Authored by Aldgra Fredly via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),
A New Mexico judge on June 28 denied actor Alec Baldwin’s request to dismiss an involuntary manslaughter charge against him relating to the 2021 fatal shooting of a cinematographer on the set of his film “Rust.”
Actor Alec Baldwin’s motion to dismiss the involuntary manslaughter charge against him in connection with the tragic shooting incident on the set of “Rust” has been denied by a New Mexico judge. The charge is related to the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins in 2021.
Baldwin’s defense team argued that the firearm involved in the shooting had been damaged during FBI forensic testing before they had the chance to examine it, but the judge ruled that this did not establish that the firearm had apparent exculpatory value.
According to Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer, there is a significant amount of evidence suggesting that the unaltered firearm did not possess apparent exculpatory value. She referenced Baldwin’s statement to a New Mexico Occupational Health and Safety Bureau officer, where he claimed the issue was with the bullet, not the gun.
The judge also noted that prior to the accidental discharge testing, the FBI forensic examiner found the firearm to be fully operative and without modification. She further stated that Baldwin’s lawyers failed to prove that the State acted in bad faith when destroying certain internal components of the firearm during testing.
Prosecutors have been instructed to fully disclose to the jury the destructive nature of the firearm testing and its relevance to the case. Baldwin is scheduled to stand trial in July, facing an involuntary manslaughter charge with a maximum sentence of 18 months in prison.
Hutchins was tragically killed after a gun Baldwin was handling discharged on set in October 2021. Armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed was convicted of involuntary manslaughter for her role in the shooting and sentenced to 18 months in prison.