by the assistant Director when he handed the weapon to Baldwin.
“Charges should have been dropped against Reed before baldwin“
Reed’s official position on the staff was ‘armorer’, making her (not Baldwin) responsible for ensuring that the weapons were safe for use in the take.
I understand that many people feel angry about Baldwins anti-gun position, but one should not let their ‘feelings’ cloud their assessment of the situation
Wow Miner!
You may actually be having a moment of clarity! Although I think Baldwin should have checked the firearm himself he should have been able to rely on his armorer.
Guns don’t kill people, Alec Baldwin does.
Yep. There are very few actors, particularly anti-gun ones that I’d trust to verify the status of a firearm. Keanu Reeves and Tom Cruise maybe. The reason they hire armorers is because they can focus on safety without the distractions facing actors and directors, etc.
“Baldwin should have checked the firearm himself“
Baldwin, like many folks, probably couldn’t tell the difference tween a dummy round and a live round just by sight, that’s why he hired a professional armorer.
@Miner: Baldwin was producer for this production. He hired the armorer, was her employer, and had overall responsibility for on-set safety. Live rounds on set, target practice between takes, mixing live and prop rounds, and sloppy firearm handling are all things he knew about and ignored.
He should have asserted control and put an end to these dangerous practices, but he didn’t.
He should have insisted that the armorer – and only the armorer – be checking and handing guns to performers, but he didn’t.
He should have fired this so-called “armorer” when it became clear she wasn’t up to the job, but he didn’t.
He should be facing trial, but he won’t. Perhaps he’ll be punished in civil court instead. I won’t hold my breath. Alec Baldwin is one of the special people, and special people can get away with murder.
“Guns don’t kill people, Alec Baldwin does.”
He’s a (unfortunately) lady-killer… 🙁
No one with even the slightest amount of brains points a real gun at someone and pulls the trigger unless they intend to shoot that person. I don’t care If JC himself had certified the gun clear. et me repeat: No one points a real gun at a person and pulls the trigger unless they intend to shoot them. Unless the cartridges in the gun are primer less the only way to accurately check rounds in a single action revolver is to remove them from the cylinder. Well, you could check from the muzzle end of the revolver but only someone with Baldwins limited IQ would do something like that. I’ve owned single actions for more than 40 years and they don”just go off.”
This was a rehearsal, according to Baldwin himself, therefore there was NO NEED to load “dummy” rounds. Baldwin pulled on the trigger then thumbed the hammer and let it go. I don’t own any Single Actiion Army revolvers but I know that you don’t handle them this way.
The gun did it! Those evil guns!
Also Baldwin did not attend any of the group safety meetings and when the armorer tried a one-on-one with him he kept stopping it to respond to his phone and did not complete the training. He did pull the trigger. He pulled it back while picking up the revolver. With the trigger in the rearward position, the hammer would not engage the sear, thus fall when released. Had he attended training, he may have know this of at least been aware of where his trigger finger was.
Of course, money, fame, power, all help but being a POS Democrat is what would get him off.
I don’t really understand why this has gotten so much ink. It looked to be an unintended discharge to me.Yeah if you fuck up you should pay. Welcome to the real world. Most of Hollywood doesn’t understand firearms. Obviously. Watch a movie. Witness Bruce Lee’s son. I remember I was in the student union. Just after ETS. I was reading an account in the Tallahassee Democrat. Before I finished the second paragraph I knew how that would end.
Killer Alec is not unscathed by this debacle. Even if he gets off “scot-free” his A-list career is damaged beyond repair. Look what happened with Spacey or that Marvel Kang dude. Just being accused of a crime is enough to wreck your hollyweird career🙄
Only for a while. Robert Mitchum was caught using Marijuana at a Hollywood party and did time for it. After a while, he got back on the A list.
That is just 1 example, there have been many.
Baldwin has NOT been an “A” list actor for a long time… This thing is a low budget POS B movie, probably go straight to cable IF it gets finished/released at all…
Title should read “Alec Baldwin proven rich”
Yep, that pretty much says it all right there.
Yes there is such a thing as white privilege. Specifically s0ci@list Pr0gressive white liberal privilege. However you Mr. coal miner or you Mr. truck driver, you have no such social standing.
So it’s really class privilege.
No, I think if this was a s0ci@list Pr0gressive black person who shot someone, I believe that person would be in prison. Perhaps not for very long? But they would still be behind bars. So yes. I think Alec Baldwin’s white skin, and his social position, did get him out of going to jail for a murder Homicide.
A perfect example is Jesse Smollett. While he didn’t kill anyone, what he did certainly could have caused the deaths of many people, if and when there were riots. But he did get put behind bars. For a short while.
But the white skinned, with the correct ESG score Alec Baldwin, will spend no time Behind Bars for shooting someone to death.
A black football player who had a negligent discharge in a New York restaurant. He spent almost two years in prison for that. But nobody got hurt from that ND.
That sounds logical, but flip the script on Juicy Smooyay, and I think a white hoaxer would do serious time if they made fools out of the Progressive Left like Juicy did.
If a white man had a NG in a New York restaurant/club, he would still be in jail. That is state law and New York is not very tolerant(unless it is in a drug zone).
Justice is not blind it sees the color green.
OJ Simpson is proof among others
The Nevada prosecutors who sent OJ Simpson to prison on kidnapping charges, publicly said in a press conference, that Nevada was not California. And that justice would definitely be served in the “Silver State”. OJ Simpson I think spent 8 years in state prison there for his crimes.
New Mexico is as Libertarian/Liberal/Left-wing, as the state of California is. I would recommend that these s0ci@list pr0gressives to a more Pr0gressive state. Because the more conservative states will be prosecute them for their crimes.
Btw
I understand a lot of s0ci@list Pr0gressive h0m0sexu@ls/heter0sexu@ls now feel “uncomfortable” in the state of Florida. And they say they’re moving back to California. I say that’s a good thing.
Yes indeed. the original intent of the entire concept of the uon of free nd indeoendent sttes is that different sttes can do things differently. Florida have decided they, as a people,m do not want that going on amongst them. So the ones doing it realise their choics to not fit well with Florida and are returning, like a dog to his barf, to the place their filth is acceptible.
Of course it’s the gun’s fault not the bugger hook on the trigger according to Dem’s, with one caveat; conservatives are always guilty. Now if someone might cross a geo-fence on the Capital grounds they may be looking at years awaiting a bond hearing let alone a trial.
Hell, Baldwin could have literally yelled “For the Motherland!” in Russian before he shot that lady and this would have had the same outcome. Just because we all knew it was coming doesn’t make it stink any less.
“Dasvidaniya, comrade,” Baldwin howled, opening fire.
“Oooo, Alec Baldwin is so multi-cultural,” exclaimed his sycophants in the prosecutor’s office.
LMFAO! Number one, thanks for the hearty guffaw, and number two, I think you’re way more correct than I’d like to even contemplate.
I predict that the charges against the Armorer will not be dropped. Someone has to “pay” publicly for Baldwin’s incompetence…and she is the lowest ranking person charged…ergo! I read months ago where Baldwin had sold a number of his properties over the past year…I guess the mordida to the DNC for pulling strings in a Democrat-controlled State was pretty steep.
“I predict that the charges against the Armorer will not be dropped.”
I agree with your assessment, because of her official position on the staff as ‘Armorer’ she has the legal duty to ensure that the weapon was indeed ‘cold’.
Events show that she was negligent in discharging that duty, therefore she is liable for the damages.
“because of her official position on the staff as ‘Armorer’ she has the legal duty to ensure that the weapon was indeed ‘cold’.”
109% false. There is no such ‘legal duty’ for her unless she was holding the gun when it went BANG and other than that it was a job function for her. The one holding the gun when it goes BANG has a legal duty to insure that BANG does not harm others (unless in valid legal defense).
“109% false. There is no such ‘legal duty’ for her“
Sadly, you don’t seem to understand how this works.
Lawsuits are based on determining who is at fault and whether or not they had a legal duty to perform a particular action.
Here’s a very interesting discussion of the case:
“It is well established in tort law that the elements of negligence are duty, breach of duty, cause in fact, proximate cause, and damages. To bring a successful suit, Ms. Hutchins’s family must prove that there was a duty owed to Ms. Hutchins by Baldwin and the producers, that the duty was breached, and that the accidental discharge of a firearm was foreseeable and caused her death.”
I don’t think Baldwin is guilty of involuntary manslaughter or negligent homicide because he relied on the professional armorer and assistant director’s assurances that the firearm was ‘cold’.
However, as a producer he certainly has legal exposure for damages because of the breach of their duty by his staff.
The terms of their employment or independent contractor agreement will also come into play.
http://campbelllawobserver.com/murder-on-the-rust-express/
She won’t get sued in civil court. There is no point in suing somebody whose total assets are a beater car, stereo and an eight year old computer. Attorneys won’t take a case where there is no money. She is starting out in her “career” and Baldwin hired her because she was the cheapest around and he could buffalo her to do what he wanted like pointing a pistol at a human being and pulling the trigger.
“and we encourage a proper investigation into the facts and circumstances of this tragic accident”
1. Already proven, gun could not fire without rearward pressure on trigger and hammer was in a cocked condition. Fact.
2. Already proven in law – the one with the gun is responsible for where the bullet goes. its why we can blame mass shooters and murderers, the only difference here is intent. Fact.
3 Already proven in law – the one holding the gun is responsible for determining its loaded ammo state. Fact.
investigation conclusion: Baldwin was holding the gun, pointed it, and pulled the trigger by having rearward pressure on the trigger….maybe he did not intend to shoot anyone, but he did it plain and simple.
I think the investigation they’re alluding to concerns the person in charge of handing Alec a safe for movie set gun. His attorney didn’t have to add that comment, but he did, didn’t he? There’s a reason for all things.
it doesn’t matter who handed it to Baldwin, Alex Baldwin was the one holding the gun when it fired by him pulling the trigger.
had it been me or you or another gun possessor the charges would not have been dropped, we would be tried and convicted, and Shannon Watts and all the anti-gun freaks would be calling for our blood.
Why else would they encourage an investigation into the facts after Alec was cleared? I took it as they were throwing the weapons supervisor under the bus.
they aren’t encouraging any investigation. They are doing PR damage control to exonerate him in the eyes of the gullible public by trying to make it look like someone else victimized Baldwin and they are the one that done it and have pity for poor Alex ’cause he’s a victim too.
the fix is in…
dont forget:
halyna hutchins was married to a lawyer
who just so happened
to work for the same law firm
that was defending the only lawyer
who worked for hillarys 2016 campaign
who was indicted in the durham probe
the timeline adds up:
sussman indicted (and becomes a threat to hillary)
hutchins dies
sussman cleared of all charges
oh yeah:
and right around the same time that all that was going on
a federal judge in wyoming throws out a lawsuit against baldwin
that had him on the hook for as much as
25 million dollars
that federal judge was appointed by obama
and after she threw out the case against baldwin
she was promoted from district judge to chief judge of the district of wyoming
seems like everybody made out on this deal
except halyna hutchins and her husband
and the people that were suing alec baldwin
Surprise…Surprise…Surprise.
WOW! Never saw THAT coming… Might be a usable precedence for a “But, I didn’t know it was loaded” defense…
Okay, lesson learned; if you want to kill people and get away with it, become a liberal celebrity first.
with all the information thats in the public record
-about halynas husband
-and who he worked for
-and who that law firm was defending
-and who that person was a threat to
-and the $25m lawsuit filed against baldwin
-and the judge that dismissed it
-and what happened to her after that
*all of which is not disputed by anybody*
why isnt anybody in the news media
screaming from the mountaintops
that this all kinda sorta looks at least a little bit
like a murder for hire
with a deal struck between hillarys people
alec baldwin
and a federal judge in wyoming
could it be
that after an example was made of alex jones
and now fox news
nobody is going to be willing
to report inconvenient things
about powerful people
Interesting that Baldwin gets off scot free and the ATF is about to make millions of owners of pistol braces felons if they don’t agree to a rule change after allowing people to buy pistols with braces for over 9 years legally. Now they have to be registered, destroyed or modified otherwise you can get 10 years in jail for just owning one whether you commit a crime with it or not. Seems that it’s time to purge the Country of all the leftist morons in Government office who seem to think criminals should go free and law abiding citizens should be punished.
Not surprised.
We all knew this is what would happen. Roll over on someone else and disinfect his hands.
It’s equally his fault as much as it is the people on set that allowed it to happen.
You can get away with murder. At least some special people can.
Yes, often criminals do escape prosecution.
So I was gratified to see that law-enforcement will be holding this Republican politician/sexual predator accountable for his assaults on young girls:
“GOP leader, who voted to expel Tennessee Three, resigns; found guilty of sexually harassing interns“
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=EUJy8FbFG8Q
You Republicans have some really nasty habits, I find it ironic that it is proven that when a republican claims Democrats are sexual predators, it’s just a confession.
What does that have to do with this discussion, asswipe?
Used his White Male Privilege to get out of it along with his fame and riches. True leftists aught to be outraged at this further proof of the bourgeoisie and aristocracy that is allowed to get away with murder.
the southwest California wannabe state strikes again
He nade the correct “donations” so now doesn’t have to face up to what he did.
What happened was a failure of leadership by AB. No matter what, he knows and will live with his failures causing a woman to die.
Not to say “I told you so” but… well, I told you so from day one. LOL.
His political allies always talk about the “two tiered justice system.” Maybe because their heroes, like Alec Baldwin, are constantly demonstrating the top tier of it.
I don’t know how many of the readers here are old enough to remember it, but back in the ’70s, Patty Hearst (the granddaughter of Old Man Hearst of newspaper/magazine fame) was arrested for being part of a terrorist group that was running around California robbing banks. Eventually, she was caught and put on trial, during which she claimed she had been kidnapped and forced to assist in the bank robberies. Video footage told a very different story, i.e., that she was a very willing participant. Nevertheless, thanks to the big shot lawyers her very wealthy family could afford. she was acquitted in short order. I recall reading in The New York Times that, after the trial, a prosecuting attorney said the following: “Well, this just goes to show, you can’t buy justice in this country – but you sure can rent it.” Sounds like a similar situation for Mr. Baldwin.
Sorry, but Patty Hearst was convicted and spent two years in prison before being released by Jimmy Carter. “Her trial was as sensational as the chase. Despite claims of brainwashing, the jury found her guilty, and she was sentenced to seven years in prison. Hearst served two years before President Carter commuted her sentence. She was later pardoned.” From the Federal Bureau of Incompetence’s website regard the whole Hearst/SLA hoopla.
She was initially sentenced to 35 years and that was reduced during the final sentencing hearing… Too bad she wasn’t in the house when the cops practically shot it off its foundation and burned it to the ground (aka: the training video for the Waco debacle) killing everyone inside, but as LUCK would have it, she had been detained earlier in the day for “shoplifting”(?) at “Mels Sporting Goods”… I lived in Huntington Beach about 30 miles South of LA at the time, it was quite a show…
Since I live just a few miles from the area, I have been following the newspaper about this. I have said all along that the county of Santa Fe is working 24 hours a day to screw up this. It looks like they have done it. Of course, Gutierrez-Reed will not get the privilidge/
Of course the charges were dropped. It would have been catastrophic for the Hollywood liberal elites to have to acknowledge that a human could ever be held responsible for the evil gun in his hand. It’s never the person. It’s always the gun.
Golden rule. He who has the gold makes the rules. F*ck me.
Story’s not quite correct. The Charges have been Tdmporarily Withdrawn pending review of new evidence that came to light. Prosecution reserved the Right to reinstitute charges pending the results of that evaluation.
He’s not in the clear. Prosecution wants time to review the new evidence and the determine the proper legal course.
What the Prosecution has done does not exonerate Baldwin. The evidence may or may not, we’ll just have to see.
The story is not entirely true. The charges have been temporarily withdrawn while fresh evidence is examined. In the interim, while that assessment was being completed, the prosecution reserved the right to reopen the case.
It’s not all obvious for him. The prosecution requests time to examine the fresh evidence and decide on the best course of action.
Baldwin is not exonerated by what the Prosecution has done. It will have to be seen if the proof is conclusive or not.
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