A US judge has denied Alec Baldwin’s motion to dismiss an involuntary manslaughter charge related to a deadly shooting on the set of the film “Rust” in 2021. Cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, 42, was fatally shot during a rehearsal when Baldwin used a gun that discharged. Director Joel Souza was also injured.
Baldwin, who is set to stand trial in July, has maintained that he did not pull the trigger but only pulled back the hammer of the pistol. He argues that he is not responsible for Hutchins’ death because he was unaware the weapon contained live rounds and believed no live ammunition was supposed to be present on set.
In April, the film’s weapons handler, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, was sentenced to 18 months in prison and has since appealed her conviction. Baldwin, 66, was indicted in January after prosecutors presented new forensic evidence. He pleaded not guilty. Similar charges against him had been dropped the previous year, shortly before his trial was scheduled to begin.
Earlier this month, Baldwin’s attorneys filed to dismiss the case, accusing prosecutors of unethical behavior and procedural violations in securing the indictment. At a virtual hearing on May 17, his lawyers argued that the charges were at the fringes of criminal law and claimed prosecutors sought to “humble” Baldwin. However, Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer rejected the motion, ruling that the grand jury process was not biased against Baldwin. His lawyers expressed their readiness to proceed to trial.
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