THE ANGELS.- American actor Alec Baldwin He pleaded not guilty this Wednesday to the charge of homicide involuntary crime that is attributed to death of a colleague on a set in 2021 while rehearsing a scene for her film Rust.
Baldwin presented his written statement before a New Mexico court, in charge of the judicial process that the Hollywood star faces for the death of his director of photography, Halyna Hutchins.
In the same document, the 65-year-old actor declined to formally appear before the court, so what was going to be the first hearing of the case initially scheduled for Thursday, February 1, will not be held.
Producer and star of the western film, Baldwin was charged last month with the fatal shooting. Baldwin was brandishing a Colt .45 weapon during rehearsals on October 21, 2021 at the Bonanza Creek ranch, near Santa Fe, when a shot was fired that fatally hit Hutchins and wounded the production’s director, Joel Souza.
The actor had already been accused a year ago in the case, however, the prosecution withdrew the charges in April arguing that new facts had emerged that demanded: “more investigation and forensic analysis.”
After the first accusation, Baldwin pleaded not guilty and maintained in repeated interviews that he did not fire the weapon.
However, forensic experts hired by the prosecution concluded that Baldwin had to apply some pressure on the trigger for the gun to fire.
Last month, a grand jury found there was probable cause against Baldwin for either negligent use of a firearm or lack of caution, leading to the new indictment.
In the United States, a grand jury is a group of citizens convened to evaluate the evidence and decide whether there is enough evidence to justify putting someone on trial. If convicted, Baldwin could face up to 18 months in prison.
“Wrong rating”
Baldwin’s attorneys, Luke Nikas and Alex Spiro, asked the court for a speedy trial to: “minimize public vilification and suspicion, and avoid the risks to proving his innocence that often arise after a long delay in prosecution.” “.
Hutchins’ death shocked Hollywood, reviving past tragedies and prompting calls to ban firearms on film sets. However, some voices stressed that the industry is regulated by strict rules that were not followed in detail during the filming of Rust.
The charge against Baldwin centers on his role as an actor, and not as a producer.
Actors from the powerful American union SAG-AFTRA criticized the accusation, calling it “an incorrect assessment of an actor’s duties.”
“The job of an actor is not to be an expert in firearms,” the guild said. “On a set, firearms are arranged under the guidance of several expert professionals who are directly responsible for their careful and safe handling.”
The gunsmith on the tape, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, was also charged with involuntary manslaughter and tampering with evidence in Hutchins’ death.
According to the investigations, Gutierrez-Reed, in charge of the props, would have placed a real bullet in the gun that Baldwin had to manipulate and which had to load only fake ammunition. The young woman, whose trial is scheduled for February, pleaded not guilty.
It has not been clarified how the real bullets reached the film set.
First assistant director David Halls, who put the gun in Baldwin’s hands on the day of the tragedy, pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor weapons charge and was sentenced to six months’ probation in March of last year.
After a pause due to the tragedy, filming of the film concluded last year in Montana under the reins of Souza, and with Matthew Hutchins, the director of photography’s widower, as executive producer.
The director said at the time that the film’s culmination was bittersweet but that the cast and crew were committed to completing what he and Halyna had started.
Baldwin is free on bail.
Source: AFP
