Alec Baldwin Gets 'Rust' Trial Date
Baldwin's manslaughter trial will begin on July 9, in New Mexico.
Alec Baldwin is set to go to court over the fatal Rust film set shooting, and a trial date has now been locked in. According to TMZ, proceedings will get underway on Baldwin's manslaughter trial in New Mexico on July 9. The formal trial kicks off the next day on July 10 and lasts for nine days — until July 19 — with deliberations following.
In October 2021, cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was killed after a prop gun that Baldwin was holding discharged. The gun was initially not believed to be loaded with live rounds. Director Joel Souza was non-fatally injured during the incident. In January 2023, it was announced that both Baldwin and the film's armorer, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, would be charged with involuntary manslaughter.
The initial charges against Baldwin were later dropped, while Gutierrez-Reed is set to go to trial in February on two charges: involuntary manslaughter and tampering with evidence. She is alleged to have accidentally loaded a live round into the prop gun, but it is unclear how live rounds became mixed up with the blank rounds.
In January 2024, it was announced that Baldwin was again indicted in the tragic shooting. If convicted, Baldwin could face up to 18 months in prison. In a statement, Baldwin's attorneys, Luke Nikas and Alex Spiro, said, "We look forward to our day in court."
Baldwin has maintained that he didn't pull the trigger, however, a firearms report from August — which was prepared by a forensic firearms examiner in Arizona — refutes his claim. According to ET, attorneys for Gutierrez-Reed filed the report as part of a motion.
"Although Alec Baldwin repeatedly denies pulling the trigger, given the tests, findings and observations reported here, the trigger had to be pulled or depressed sufficiently to release the fully cocked or retracted hammer of the evidence revolver," the firearms report states. Prosecutors stated at the time that if it was determined the gun was in proper working order then they could refile charges against Baldwin, which they have done.
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