Good news for the actor, accused of a crime of accidental manslaughter for killing the film’s cinematographer Rust during a trial. defense of Alec Baldwin It was very aggressive and has paid off: the Mexican Prosecutor’s Office (where the events took place) has withdrawn the charges against the actor.
One more victory for the team, which has already gotten an aggravated gun charge dropped, lessening the chance Baldwin could go to jail if convicted. “We are pleased with the decision to drop the charges against Alec Baldwin and urge a fair investigation into the facts and circumstances of the tragic accident,” the lawyers said on NBC.
The events took place a year and a half ago in Santa Fe, where they were filming the western Rust. After a break they resumed rehearsals and Baldwin shot the cinematographer, Halyna Hutchins, who passed away shortly after arriving at the hospital. The Prosecutor’s Office filed charges against Baldwin and the film’s weapons manager, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed. He always declared himself “not guilty”, as he claimed that he did not touch the trigger, although the FBI investigation proved otherwise.
But this is not the first nor the only victory for Baldwin’s legal team: a few weeks ago they obtained the resignation of the prosecutor in the case, Andrea Reeb, who was also a Republican congresswoman in the New Mexico House of Representatives, something that, according to the lawyers, was incompatible with leading the prosecution. Reeb claimed that Baldwin maintained a “reckless and dangerous” attitude throughout filming and that he did not follow “basic safety measures.” He also noted that the interpreter committed “at least a dozen omissions or oversights, not counting the reckless use of the weapon.” The prosecution is now led by two local attorneys, Kari Morrisey and Jason Lewis.
The team of Rust has announced that filming has resumed this Thursday, this time at the Yellowstone ranch, in the State of Montana. Baldwin continues as lead and producer, while Hutchins’ widower joins as executive producer and will pocket any revenue the film makes when it opens. The responsible company has already paid a $100,000 fine for serious violations of workplace safety measures.