New Mexico prosecutors have downgraded the felony involuntary manslaughter charges against Alec Baldwin on Tuesday in connection to the fatal shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of the film Rust in 2021.
“If any one of these three people—Alec Baldwin, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed or David Halls—had done their job, Halyna Hutchins would be alive today. It’s that simple,” Andrea Reeb, the special prosecutor appointed by the DA to the case, added. “The evidence clearly shows a pattern of criminal disregard for safety on thefilm set. In New Mexico, there is no room for film sets that don’t take our state’s commitment to gun safety and public safety seriously.
According to the District Attorney’s Office, both Baldwin and Gutierrez-Reed were “‘charged in the alternative’ with the two counts of manslaughter, meaning that a jury would decide not simply if they were guilty, but under which definition of involuntary manslaughter they were guilty.” If found guilty of just involuntary manslaughter, a fourth-degree felony, both would have faced up to 18 months in prison.
Heather Brewer, a representative for the district attorney, said it had downgraded the charges to “avoid further litigious distractions by Mr. Baldwin and his attorneys.”on Oct. 21, 2021. The incident occurred when Baldwin inadvertently discharged a prop gun that had been loaded with a live round, believing the prop had been “cold.” There have been numerous investigations into the incident by various government agencies, from the Santa Fe Sheriff’s Office to the FBI.
The New Mexico First Judicial District Attorney’s Office had also been conducting its own investigations, with recent actions suggesting it was gearing up to file charges. Back on Sept. 23,reported that the state Board of Finance had awarded the DA’s office over $317,000 to prosecute people connected to the shooting.
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