Alec Baldwin To Appear In Court On 'Rust' Charges This Month

Actor Alec Baldwin and "Rust" armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed are each facing two counts of involuntary manslaughter charges in the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins.

Hutchins was killed on the set of the Western film in October 2021. The police investigation wrapped up the following year and the Santa Fe District Attorney formally filed charges against both individuals on Tuesday, January 31.

According to ABC affiliate KOAT, Alec Baldwin, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, and first assistant director Dave Halls, who pleaded guilty to the charge of the negligent use of a deadly weapon, are all due in court later this month.

On Friday, February 24, the first set of court hearings for the three defendants have been scheduled in First Judicial District Court in Santa Fe with District Court Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer presiding.

The Administrative Office of the Courts has said that there is no need for them to appear in person and they will appear remotely through an online platform.

A plea conference has also been scheduled for first assistant director David Halls on March 8. Lawyers for both Baldwin and Gutierrez-Reed have expressed intent to fight the charges.

Both the "30 Rock" actor and “Rust” armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed are facing two counts of involuntary manslaughter. The first charge carries a maximum eighteen-month prison sentence along with a five thousand dollar fine.

The second charge carries an additional firearm enhancement, which could result in a mandatory five-year prison stay if convicted.

Shortly after the charges were first announced, Luke Nikas, a lawyer for Alec Baldwin, issued a statement, 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,” Nikas continued. “We will fight these charges, and we will win.”

Hannah Gutierrez-Reed's lawyer, Jason Bowles, has also released a statement, saying, “Hannah is, and has always been, very emotional and sad about this tragic accident. But she did not commit involuntary manslaughter.”

“These charges are the result of a very flawed investigation, and an inaccurate understanding of the full facts,” Bowles added. “We intend to bring the full truth to light and believe Hannah will be exonerated of wrongdoing by a jury.”

In Tuesday’s court filing, provided by Deadline, the Santa Fe District Attorney believed that Baldwin acted in "a negligent manner," which led to the charges against him.

The document claims that the gun that Baldwin was holding on set had not been properly inspected, which led to the fatal shooting. They also maintain that safety issues on the "Rust" set had not been addressed, claimed that Baldwin did not take required safety training, and directly pointed a gun at someone on set, which they maintain should never have occurred.

The filing states that “On the day of the shooting alone, evidence shows that no less than a dozen acts, or omissions of recklessness, occurred in the short time prior to lunch and the time of the shooting, and this does not include the reckless handling of the firearm by Baldwin."

The court documents go on to say that “Baldwin, by act or omission or failure to act in his position as a producer directly contributed and/or failed to mitigate numerous reckless and dangerous actions during a very short time period.”

“Finally, industry standards, protocols, and common firearm safety procedures on movie sets require the armorer, after conducting a safety check with the 1st assistant director, to conduct a second safety check with the actor to be handling the firearm,” the court documents say. “This reckless violation of standards and firearm safety occurred two (2) times leading up to the shooting, and Baldwin failed to act to mitigate or correct the reckless safety violations, neither in his capacity as actor nor producer.”

Paperwork from Special Investigator Robert Shilling of the Santa Fe D.A.’s office notes says that “Baldwin acted with reckless disregard and/or more than mere negligence in this incident. Baldwin acted with willful disregard of the safety of others and in a manner that endangered other people and he clearly should have known the danger of his actions which led to the death of Hutchins. Furthermore, Baldwin handled the weapon in a negligent manner.”