[b]● Prosecutors in New Mexico have dropped enhanced firearm charges against Alec Baldwin. ● The move reduces possible prison time. ● The actor still faces 18 months in prison if found guilty of the lesser charges.[/b]
[i][c=666666]Alec Baldwin and the film's armorer, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, still face involuntary manslaughter charges. (GETTY IMAGES)[/c][/i]
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New Mexico prosecutors have dropped firearm enhancement charges against actor Alec Baldwin following the fatal shooting of Halyna Hutchins on the set of the movie Rust. Ms Hutchins, 42, died in hospital after she was shot in the chest by a prop gun fired by Mr Baldwin.
The original charges carry a mandatory five-year prison sentence while the reduced charges (involuntary manslaughter) can result in 18 months of prison time.
The district attorney for Santa Fe (Heather Brewer) said the prosecution had dropped the initial charges to “avoid further litigious distractions by Mr Baldwin and his attorneys”.
"The prosecution's priority is securing justice, not securing billable hours for big-city attorneys," Ms Brewer said.
The firearm enhancement charge has also been dropped for the film's armorer - Hannah Guitierrez-Reed according to CBS News.
Lawyers for the two accused had argued that the firearm enhancement charges were related to a version of the law passed after the October 2021 shooting incident.
Mr. Baldwin’s lawyer, Lukas Nikas said his client “had no reason to believe that there was a live bullet in the gun - or anywhere on the movie set. He relied on professionals with whom he worked, who assured him the gun did not have live rounds”.
Earlier in February, the sister and parents of Ms Hutchins sued Mr Baldwin over Ms Hutchins death. Her husband agreed to settle his wrongful death lawsuit last year. Filming for the Western film will resume this spring with Mr Baldwin as the lead actor.
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[c=004A59][b]Opinion Poll: [u]Should Alec Baldwin have checked the gun himself?[/u] [/b][/c]
📊 Vote your Opinion in the Poll, above. 📥 💬 Comment below. ⬇️
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I honestly don’t know. Is an actor playing a role expected to be as knowledgeable about guns as someone who is a marksman in real life ? Considering the gun as a prop, wouldn’t securing it have been someone else’s job ?
@DeWayfarer How things [b]should[/b] be and how they [b]are[/b] done in the industry are not necessarily the same. I was wondering about the latter, since I didn’t know. If it isn’t policy as standard practice, how can he held accountable ?
@DeWayfarer It’s not the same. You may recall this tragedy: [quote] As a nearly month-long police investigation draws to a close, North Carolina District Attorney Jerry Spivey announces on April 27, 1993 that the death of 28-year-old Brandon Lee on March 31 of that same year during filming of The Crow was due to negligence on the part of the film’s crew, not foul play.[/quote]
@DeWayfarer Now you’re changing the subject. I’m not arguing what’s correct or not. I was merely pondering what the industry practice is. And as I said from the onset, [b]I don’t know[/b].
@bijouxbroussard industry gets away with murder in all fronts. About time someone pulls the magical flying rug out from underneath them and start living in reality.
@DeWayfarer and Michael Massey who fired the gun that killed Brandon Lee had years of PTSD afterwards. It was the film crew's job to check it, it's negligence on the prop guy's part.
