Handed over to the special prosecutor’s grand jury, which decided to defer indictment.
Decision to indict on manslaughter charges… Felony charges possible
Actor Alec Baldwin was indicted on charges of manslaughter on the 19th (local time) after firing a pistol and killing a cinematographer during a rehearsal for a 2021 film shoot in New Mexico.
The grand jury decided to indict after a special prosecutor, who received new analysis of the gun Baldwin fired, asked the Santa Fe grand jury this week to decide whether to indict him, without directly indicting him.
In response, Baldwin’s lawyer said he would fight in court.
At the closed-door grand jury hearing, two film crew members, including one who was present when the gun was fired and another who had taken safety measures the day before the incident, testified.
Baldwin, who was a producer and lead actor in the western film “Rust,” pointed a firearm at cinematographer Halina Hutchins during rehearsals on a set outside Santa Fe in October 2021, and the gun discharged, killing Hutchins and killing director Joel Souza. emerged.
Baldwin said he did not pull the trigger, but only passed the ball and the gun discharged.
The indictment puts Baldwin, who has been a famous actor for more than 40 years, at risk of imprisonment.
The charges against Baldwin will be decided by prosecutors, who could file charges of negligent use of a firearm or felonious assault with “complete disregard for the safety of others.”
In this case, in which film crews were included as plaintiffs, the court suspended the progress of several civil lawsuits for damages filed against Baldwin and the film producers as a special prosecutor requested a grand jury to decide whether to indict.
Gloria Alfred, an attorney for the mother and sister of the deceased cinematographer Hutchins, said the plaintiffs want a trial for Baldwin.
Previously, the special prosecutor ruled out filing manslaughter charges against Baldwin in April. The reason was that the gun, which had been fixed to prevent it from malfunctioning, malfunctioned and fired. However, he later decided to reconsider whether to file charges after receiving the results of a new analysis of the firearm.
The new analysis found that the gun’s trigger was either pulled or pressured, contrary to Baldwin’s claims that he did not pull the trigger.
Meanwhile, the trial of Hanna Gutierrez-Reed, a gun operator charged with manslaughter and destruction of evidence, begins on February 19. He has pleaded not guilty.
Assistant director and head of safety David Halls waived his appeal in March last year of being charged with negligent handling of a weapon and received a six-month suspended sentence in exchange for his cooperation with the investigation.
Matthew Hutchins, the late cinematographer’s husband, agreed to resume filming “Rust” in exchange for becoming an executive producer, and filming resumed in Montana last year.
[산타페=AP/뉴시스]
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.