Alec Baldwin Pleads Not Guilty to New RUST Manslaughter Charges
By Movieguide® Contributor
While charges against Alec Baldwin for his involvement in the deadly RUST shooting were dropped last spring, prosecutors have reopened the case with new evidence against the actor, to which he has pleaded not guilty.
Baldwin entered a not-guilty plea to the New Mexico court last Thursday, waiving his virtual appearance scheduled for later that morning. He was not arrested and, under the rules of his parole, is not permitted to possess any firearm, leave the country or communicate with anyone who may testify in the case.
The actor and his legal team maintain that he was unaware that the gun was loaded with live munitions, nor is he liable for checking the gun.
“Performers train to perform, and they are not required or expected to be experts on guns or experienced in their use,” a SAG-AFTRA statement said in Baldwin’s defense. “The industry assigns that responsibility to qualified professionals who oversee their use and handling in every aspect.”
Prosecutors, however, argue that actors are responsible for some level of safety on set, and Baldwin did not meet the most basic requirements.
“Actors are not expected to be gun experts, but Alec was handed a real firearm and pointed it at two people without checking himself to see if it was unloaded, or having the prop master do that for him,” said attorney Christopher C. Melcher. “It is standard procedure to ensure that a firearm is unloaded when using it on set.”
“Alec would have followed that process hundreds of times in his career,” Melcher continued. “But this time he took possession of the firearm, pointed it at two people and shot them. It would have taken seconds to determine there was a live round in the gun. The failure to use due care when handling a deadly weapon is not an accident, it is a crime.”
The accident occurred in October 2021, killing Halyna Hutchins and injuring director Joel Souza. Baldwin’s manslaughter charges carry a prison sentence of up to 18 months and a $5,000 fine.
RUST’s armorer, Hannah Gutierrez Reed, is also under investigation, facing the same involuntary manslaughter charge as Baldwin. She claims that the actor did not allow her sufficient time for safety training, placing the culpability solely on him.
Movieguide® previously reported:
Alec Baldwin was charged with involuntary manslaughter last Friday for the death of RUST cinematographer Halyna Hutchins.
Hutchins was killed when a prop gun Baldwin was holding went off on the RUST set. Another crew member was also wounded.
PEOPLE reported, “Special prosecutors Kari Morrissey and Jason Lewis dropped initial charges against Baldwin in April citing ‘new facts’ in the case and said at the time they reserved the right to recharge him. They announced in October, ‘After extensive investigation over the past several months, additional facts have come to light that we believe show Mr. Baldwin has criminal culpability in the death of Halyna Hutchins and the shooting of Joel Souza.’”
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