Prosecuted for manslaughter, Alec Baldwin formally pleaded not guilty on Wednesday January 31 before the American courts more than two years after the fatal shooting which cost the life of the director of photography of his western, “Rust”.
The 65-year-old actor was expected in court Thursday for a preliminary hearing, but his defense waived his right to appear and sent a document saying he is pleading not guilty. The actor, who faces up to 18 months in prison, denies pulling the trigger and has always maintained that he was assured that his weapon was harmless.
The case dates back to October 2021. The filming of “Rust” turned into a drama on a ranch in New Mexico (southwest of the United States), when Alec Baldwin pointed a weapon supposed to contain only bullets. white, but in which a very real projectile had killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and injured director Joel Souza.
Suspicions of amateurism
This rare news item shocked Hollywood and provoked calls to ban firearms on sets. But it also provoked suspicions of amateurism around this low-budget production: certain Hollywood actors recalled that the management of firearms on a set was already subject to strict rules.
“Rust” star Alec Baldwin also served as a producer on the film. But he is only being pursued as an actor. His defense is calling for a speedy trial to "minimize the risks of suspicion and slander" against him, in this case marked by multiple twists and turns and weaknesses on the prosecution's side.
The prosecution dropped the charges against the actor in April, citing “new elements” of investigation. The Los Angeles Times explained this change of heart by revealing that the gun would have been modified before its delivery to the film crew, thus increasing the chances of an accidental shooting occurring.
Judicial twists and turns
But prosecutors warned that the investigation was continuing and that the actor was not exonerated. He was charged again in mid-January after a new twist. According to Variety magazine, a new assessment of the weapon in question, carried out this summer, concluded that it could only have been triggered by pressing the trigger.
Broken during tests carried out by the FBI during the initial investigation, this replica of a vintage pistol is at the center of all questions: the whole question is whether it could have triggered itself.
The actors' union SAG-AFTRA recently criticized the prosecution of Alec Baldwin, which it said was based on "an incorrect assessment of an actor's actual duties." “An actor’s job is not to be an expert on weapons or firearms,” the organization recalled in a statement. “Firearms are furnished for use on set under the direction of several expert professionals directly responsible for the safe and accurate use of that firearm.”
The gunsmith on trial in February
The film's gunsmith, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, is also charged with manslaughter in the case and her trial is scheduled to begin February 21. During the initial investigation, the police concluded that it was she who had put the ammunition in the weapon used by Alec Baldwin, instead of a dummy bullet. The investigation never determined how live ammunition could have ended up on set, where only blank bullets are allowed.
Last March, the film's first assistant director, Dave Halls, received a six-month suspended prison sentence, after agreeing to plead guilty. He had handed the gun at the heart of the drama to Alec Balwin, assuring him that it was not dangerous.
Filming on "Rust" has since resumed and been completed in Montana, with Halyna Hutchins' widower, Matthew, serving as executive producer. At the end of 2022, he abandoned the civil proceedings he had initiated against Alec Baldwin at the end of an agreement the amount of which was not disclosed. At the time, he attributed his wife's death to "a terrible accident."
With AFP
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