Alec Baldwin's trial is underway for his role in the shooting death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of the film Rust, Breitbart reported. The 66-year-old is charged with involuntary manslaughter.
Attorneys for Baldwin will plead his case before a New Mexico judge after a gun the actor was using in the movie discharged a live round, fatally wounding Hutchins and striking director Joel Souza. The actor is charged with one felony count of involuntary manslaughter and faces up to 18 months in prison.
The trial follows the conviction of the film's armorer, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, for the same charge. She was sentenced to 18 months in prison but has filed an appeal.
In a Hollywood twist, Court TV began broadcasting the trial on Wednesday to turn proceedings into a television spectacle. Viewers watched live as the prosecutors and Baldwin's attorneys presented their conflicting versions of the case at the Santa Fe County District Courthouse.
Prosecutors against the 30 Rock actor claimed Baldwin "violated the cardinal rules of firearm safety" while on the set of Rust, ABC News reported. Baldwin allegedly committed "numerous breaches" of weapons safety that led to the 42-year-old's death.
On that fateful day in 2021, Baldwin was on set at a Santa Fe church practicing his cross-draw with the Colt .45 revolver being used as a movie prop. Somehow, the gun was loaded with at least one of the five live rounds found on set after the investigation.
The prosecution contends that regardless of the fact that the gun had live rounds, Baldwin is at fault as he recklessly mishandled the firearm. Prosecutor Erlinda Ocampo Johnson said in her opening statement to the jury that the "prop" weapon was a real gun that was supposed to be loaded with blanks.
Baldwin was known to "do his own thing" between takes, including keeping his finger on the trigger while practicing his draws, which contradicts gun safety policy. "The evidence will show that that third and fatal time, he takes it out once again, fast. He cocks the hammer, points it straight at Miss Hutchins, and fires that gun, sending that live bullet right into Miss Hutchins' body," Johnson told the jury.
"After the shooting, the defendant began to claim he didn't pull the trigger. The evidence will show, ladies and gentlemen, that's not possible," Johnson said, adding another layer to the damaging assertions.
Baldwin's attorney, Alex Spiro, laid the blame at the armorer's feet in his opening remarks. "On this set, there was a real bullet, something that should never be on a movie set, something which has nothing to do with making a movie," Spiro told the jurors.
"You will hear no evidence, not one word that Alec Baldwin had anything to do with that real bullet being brought onto that set. No one had any idea that this venomous, toxic element had been inserted into this magic they were creating," Spiro continued.
"But it did," he added. "It entered that place. It killed an amazing person, it wounded another, and it changed lives forever." Spiro insinuated that Gutierrez-Reed was to blame as Baldwin was handed a safe for prop use "cold gun" but "shocked" everyone when a live round came out.
"Alec is startled. He immediately says, 'I didn't mean to shoot. I didn't pull the trigger,'" Spiro added, underscoring the claim about his lack of responsibility.
The jury will get to decide Baldwin's fate after hearing from witnesses on both sides of the issue. It's unfortunate that this happened at all, and someone will have to pay for the cinematographer's untimely death.
