Alec Baldwin, the actor best known for his roles in the TV series 30 Rock and the movie The Departed, is facing the possibility of five years in prison for his involvement in the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of Rust.
The New Mexico District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies announced on Thursday that Baldwin was charged with two counts of involuntary manslaughter, one of which carries a maximum sentence of 18 months in prison, and the other which carries a five-year sentence due to a firearm enhancement. The movie’s armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, who loaded the prop gun that Baldwin shot, faces the same charges.
Baldwin and Gutierrez-Reed have both denied responsibility for the death of Hutchins and have vowed to fight the charges. Baldwin’s lawyer Luke Nikas said that the actor had no reason to believe there was a live bullet in the gun and that he had relied on the professionals with whom he worked, who assured him the gun did not have live rounds.
Gutierrez-Reed’s lawyer Jason Bowles also stated that his client did not commit involuntary manslaughter and that the DA’s investigation into the shooting was flawed.
Los Angeles criminal law defense attorney Lou Shapiro believes that Baldwin could come out on top due to the fact that he had already settled a civil suit over the shooting with Hutchins’ family in October.
He also believes that Baldwin wouldn’t have been charged if he was just an actor, as being a producer of a set imputes a certain amount of responsibility as to what happens on the set.
Baldwin’s defense is likely to say that he hired experts to ensure the set was safe, and that it was the experts who were responsible for the death of Hutchins. Whether this defense will be enough to keep Baldwin out of prison remains to be seen. The actor’s fate will likely be decided in the upcoming trial.
