[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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Other, qualified people are being paid to check the gun. That's how it works. What the hell else are the actors supposed to do? Light the set? Their only mistake was having no budget and hiring hacks.
@pdockal If you're the weapons expert, probably not. If the people in charge say "cold gun", think it's the armorer and the 1st A.D. who do so. That is their job. Most likely, I would see them check it and hand it to me and pay attention. He wasn't firing at someone anyway, it went off and hit the DP and director, all because people didn't do their jobs. It could have happened to anyone, at least with those idiots running things.
As producer, he has some culpability, but that's it.
@uncalled4 I disagree .... guns just don't fire themselves ... if you hand me a gun I'm checking regardless of the information or your job ... it's MY responsibility to make sure you did your job so i don't blow somebody's head off
@pdockal Alec was a producer, so in a way it was his job to make sure the set was safe. Unfortunately, he hired idiots, so some of that is on him. That's my take.
@uncalled4 has everybody lost their minds .... it's NOT about job description... it's about common sense .... you ALWAYS check before pulling trigger in situations like that otherwise it can go horribly wrong .... you never pull the trigger pointed at anybody until you check the gun Enough with its NOT poor baldwins fault Ughhhhh
@pdockal I wouldn't know what a blank looked like. Thats why there are armorers. Experts. And again, AB is partially responsible for hiring inept people. No, i haven't "lost my mind" if I don't agree with you.
@uncalled4 If you don't have the knowledge about guns (or props) DON'T TOUCH .... a gun needs you to fire it and cause harm Get educated regardless if you own a gun or don't Uneducated people cause acidents Uneducated people let others off the hook for their actions
with all the gun control advocates and killings i think EVERYBODY would agree that you need to be educated in gun handling before you touch one regardless who you are or think you are
@pdockal I don't touch guns. Not interested in owning one; they're just not for me.
Were I an actor who needed to use a gun, I would learn about guns as a matter of being able to look credible using them as well as everything I would need to know about how to operate one. That makes perfect sense. I have no interest in guns otherwise and don't anticipate a situation in which I will need to use one.
It's curious, I see more people wishing to punish the man who used the gun on the set without asking the most burning question, which is "What the fuck was live ammo doing on the set?" Until that question is answered, all other concerns are, in my opinion, irrelevant. Live ammo is generally NOT used. Hundreds, probably thousands of scenes including guns have been lensed without incident.
You contend that "uneducated people let others off the hook for their actions". That's a huge, assumptive generalization. It has nothing whatsoever to do with education(though of course education is important). I've sat on a grand jury. We all considered evidence, and based on what we read, saw, and heard, we either 1) agreed that there was sufficient evidence for the case to continue, 2) remanded the case to a lower court, or 3) threw out the case entirely. I was definitely not sitting with a room full of MENSA members(me included), yet I almost always agreed with how the group voted. We absolutely made people stand trial for their crimes...if the evidence was there. In no way was I ok with messing up an innocent person's life.
As a great songwriter once wrote, "Proof is the bottom line for everyone".
@uncalled4 Glad you agree that if your going to touch a gun you should be educated
I've was called into jury duty many times (large US city! ) and those that were less educated condoned stealing (for example) etc .....
Just because you ASSUME no live ammo should be on set is presumptuous of you How do you know the guy in the parking lot next to you doesn't have live ammo in his vehicle which could easily be brought into work etc Once you start assuming concerning guns and gun control incidents occur I don't believe that the law let's you say "i didn't know it was loaded" but because he's a celebrity with lots of lawyers ...........
Think this topic is as far as it goes I don't own guns but have taken gun safety courses
Just because you ASSUME no live ammo should be on set is presumptuous of you --[b]Neither presumptuous, nor assumptive; I looked it up and it has RARELY been used, ever. Let's not even think of what the insurance would be if there were live ammo. Would NEVER happen on a small-budget project such as Rust.[/b].
How do you know the guy in the parking lot next to you doesn't have live ammo in his vehicle which could easily be brought into work etc [b]Well, I'll admit you got me there. I don't if he has guns, ammo, a giraffe, or plutonium, either.[/b]
I don't believe that the law let's you say "i didn't know it was loaded" but because he's a celebrity with lots of lawyers ........... [b]Doesn't seem like a compelling legal defense[/b]
I don't own guns but have taken gun safety courses [b]Seems superfluous to me, but who knows, could come in handy someday. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go check the parking lot.[/b]
