Crime Charges dropped against Alec Baldwin in fatal 'Rust' shooting: Sources - Liberal privilege is real

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Charges against Alec Baldwin have been dropped in the fatal on-set "Rust" shooting, according to sources familiar with the matter.

Baldwin, 65, had been charged with two counts of involuntary manslaughter after fatally shooting cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, 42, on the New Mexico set of the Western in October 2021. The actor was practicing a cross-draw when the gun fired, striking the cinematographer and director Joel Souza, who suffered a non-life-threatening injury.

"We are pleased with the decision to dismiss the case against Alec Baldwin and we encourage a proper investigation into the facts and circumstances of this tragic accident," Luke Nikas and Alex Spiro, the attorneys for Baldwin, said in a statement.

Baldwin's next court appearance in the case had been set for May 3. Baldwin already waived his right to appear at the preliminary hearing. He had pleaded not guilty to the charges in a court filing.
The film's armorer, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, was also charged with two counts of involuntary manslaughter over Hutchins' death.

Gun enhancement charges filed in the case against both Baldwin and Gutierrez-Reed were dropped in late February.

Gutierrez-Reed has been scheduled to appear at a preliminary hearing on May 3. Her attorney has said she intends to plead not guilty and has said she has no idea how live rounds ended up in the gun.

David Halls, the first assistant director for the film, was sentenced last month to six months unsupervised probation as part of a plea deal. Halls, who handed the Colt .45 revolver to Baldwin prior to the shooting, was charged with negligent use of a deadly weapon.

His hearing came days after Santa Fe District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies announced she was stepping away from prosecuting the case. The move followed state Rep. Andrea Reeb also stepping down as special prosecutor in the case.

In their place, the district attorney appointed Kari Morrissey and Jason Lewis to serve as special prosecutors.

"Rust," which had been on hiatus since the deadly on-set shooting, resumed principal photography at Yellowstone Film Ranch in Montana on Thursday, a spokesperson for Rust Movie Productions said. The production returned with the original producers and principal cast, including Baldwin.

 

[Super Guido]

I wonder what defense they used to get this dude off the hook? Are these lawyers on the same level as Johnny Cochran or something?

 

[Pelican Bones]

Lol

Literally just a different set of rules for some.

 

[HodgePodgeRogerDodger]

No settlement?

You think Baldwin jerks off to the fact that he’s effectively gotten away with murder publicly?

 

[WhatInTheActualFuck]

No settlement?

You think Baldwin jerks off to the fact that he’s effectively gotten away with murder publicly?

He does now.

 

[Daddy's Little Kitten]

Rules for thee, but not for me. When's California sinking?

 

[Schwarzwald]

Hopefully they bring the production intern college student who was solely responsible to justice and then tack on several years to his sentence for dragging Mr. Baldwin's good name though the mud.

 

[Illumithotty]

I didn't quite have the frothing glee to see some retard like Baldwin do hard time, but I figured there'd be the manslaughter charges, pleas, etc. Various shenanigans to knock it down to community service and suspended sentence to recognize that while this was a catastrophic series of errors, that even the rich and powerful are accountable to some fashion. That this would be something that'd hang over his conscience the rest of his days and that he'd be the poster boy for set safety.

Nope! This motherfucker is a murderer, in his soul if not in the eyes of the law. The craven deals and wheedling needed to get off completely and with a minimum of official scrutiny shows that his diseased heart is as black as it gets. Alec Baldwin is a murderous sociopath worse than the foulest junky; they kill out of desperation, but Alec Baldwin killed out of depraved indifference to human life.

 

[winterfag]

The actor was practicing a cross-draw when the gun fired, striking the cinematographer and director Joel Souza, who suffered a non-life-threatening injury.

This is my first time hearing that the director was also injured, it's funny that this incident was covered so much but that detail was barely ever touched on (if at all)

 

[(((Obar Lazcano Kamz)))]

I hope alec baldwin realizes how good he has it, cause goddamn hes lucky.

 

[duckbutter&toejamsandwich]

Rules for thee, but not for me. When's California sinking?

It wasn't in California, it was in New Mexico. New Mexico is a very corrupt and extremely poor state. One of the few industries they have is film making. No doubt there were threats that they would stop filming in the state if Baldwin was prosecuted.

 

[The Last Stand]

I hope alec baldwin realizes how good he has it, cause goddamn hes lucky.

He's a celebrity. Enough said.

 

[JosephStalin]

What goes around comes around. Always does. Baldwin can laugh now but justice gets done in the end.

 

[Tasty Tatty]

The production returned with the original producers and principal cast, including Baldwin.

"Death? What death?"

 

[The Dude]

Fuck this fat elitist piece of shit.

 

[Gravityqueen4life]

God, i hate being right.

 

[The Carpet Crawler]

Rich guy with connection walks free.

It's bullshit, but it's reality. Fuck this dude!

 

[Safir]

This is my first time hearing that the director was also injured, it's funny that this incident was covered so much but that detail was barely ever touched on (if at all)

I don't know wtf you were reading, that was always in the open from the very first reports.

As coverups go, I only found out this week the armorer was an incompetent dangerhair whore who expected to get paid for nothing and already nearly got someone else murdered at another movie set.

 

[Testacles Maximus]

Good for him I guess but I still think he’s an asshole.

 

[PhoBingas]

Hold up though. Maybe I'm missing something here, but shouldn't it have been the armorer who was catching charges? Its not like Baldwin was responsible for the making sure the guns were loaded with blanks and not actual bullets. Somebody correct me if I'm wrong though.