Back in October of 2021, a gun was discharged on set of ‘Rust’ by Alec Baldwin. Unfortunately, the shot that was fired did kill the film’s cinematographer, Halyna Hutchins. A judge today ruled Baldwin will be charged with involuntary manslaughter. He isn’t the only one being charged as armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed has also been charged with two counts of involuntary manslaughter.
“After a thorough review of the evidence and the laws of the state of New Mexico, I have determined that there is sufficient evidence to file criminal charges against Alec Baldwin and other members of the ‘Rust’ film crew,” stated Carmack-Altwies in a statement. “On my watch, no one is above the law, and everyone deserves justice.”
Besides both being charged with two counts of involuntary manslaughter, they are also being charged with a fourth-degree felony punishable by up to a year and a half in jail and a $5,000 fine. In addition, the charges also include a provision that could result in a mandatory five years in prison due to the fact the offense was committed with a gun.
“This decision distorts Halyna Hutchins’ tragic death and represents a terrible miscarriage of justice,” expressed Baldwin’s lawyer Luke Nikas. “Mr. Baldwin had no reason to believe there was a live bullet in the gun — or anywhere on the movie set. He relied on the professionals with whom he worked, who assured him the gun did not have live rounds. We will fight these charges, and we will win.”
Furthermore, at this time, neither will be arrested before their first court appearance.
“We will not be asking for an arrest,” the district attorney told CNN. “We’ll send out what’s called a summons. From that, the court will set what’s called a first appearance, or, it’s basically an arraignment. And at that point they will either have to come here (to New Mexico) or they might do a video arraignment, we have been doing those since Covid, and they will get their conditions of release and enter not guilty pleas.”
