Actor Alec Baldwin appeared in a New Mexico courtroom on Monday for a hearing to determine the admissibility of evidence in his upcoming trial for the shooting death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of the movie Rust. Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer made significant rulings on the evidence that will be allowed during the trial, which is expected to last 10 days.
In a crucial decision, Judge Sommer barred evidence showing Baldwin yelling at crew members to hurry up and evidence highlighting Baldwin’s role as a producer and “boss” on the Rust set. The judge deemed such evidence as more prejudicial than useful to the jurors. Baldwin, 66, is contesting the involuntary manslaughter charges, claiming that he did not depress the trigger and believed the weapon was defective. He argues that he had no reason to suspect the revolver was loaded with a live bullet as someone had declared it a “cold gun” before handing it to him.
With jury selection imminent, Judge Sommer issued her rulings during a tense hearing, which was livestreamed by CourtTV. She allowed prosecutors to present videos showing Baldwin using his replica revolver during filming, as they are relevant to the questions of the gun’s functionality and Baldwin’s handling of the firearm. However, she prohibited the use of videos depicting Baldwin swearing and rushing reloads, deeming them irrelevant and propensity evidence.
In another significant ruling, Judge Sommer decided that evidence regarding Baldwin’s dual role as a producer of the film will not be presented to the jury. She deemed it too prejudicial, considering Baldwin’s contractual limitations on decision-making without prior approval.
Baldwin, accompanied by his lawyers Alex Spiro and Luke Nikas, sat at the defense table during the hearing, taking notes and reviewing documents. Two weeks ago, Baldwin’s attempt to have his indictment dismissed based on the alleged destruction of the gun by an FBI forensics expert during testing was unsuccessful.
If convicted of involuntary manslaughter, Baldwin faces a maximum sentence of 18 months in a New Mexico state prison. Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, the movie’s armorer, was previously convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to 18 months after her separate trial.
During Gutierrez-Reed’s trial, prosecutors argued that she negligently brought live ammunition onto the set and failed to identify it among the inert dummy rounds she was loading into prop weapons. Six live bullets, including the one that killed Hutchins, were discovered on the production.
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What are your thoughts on the responsibility of actors and production crews when it comes to ensuring safety on movie sets? How can tragedies like the shooting death of Halyna Hutchins be prevented in the future?