Alec Baldwin pleaded not guilty to involuntary manslaughter. Additionally, he waived his court appearance on Friday. Currently, Baldwin is not in jail, free without having to post a bond to the government. He was originally going to make his first court appearance on Friday on Google Meet. However, he chose to submit his not-guilty plea through a court filing instead. Therefore, he will not have to do it in court and will not be due in court until the preliminary hearing begins. In the official trial, he faces up to 18 months in prison. Obviously, this will only occur if he is convicted in connection to the Rust cinematographer Halyna Hutchins' tragic death.
The Santa Fe D.A.'s allegations against Baldwin state that he acted with "criminal negligence" when he fired a loaded weapon. The incident occurred while preparing for a scene. The incident occurred at the Bonanza Creek Ranch in October 2021. However, Baldwin has denied these allegations, even prior to pleading not guilty. He has said that others were responsible for making sure the gun was not loaded. Hannah Gutierrez Reed, the armorer of Rust, will make her first court appearance on Friday. She will appear under the accusation of involuntary manslaughter. According to reports, She was responsible for making sure all rounds in the gun were dummies.
Alec Baldwin Still Not In The Clear
On Monday of this week, prosecutors dropped the firearm enhancement charge. The charge could have added an additional five years to Baldwin and Gutierrez Reed's sentences. It would have allowed for extra punishment for the actual "discharge" of the weapon in the course of a felony. However, this did not apply to the Rust case. The enhancement charge took effect seven months after the shooting took place. Furthermore, Baldwin is set to head to Montana in spring to complete the film. The creation process was suspended after the tragic accident on set.
In October, producers announced a settlement with Hutchins' husband, Matthew. He will become an executive producer of the film. Additionally, the filmmakers of Rust have said that they will finish the film as a tribute to Hutchins' final work and overall talent. Additionally, they will be working with a documentary crew to tell the story of Hutchins' career. This documentary will include the story of Hutchins' time on Rust. Baldwin and Gutierrez Reed will have a preliminary hearing within 60 days of pleading not guilty to their accused charges. They will appear in person for the preliminary hearing, where prosecutors will give evidence to convince a judge to request a trial.
[Via]