Alec Baldwin has entered a not guilty plea to the involuntary manslaughter of Halyna Hutchins.
According to court documents obtained by BBC News, the Rust star entered his plea online and waived his right to a virtual court hearing, which was set for Friday.
Baldwin has been charged with involuntary manslaughter after fatally shooting cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of Rust. The actor would face up to 18 months in prison if found guilty.
On Monday, New Mexico prosecutors dropped a firearm enhancement charge against Baldwin and set armourer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed that would have seen them serve up to five years in prison if found guilty. The prosecutors said the enhancement did not apply as the alleged crime took place before the law pertaining to it was passed.
Baldwin’s involuntary manslaughter charge was filed in Santa Fe County, New Mexico, where production on Rust ensued when Hutchins was killed in October 2021.
Prosecutors have accused Baldwin of “criminal negligence” on the film’s set, saying Baldwin’s lack of responsibility as a lead and producer led to Hutchins’s death. Previously, Baldwin’s lawyer Luke Nikas countered, “He relied on the professionals with whom he worked, who assured him the gun did not have live rounds.”
Nikas insisted that Baldwin “had no reason to believe there was a live bullet in the gun - or anywhere on the movie set”.
Gutierrez-Reed has also been charged with involuntary manslaughter for allegedly failing to ensure dummy bullets were loaded into the gun that killed Hutchins. The armourer has been scheduled to appear in court on Friday.
Rust’s producers announced on Wednesday filming would resume this spring, with the set shifting location to Montana.
Source: © Cover Media
