Alec Baldwin

While the involuntary manslaughter charges remain “the Santa Fe District Attorney formally downgraded the second of two charges, which included a firearm ...

The pair were charged following the fatal shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of the western movie, [Rust](https://movieweb.com/movie/rust-2022/). Baldwin’s attorney Luke Nikas has described the decision to charge the actor a “miscarriage of justice” saying, “This decision distorts Halyna Hutchins’ tragic death and represents a terrible miscarriage of justice. Baldwin in the lead role and Joel Souza as director." Hutchins was tragically shot and killed after a prop gun was fired by Baldwin during the preparation of a scene. Marshal Wood Helm, and the vicious bounty hunter Fenton "Preacher" Lang. [Alec Baldwin](https://movieweb.com/person/alec-baldwin/) and armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed have now been downgraded, [The Hollywood Reporter](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/rust-shooting-alec-baldwin-charges-downgraded-hannah-gutierrez-reed-1235330265/) has revealed.

Prosecutors in the Alec Baldwin “Rust” film set shooting case look pretty silly right now. They had to drop their toughest gun penalty due to a legal error.

The second egregious part of the DA’s statement is the claim that the prosecution’s priority is “securing justice, not securing billable hours for big-city attorneys.” Securing justice is great, but “not securing billable hours for big-city attorneys”? Again, if the statement is to be believed, then the DA’s office is being guided by factors other than the evidence. Instead, it looks like there’s something more straightforward at play: The prosecution was sloppy in charging, Baldwin’s lawyers raised a clear constitutional issue and the prosecution rightly folded. And Baldwin’s argument was clearly more than a distraction, because it caused the most significant possible prison time against him to disappear at the outset of the case. And while it’s amateurish to have brought a seemingly illegal charge, the prosecution appears to have made the right move in correcting the error. (Baldwin has [denied any wrongdoing](https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/halyna-hutchins-rust-new-lawsuit-alec-baldwin-rcna69960).) The enhancement carries a five-year mandatory penalty, instead of the 18 months he could otherwise face if convicted of involuntary manslaughter.

After a tragic on-set accident, district attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies used a law passed after the incident to threaten actor Alec Baldwin with years in ...

By virtue of hiring "big-city attorneys," Baldwin was able to convince prosecutors not to levy the most severe charge on the books. But [according to police](https://www.nytimes.com/article/alec-baldwin-shooting-investigation.html), the crew member who gave Baldwin the weapon assured him it was a "cold gun," not loaded with a round that could be fired. In a statement, a spokesperson said the office downgraded the charges "in order to avoid further litigious distractions by Mr. [May 2022,](https://www.wesa.fm/2023-02-20/new-mexico-prosecutors-downgrade-charges-against-alec-baldwin-in-the-rust-shooting) seven months after the shooting incident. [discharged](https://reason.com/2021/11/11/alec-baldwins-gun-proposals-will-not-make-hollywood-sets-safer/) a firearm inexplicably loaded with live ammunition. While the charges carry a maximum sentence of 18 months in prison, prosecutors [included](https://reason.com/2023/01/20/alec-baldwin-shouldnt-spend-5-years-in-prison-for-an-accident/) a firearm enhancement which could add a mandatory minimum of five years.

They agreed that a law mandating a five-year prison sentence had been improperly applied to charges in the case.

Gutierrez Reed, 25, has acknowledged that she loaded the gun but has denied responsibility for Hutchins’ death. The involuntary manslaughter charges that Baldwin and Gutierrez Reed now face carry an 18-month sentence. Producers had completed 12 days of filming when the deadly accident occurred. Baldwin and armorer Hannah Gutierrez Reed were charged last month with two counts of involuntary manslaughter for the Oct. Baldwin and Gutierrez Reed still face two counts of involuntary manslaughter, although each could only be convicted of one count. Baldwin’s team pointed to the fact that legislation mandating a five-year prison sentence had not taken effect in New Mexico until several months after the shooting took place.

Alec Baldwin is now facing one less charge in the Rust shooting case. The actor is still facing involuntary manslaughter charges.

Now, with the reduced charges, both Baldwin and Gutierrez-Reed face a maximum sentence of 18 months in prison. The incident took place on 21 October 2021 but charges against Baldwin and Gutierrez-Reed were not filed until 31 January 2023. “In order to avoid further litigious distractions by Mr.

Alec Baldwin was seen outside his Manhattan home on Tuesday after New Mexico prosecutors dropped an enhanced gun charge.

Baldwin had no reason to believe there was a live bullet in the gun - or anywhere on the movie set,' the statement said. Prosecutors will forgo a grand jury and rely on a judge to determine if there is sufficient evidence to move toward trial. Baldwin was both producing and starring in the film. He and Gutierrez-Reed are now facing a maximum of 18 months in prison if convicted of involuntary manslaughter. Matthew is pictured above with Halyna and their now nine-year-old son 'He relied on the professionals with whom he worked.' Baldwin has insisted the involuntary manslaughter charges are inapplicable because he had not been acting negligently when Hutchins was shot. The DA's office said in a statement: 'In order to avoid further litigious distractions by Mr. 'The prosecutors in this case have committed an unconstitutional and elementary legal error by charging Mr. That was defined in the statute as 'displaying or making a firearm known to another person while the firearm is present on the person of the offending party with intent to intimidate or injure a person.' As a journalist said 'Hello, Mr. Baldwin under a statute that did not exist on the date of the accident,' he wrote in a motion to the court.

Alec Baldwin and his legal team didn't have anything to say Monday when the Santa Fa D.A. dropped a disputed charge in the fatal Rust shooting criminal case ...

[ a slew of civil lawsuits](https://deadline.com/2023/02/alec-baldwin-lawsuit-rust-killing-halyna-hutchins-family-gloria-allred-1235254623/) out of the Rust tragedy, Baldwin has also sought to [ remove](https://deadline.com/2023/02/alec-baldwin-rust-killing-special-prosecutor-halyna-hutchins-david-halls-witness-list-1235252465/) special prosecutor Reeb from the criminal case given her dual role as an elected GOP New Mexico legislator. [On February 16,](https://deadline.com/2023/02/alec-baldwin-rust-shooting-case-halyna-hutchins-widower-da-witness-list-1235263640/) the D.A. More recently, [on Valentine’s Day,](https://deadline.com/2023/02/rust-movie-resume-production-spring-2023-new-cinematographer-1235259399/) producers announced that a Baldwin-led Rust would resume shooting this spring with Bianca Cline (Marcel the Shell With Shoes On) stepping in as cinematographer. Carmack-Altwies removed the firearm enhancement to the involuntary manslaughter charges in the death of [Halyna Hutchins](https://deadline.com/tag/halyna-hutchins/). The second charge, which is formally an involuntary manslaughter in the commission of a lawful act charge, is also a fourth-degree felony punishable by up to 18 months in jail and up to a $5,000 fine. [David Halls](https://deadline.com/tag/david-halls/) — who told Baldwin that the gun he was holding was “cold” before it was discharged by the actor, taking Hutchins’ life — reached a plea agreement with prosecutors. Baldwin and his legal team had no comment on the downgrading of the charges yesterday, but Jason Bowles, the attorney for Reed had his own thoughts on the D.A. The first charge is a fourth-degree felony with sentencing of up to 18 months in jail and a $5,000 fine. [Alec Baldwin](https://deadline.com/tag/alec-baldwin/) and his legal team didn’t have anything to say Monday when the Santa Fa D.A. Baldwin and his attorneys” and that the prosecution’s priority is “securing justice, not securing billable hours for big-city attorneys.” Simply put, prosecutors were charging the actor/producer and Rust armorer Reed with a statute that didn’t even exist in its present form at the time of the October 21, 2021 incident. “In light of the government’s concession that its decision to charge the enhancement was legally erroneous, the Motion is now moot,” said perhaps the most deferential lines in the February 20 filed notice of withdrawal from Baldwin’s NYC-based Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan.

After New Mexico prosecutors downgraded involuntary manslaughter charges against the actor, legal experts see Baldwin taking his case to a jury instead of ...

“He doesn’t want to put his fate in the hands of 12 jurors.” The answer for the defense will be that he was told the gun was empty.” The bulletin dictates, among other things, to “treat all firearms as though they are loaded,” “refrain from pointing a firearm at anyone” and to “never place your finger on the trigger until you’re ready to shoot.” A plea agreement could also have been used against the actor in civil cases blaming him for Hutchins’ death. “What happens is that the defense has to tell their client that they can get hit for this — that instead of doing three years, they might do eight if they don’t plead guilty.” “If he’s found not guilty at trial, it would massively help him with the public who are only catching glimpses of scattered headlines.” He says: “Downgrading charges and decreasing exposure to incarceration increases the likelihood that defendants stick to their guns and go to trial.” Even if a jury concludes he’s guilty, Baldwin could argue for probation instead of prison, which he’d likely be granted since he has no prior criminal history. Baldwin may opt to gamble on being able to completely walk away from the charges through a jury trial instead of staking his career on the willingness of Hollywood to overlook a plea. “This isn’t going to end in a plea.” The move, which significantly reduced their possible prison time, came after lawyers for the actor and producer of the low-budget Western argued that their client was unconstitutionally charged with violating a recently-amended firearm enhancement statute that didn’t exist at the time of the incident. When pleading guilty, a defendant must admit guilt to the court.

Alec Baldwin's attorney's have slammed prosecutors after the gun enhancement charges were dropped against the actor.

I will have our documents drafted to amend the criminal information to take off the firearm enhancement and file something withdrawing the firearm enhancement," the email, dated Feb. A subsequent email backtracked. Baldwin was facing an additional five years in prison as a result," defense attorney Luke Nikas said.

The actor's legal team respond to the dropping of enhancement to one of his involuntary manslaughter charges.

"Members of the prosecution team had amplified the error in the original information by repeatedly giving interviews on national television in which they erroneously claimed that the enhancement was not only applicable to Mr Baldwin, but mandatory, and that Mr Baldwin was facing an additional five years in prison as a result. "Instead, a spokesperson for the government immediately issued an extraordinary statement to the media characterising the motion as an 'attempt to distract' from the case by Mr Baldwin’s 'fancy attorneys'," it stated. The DA said the decision had been made "in order to avoid further litigious distractions" by Baldwin and his legal team.

Agencies Baldwin and Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, the weapons supervisor on the set of the film 'Rust', were charged last month with felony involuntary manslaughter ...

Baldwin and Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, the weapons supervisor on the set of the film 'Rust', were charged last month with felony involuntary manslaughter in the shooting death of cinematographer Hutchins. Hutchin's husband [Matthew](/topic/matthew)is currently serving as the film's executive producer. [The Departed](/topic/the-departed)' actor may still have to face an 18-month prison sentence and a fine of $5000. "The prosecutors committed a basic legal error by charging Mr. [Baldwin](/topic/baldwin)and his attorneys." Prosecutors in New Mexico have reportedly dropped firearm enhancement charges against the star.

Alec Baldwin's lawyers had called the gun enhancement for one of the "Rust" manslaughter charges unconstitutional.

](https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/10/arts/rust-manslaughter-statute-alec-baldwin.html) Hutchins' widower, Matthew Hutchins, [settled his own civil lawsuit](https://www.nbcnews.com/news/crime-courts/alec-baldwin-settles-lawsuit-family-cinematographer-killed-rust-set-rcna50823) against Baldwin in October. The production will resume in Montana, producers said Wednesday. [spoken to CNBC](https://www.cnbc.com/2023/02/10/rust-shooting-alec-baldwin-possible-penalty.html), saying that the motion to reduce the charges was only an attempt to distract from the criminal case. [civil suit against Baldwin](https://www.cnbc.com/2023/02/09/alec-baldwin-sued-halyna-hutchins-rust-shooting.html) and others involved in the production of "Rust." [Baldwin's lawyers](https://www.quinnemanuel.com/) had called the so-called firearm enhancement unconstitutional in a motion filed Feb. 10 motion, special prosecutor Andrea Reeb wrote in an email: "We are a tad confused on your motion on the firearm enhancement." Days later, the prosecutors The emails were sent on Feb. Baldwin, a producer on the movie, was holding the gun that fired the bullet that killed Hutchins. Two days after Baldwin's defense filed the Feb. They argued it was not applicable in Baldwin's case because the law was changed in May 2022, seven months after the fatal on-set shooting of Halyna Hutchins in October 2021.

The D.A. holds Alec Baldwin responsible for management failures on 'Rust,' but OSHA determined he was not in charge.

She did not mention Baldwin as a participant in the hiring process. He was allowed to plead no contest to a misdemeanor and will face no jail time. However, Gabrielle Pickle, the line producer, testified that she hired Gutierrez Reed after consulting with Halls, director Joel Souza, the production designer and “one or two of the producers.” Halls was the only other person prosecuted. But in his deposition, Halls said that it was his job to oversee safety meetings. also faulted Baldwin for not ensuring that safety meetings were held, contributing to a “climate of recklessness” on set. “There were a lot of safety concerns that were brought to the attention of management, and he did nothing about it.” Hutchins’ death was the result of a chain of errors. OSHA was especially critical of David Halls, the first assistant director, who was in charge of set safety. Investigators have failed to assign blame for the first link in the chain — the contamination of a box of dummy rounds with a handful of similar-looking live rounds. In an interview on “Hannity,” Reeb said that politics played no role in the charging decision. The agency faulted him for not taking action to address two accidental discharges of blank rounds five days prior to Hutchins’ death.

Lawyers for Alec Baldwin ripped New Mexico prosecutors this week for committing a legal gaffe in their manslaughter case against the embattled actor.

Production will move from New Mexico, where Baldwin and Hannah Gutierrez-Reed are each facing two involuntary manslaughter charges, to Yellowstone Film Ranch in ...

Gutierrez-Reed and Baldwin are facing up to 18 months in prison and a $5,000 fine. Halls, Baldwin and Gutierrez-Reed are set to appear in court Friday. Matthew Hutchins was expected to become an executive producer of the movie when it resumed filming, which was initially set to restart in January. Baldwin and Gutierrez-Reed have not yet submitted pleas, though Baldwin’s lawyers have said they will fight the changes facing their client, and lawyers for Gutierrez-Reed said she is not guilty of involuntary manslaughter. Last week, several news outlets reported production would resume in the coming months. “I am grateful that the producers and the entertainment community have come together to pay tribute to Halyna's final work,” Matthew Hutchins said at the time.

Alec Baldwin will go to Montana to complete filming of 'Rust,' as he faces involuntary manslaughter charges in New Mexico.

Baldwin is expected to appear in person for a preliminary hearing in Santa Fe. The Yellowstone Film Ranch opened in June 2020, with a set designed for filming Westerns. The beauty of Montana surpasses words, and the warm hospitality and kindness extended by everyone I’ve met has been both humbling and inspiring. “The dedication and passion of the entire ‘Rust’ production team to honor Halyna’s vision has deeply moved us,” they said. [Alec Baldwin](https://variety.com/t/alec-baldwin/) is still on board in the lead role, despite facing a charge of involuntary manslaughter in New Mexico for the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins. The announcement was made as the production settled a civil suit with Hutchins’ widower, Matthew, who will become an executive producer.

Alec Baldwin is facing a single count of involuntary manslaughter in the 2021 shooting death of Halyna Hutchins. He is expected to have a first court ...

The producers of Alec Baldwin's troubled western Rust will complete the film this spring in Montana at the Yellowstone Film Ranch, they announced on ...

However, Baldwin is expected to appear in person for a preliminary hearing in Santa Fe, where he’s facing a charge of involuntary manslaughter, but that will likely happen after he wraps production on Rust, which is about halfway finished. “The dedication and passion of the entire Rust production team to honor Halyna’s vision has deeply moved us. As with New Mexico, Montana offers a tax incentive for film and television production, which ranges from 20-35 percent of production costs.

"I 100 percent agree with your assessment on the issue," a special prosecutor emailed Baldwin's attorneys who challenged the charge, court documents show.

Baldwin was facing an additional five years in prison as a result," Baldwin's lawyers wrote in the Tuesday court documents. "I 100 percent agree with your assessment on the issue," Reeb wrote in the email, according to the court documents. "I will have our documents drafted to amend the criminal information to take off the firearm enhancement and file something withdrawing the firearm enhancement. In a February 12 email to Baldwin's lawyers, Reeb wrote: "We are a tad confused on your motion on the firearm enhancement," according to the court documents. A New Mexico prosecutor admitted that it was "100 percent" wrong to hit Alec Baldwin with a gun enhancement charge that carried a five-year potential prison sentence in the "Rust" movie set shooting death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, emails show. - A New Mexico prosecutor admitted in a private email it was wrong to hit Alec Baldwin with a weapons charge in the "Rust" shooting.

A New Mexico prosecutor in the fatal “Rust” shooting case admitted Alec Baldwin was incorrectly charged with an extra penalty that comes with a potential ...

Alec Baldwin faces 18 months in prison on involuntary manslaughter charges following cinematographer Halyna Hutchins' on-set shooting death in October 2021.

[Hannah Gutierrez Reed](https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/rust-armorer-hannah-gutierrez-reed-5-things-to-know) was reportedly involved in an incident that led to Cage walking off set. [ALEC BALDWIN SCORES WIN IN ‘RUST’ FATAL SHOOTING CASE AS DA DROPS FIREARM ENHANCEMENT](https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/alec-baldwin-scores-win-rust-fatal-shooting-case-da-drops-firearm-enhancement) [Hutchins was killed](https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/alec-baldwins-lawyers-blast-new-mexico-prosecutors-rust-case-legal-gaffe) on the New Mexico set of the Western film, and Souza was wounded by a bullet when live ammunition was accidentally loaded into a weapon fired by Baldwin while rehearsing a scene in a church on Oct. The Motion Picture Association has actively campaigned for updated [Alec Baldwin,](https://www.foxnews.com/category/person/alec-baldwin) 64, is still set to play the lead character in the Joel Souza-directed Western drama, despite facing involuntary manslaughter charges for the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins. ](https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/rust-related-gun-safety-bill-fails-pass-california-conflict-hollywood-studios-unions) He's one of 45 witnesses who could be called at a preliminary hearing. The beauty of Montana surpasses words, and the warm hospitality and kindness extended by everyone I've met has been both humbling and inspiring. The Western Backlot at Yellowstone Ranch is "styled after a late 1800s gold rush town uniquely located in Montana’s pristine Paradise Valley. We are honored to play a role in the realization of her vision and to carry forward her inspiring legacy through championing this film." It is a privilege to work with such great partners as we see this through on Halyna’s behalf." ](https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/the-old-way-star-nicolas-cage-first-western-flick-how-he-would-fare-wild-frontier) Baldwin has since denied he pulled the trigger of the gun that killed Hutchins.

The actor still faces involuntary manslaughter allegation in connection with the fatal on-set shooting of Halyna Hutchins on Oct. 21, 2021.

Prosecutors have referred to Baldwin’s lawyers as [“fancy attorneys.”](https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/10/arts/rust-manslaughter-statute-alec-baldwin.html) Days later, the prosecutors The emails were sent on Feb. [settled his own civil lawsuit](https://www.nbcnews.com/news/crime-courts/alec-baldwin-settles-lawsuit-family-cinematographer-killed-rust-set-rcna50823) against Baldwin in October. Two days after Baldwin’s defense filed the Feb. [to take off the firearm enhancement](https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/alec-baldwin-scores-win-rust-shooting-case-da-drops-gun-enhancement-ch-rcna71484),” she wrote. The film’s armorer, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, was also charged with two counts of manslaughter, one of which carried the gun enhancement. [formally charged](https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/alec-baldwin-formally-charged-involuntary-manslaughter-rust-shooting-rcna68231)with involuntary manslaughter in the 'Rust' shooting [settles lawsuit](https://www.nbcnews.com/news/crime-courts/alec-baldwin-settles-lawsuit-family-cinematographer-killed-rust-set-rcna50823)with family of cinematographer killed on 'Rust' set [Five takeaways](https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/five-takeaways-alec-baldwins-first-sit-interview-fatal-rust-shooting-rcna7483)from Alec Baldwin's first sit-down interview about fatal 'Rust' shooting [difficult burden](https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/prosecutors-will-difficult-burden-cast-alec-baldwin-criminal-lawyers-s-rcna66762)to cast Alec Baldwin as a criminal, lawyers say Baldwin’s legal team withdrew their motion Monday. [firearm enhancement](https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/alec-baldwin-scores-win-rust-shooting-case-da-drops-gun-enhancement-ch-rcna71484) unconstitutional in a motion filed Feb.

Director says completion of the movie will 'honour' late cinematographer Halyna Hutchins.

Director says completion of the movie will 'honour' late cinematographer Halyna Hutchins.

We’ve learned so much about Halyna as a friend and colleague, the depth of her artistry, and the lasting impact she had on so many. Their unwavering friendship, support, and now partnership in completing Rust and honouring Halyna means the world to me and our entire production team. A spokesperson for the district attorney did not respond to a request from The Independent for comment. “We are honoured to play a role in the realization of her vision and to carry forward her inspiring legacy through championing this film.” [handed a major legal victory when a New Mexico district attorney ](https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/alec-baldwin-charges-dropped-rust-shooting-b2286002.html)dropped gun enhancement charges against the embattled actor. Hutchins was killed on the set after a prop gun held by the film’s producer and star

"Rust" movie production resumes in spring at Montana western ranch with Alec Baldwin in lead role amid criminal charges in New Mexico from October 2021 ...

The ranch is where Murder at Yellowstone City and The Old Way starring Nicolas Cage were filmed.

Alec Baldwin will remain in the lead role in Rush, according to an announcement from the film's production today Baldwin will remain in the lead role, according to an announcement from the film's production today. - Alec Baldwin will remain in the lead role and serve as a producer