Alec Baldwin manslaughter case in 'Rust' shooting continues

Alec Baldwin is set to stand trial for manslaughter in the 2021 killing of Rust cinematographer Halyna Hutchins after a New Mexico judge denied the actors' request to dismiss the case on Friday.

Baldwin, who has pleaded not guilty, is scheduled to go to trial in July.

We look forward to our day in court, Luke Nikas and Alex Spiro, attorneys for Alec Baldwin, said in a statement Friday.

Judge Mary Marlowe's decision comes after hearing closing arguments from Baldwin's attorneys and prosecutors in a Santa Fe court on May 17.

At that hearing, special prosecutor Kari T. Morrissey said, referring to Baldwin, that the actor was responsible for the guns once they were in their hands.

But Baldwin's lawyers argued that the case should be dropped because Morrissey failed to present critical evidence during a grand jury proceeding in January that resulted in Baldwin's indictment for manslaughter.

The manslaughter charge carries a maximum prison sentence of 18 months if convicted.

Hutchins was killed on October 21, 2021, as Baldwin rehearsed a scene on the set of Rust.

Baldwin said Hutchins told him to point the gun at her while he practiced a cross-draw maneuver. As he did so, he said, the gun fired a live round, fatally striking Hutchins and wounding the film's director, Joel Souza.

Baldwin claimed in interviews that he did not pull the trigger and that the gun malfunctioned.

In January 2023, prosecutors initially charged Baldwin and the film's gunsmith Hannah Gutierrez-Reed with manslaughter.

Two months later, the special prosecutor in the case, Andrea Reeb, resigned.

A month later, the special prosecutors who replaced Reeb cited new facts in the case when they announced they would temporarily dismiss the manslaughter charge against Baldwin.

Baldwin then flew from New York to Montana, where he filmed the film's remaining scenes as part of the settlement of a wrongful death claim from the Hutchins family.

In January, the grand jury indicted Baldwin on the same charge of involuntary manslaughter. He pleaded not guilty.

Gutierrez-Reed was convicted in March of manslaughter, but jurors found her not guilty of tampering with evidence.

She is serving an 18-month sentence in the Western New Mexico Correctional Facility.

Baldwin and Hutchins' husband, Matthew Hutchins, agreed in 2022 to settle on undisclosed terms the lawsuit his family filed against the actor and announced that Matthew Hutchins would serve as executive producer of the film.

In a statement he released at the time, Matthew Hutchins said: “I have no interest in engaging in recriminations or assigning blame (to the producers or Mr. Baldwin). We all believe that Halyna's death was a terrible accident.

“I'm grateful that producers and the entertainment community came together to honor Halyna's final work,” Hutchins said.

Chloé Mélas

Chloe Melas is an entertainment correspondent for NBC News.

Sumiko Moots And Diana Dasrath contributed.

What Are The Main Benefits Of Comparing Car Insurance Quotes Online

LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / June 24, 2020, / Compare-autoinsurance.Org has launched a new blog post that presents the main benefits of comparing multiple car insurance quotes. For more info and free online quotes, please visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/the-advantages-of-comparing-prices-with-car-insurance-quotes-online/ The modern society has numerous technological advantages. One important advantage is the speed at which information is sent and received. With the help of the internet, the shopping habits of many persons have drastically changed. The car insurance industry hasn't remained untouched by these changes. On the internet, drivers can compare insurance prices and find out which sellers have the best offers. View photos The advantages of comparing online car insurance quotes are the following: Online quotes can be obtained from anywhere and at any time. Unlike physical insurance agencies, websites don't have a specific schedule and they are available at any time. Drivers that have busy working schedules, can compare quotes from anywhere and at any time, even at midnight. Multiple choices. Almost all insurance providers, no matter if they are well-known brands or just local insurers, have an online presence. Online quotes will allow policyholders the chance to discover multiple insurance companies and check their prices. Drivers are no longer required to get quotes from just a few known insurance companies. Also, local and regional insurers can provide lower insurance rates for the same services. Accurate insurance estimates. Online quotes can only be accurate if the customers provide accurate and real info about their car models and driving history. Lying about past driving incidents can make the price estimates to be lower, but when dealing with an insurance company lying to them is useless. Usually, insurance companies will do research about a potential customer before granting him coverage. Online quotes can be sorted easily. Although drivers are recommended to not choose a policy just based on its price, drivers can easily sort quotes by insurance price. Using brokerage websites will allow drivers to get quotes from multiple insurers, thus making the comparison faster and easier. For additional info, money-saving tips, and free car insurance quotes, visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/ Compare-autoinsurance.Org is an online provider of life, home, health, and auto insurance quotes. This website is unique because it does not simply stick to one kind of insurance provider, but brings the clients the best deals from many different online insurance carriers. In this way, clients have access to offers from multiple carriers all in one place: this website. On this site, customers have access to quotes for insurance plans from various agencies, such as local or nationwide agencies, brand names insurance companies, etc. "Online quotes can easily help drivers obtain better car insurance deals. All they have to do is to complete an online form with accurate and real info, then compare prices", said Russell Rabichev, Marketing Director of Internet Marketing Company. CONTACT: Company Name: Internet Marketing CompanyPerson for contact Name: Gurgu CPhone Number: (818) 359-3898Email: [email protected]: https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/ SOURCE: Compare-autoinsurance.Org View source version on accesswire.Com:https://www.Accesswire.Com/595055/What-Are-The-Main-Benefits-Of-Comparing-Car-Insurance-Quotes-Online View photos