On February 23, actor Alec Baldwin has entered a plea as his trial is set to begin on February 24. According to CNN, Baldwin has pleaded “not guilty” to all the charges against him. In addition to entering a plea deal, he also waived his first court appearance, meaning he will not be in the courtroom on Friday.
Court documents also revealed that the actor has been “released on personal recognizance as long as he doesn’t own a gun, abstains from alcohol, and doesn’t speak with other witnesses of the shooting.”
As Mamas Uncut previously reported, just a day before her husband was formally charged with involuntary manslaughter, Hilaria Baldwin spoke out on her podcast, Witches Anonymous. During the opening minutes of the episode released on January 29, Hilaria said, “It’s been an emotional time for my family. (I) want to express to you how grateful I am for your support and your kindness … quite honestly, I think without it, we would crumble.”
According to Variety, Baldwin was formally charged on January 31, 12 days after Santa Fe prosecutor Mary Carmack-Altwies announced that she would file the criminal charges.
A source with knowledge of how Alec Baldwin is handling the criminal charges against him has already spoken out, Mamas Unuct previously reported. According to People, Alec and Hilaria were reportedly “prepared for all outcomes, but nothing can quite prepare you for this,” the source says. “They are really leaning on each other and trying to keep their focus on the kids.”
“Hilaria has been Alec’s rock throughout all of this, and to see him so distraught is heartbreaking for her,” the source told People, adding Hilaria “is doing whatever she can to support him, and they’re doing their best to stay strong for the kids.”
As Mamas Uncut previously reported, actor Alec Baldwin and the weapons handler on the set of their unfinished film Rust have been criminally charged in the shooting death of 42-year-old Halyna Hutchins. Both Baldwin and the handler, Hannah Gutierrez Reed, are expected to be issued charges of involuntary manslaughter.
In a statement issued by Alec’s lawyer, Luke Nikas responded to the decision to file criminal charges against Baldwin, saying, “this decision distorts Halyna Hutchins’ tragic death and represents a terrible miscarriage of justice. 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,” the attorney added.
The film’s assistant director David Halls has reportedly already pleaded guilty to charges of the negligent use of a deadly weapon, The Wall Street Journal reports. Halls was the person who handed Baldwin the gun on the set and deemed it “cold.”
Alec Baldwin Criminal Charged Almost Two Years After Gun He Was Holding Killed Halyna Hutchins
According to The Wall Street Journal, in New Mexico, where the shooting took place, involuntary manslaughter carries a maximum sentence of 18 months in prison.
As Mamas Uncut previously reported, Hutchins, the director, Joel Souza, and Baldwin were marking a scene and going over the way Alec would remove the gun from his holster when the gun somehow discharged. The bullet struck Hutchins in the chest, killing her and injuring Souza.
In his past interviews, Baldwin has been adamant that he never pulled the trigger when removing the firearm from his holster, but did say he pulled back the hammer of the gun and released it. “I would never point a gun at anyone and pull the trigger at them, never,” Baldwin told ABC News in December 2021. “Someone put a live bullet in a gun, a bullet that wasn’t even supposed to be on the property.”
However, following an investigation by the FBI, its findings found that the gun was “intact and functional,” and “could not be made to fire without a pull of the trigger” unless the hammer of the revolver was “decocked on a loaded chamber.”
It was initially believed that the gun was “cold,” an industry term used to indicate that a gun does not have any live rounds in it.
The news that Baldwin will be charged with involuntary manslaughter comes just months after it was reported that the movie will continue filming.
As Mamas Uncut previously reported after settling the wrongful death lawsuit with Hutchins’ family, the movie will continue filming. The shoot for Rust was obviously put on hold while these matters at hand were sorted out.
CNN further reports that Huchins’ husband, Matthew Hutchins, will become an executive producer of the movie and will receive a portion of the profits the movie with potentially bring in.
“We have reached a settlement, subject to court approval, for our wrongful death case against the producers of Rust, including Alec Baldwin and Rust Movie Productions, LLC. As part of that settlement, our case will be dismissed,” Matthew Hutchins said in his statement obtained by CNN.
“The filming of Rust, which I will now executive produce, will resume with all the original principal players on board in January 2023. I have no interest in engaging in recriminations or attribution of blame (to the producers or Mr. Baldwin). All of us believe Halyna’s death was a terrible accident. I am grateful that the producers and the entertainment community have come together to pay tribute to Halyna’s final work.”
Baldwin has yet to issue a statement regarding the criminal charges against him.
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