A New Mexico judge has set a trial date of July 10 for actor Alec Baldwin, who faces manslaughter charges in connection with the fatal shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins during the filming of the movie “Rust” in 2021. This case is unprecedented in Hollywood, as actors are rarely criminally held responsible for on-set incidents. Baldwin’s charges were previously dropped, but they were reinstated in January.
The trial will also include the armorer of “Rust,” Hannah Gutierrez, who is accused of bringing a live round onto the set and failing to detect it. Gutierrez, facing involuntary manslaughter charges, claims she is being scapegoated for Baldwin’s failure to follow firearms safety rules.
During the trial, a “Rust” camera crew member, Ross Addiego, testified that Gutierrez and first assistant director Dave Halls skipped firearms safety checks. Halls had previously entered a plea deal and was convicted of negligent use of a deadly weapon.
A key revelation in the trial came from FBI firearms expert Bryce Ziegler, who stated that the Pietta revolver Baldwin was holding would not fire when fully cocked without the trigger being pulled. This contradicted Baldwin’s initial comments where he claimed to have cocked the gun but not pulled the trigger. Charges against Baldwin were dropped last year, citing the possibility of modifications to the gun. However, a subsequent independent test confirmed the FBI’s findings, leading to the reinstatement of charges.
Baldwin’s defense plans to file a motion to dismiss the charges, arguing that the grand jury did not follow certain rules during the reinstatement in January. The trial sheds light on the chaotic production environment and safety lapses on the “Rust” set, bringing attention to industry guidelines being overlooked.