Opening statements will get underway today in Alec Baldwin’s high-profile trial over the fatal shooting on the set of the movie Rust.
It’s been almost three years since a rehearsal of a shooting scene in the western film ended tragically, when a prop gun Baldwin was holding went off, killing cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and injuring director Joel Souza.
Baldwin, 66, has insisted that he didn’t pull the trigger on the firearm and didn’t know it contained a live round, claiming it fired accidentally.
He is charged with a single felony count of involuntary manslaughter over the October 2021 incident and faces up to 18 months in prison if convicted.
On Tuesday, a jury of 12 people was seated to decide the Hollywood actor’s fate.
Baldwin arrived at the Sante Fe courthouse flanked by his wife Hilaria – who brought the couple’s baby along – and brother Stephen.
The high-profile trial comes three months after the movie’s armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed was convicted of involuntary manslaughter in April and sentenced to the maximum penalty of 18 months in prison.
Key points
- Jury selection begins today in Alec Baldwin’s trial
- What is Alec Baldwin charged with?
- How much jail time could Alec Baldwin face if convicted?
- What happened to Halyna Hutchins?
- A look inside of Alec Baldwin’s new upcoming reality series
Alec Baldwin endorses Sheldon Whitehouse for VP
Wednesday 10 July 2024 00:00
Andrea Cavallier
Alec Baldwin endorsed Democratic Senator for Rhode Island Sheldon Whitehouse as vice president in an Instagram post the day of jury selection in his involuntary manslaughter trial.
Whitehouse, who has served as the junior United States senator from Rhode Island since 2007, has not announced intent to run for vice president in the 2024 election.
Stephen Baldwin spotted at brother’s involuntary manslaughter trial
Tuesday 9 July 2024 23:00
Andrea Cavallier
Veteran armorer turned down ‘Rust’ job over ‘red flags’
Tuesday 9 July 2024 22:15
Andrea Cavallier
In an exclusive interview with NewsNation’s guest host Brian Entin on Banfield | NewsNation this week, Hollywood prop master Neal Zoromski said he was set to work on the Alec Baldwin film “Rust” but backed out after noticing some budgetary red flags.
On that movie set, Baldwin ended up firing a prop gun filled with real bullets, killing the film’s cinematographer.
He now faces trial.
See the juror questionnaire
Tuesday 9 July 2024 21:47
Andrea Cavallier
What to know about Alec Baldwin’s trial
Tuesday 9 July 2024 21:15
Andrea Cavallier
Nearly three years after cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was shot and killed on the New Mexico set of the film “Rust,” Alec Baldwin is going on trial over her death.
Jury selection is underway today and opening arguments are expected to begin Wednesday.
Here are the essential things to know:
A look at Alec Baldwin’s career
Tuesday 9 July 2024 20:45
Andrea Cavallier
Before the horrific 2021 shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of “Rust” put Alec Baldwin’s career in question, he took on, and sent up, a wide spectrum of variations of masculinity.
He has shifted from playing heroes to scoundrels to thugs to gentle father figures to office alpha males to a “ Boss Baby.” He went from star leading man to bit player to scene stealer, at times going years without a major role in a hit film or show.
But he has remained a household name for nearly 35 years, largely on the strength of his real-life personality: as an outspoken liberal, occasional hothead, talk-show guest, podcast host, game show host, and the king of all “Saturday Night Live” hosts.
Here’s a look at Baldwin's career in and out of Hollywood:
Who is Alec Baldwin?
Tuesday 9 July 2024 20:15
Andrea Cavallier
Baldwin, 66, emerged as a major movie star in the late 1980s and early ‘90s through films like “Beetlejuice” and “The Hunt for Red October,” and has remained a household name ever since.
He would move on to memorable supporting roles in films including 2003’s “The Cooler,” which got him an Oscar nomination. Comedy dominated his later career as he won two Emmys for playing network executive Jack Donaghy on six seasons of “30 Rock,” and won a third for playing Donald Trump on “Saturday Night Live.”
He has also played the role of outsized public personality, as a cherished talk-show guest, a sought-after liberal, and at times as a man unable to control his outbursts of anger, which have brought public embarrassment and a previous run-in with the law much more minor than the current one.
Baldwin is the eldest of six children — five of them actors — from Massapequa, New York, who has lived in New York City for most of his adult life.
He has an adult daughter, Ireland Baldwin, with his first wife Kim Basinger, and seven small children with his second wife, Hilaria Baldwin.
How much jail time could Alec Baldwin face if convicted?
Tuesday 9 July 2024 19:45
Andrea Cavallier
A New Mexico jury will decide whether the actor is guilty of involuntary manslaughter in the shooting death of Halyna Hutchins.
The involuntary manslaughter charge is a fourth-degree felony.
If found guilty, Baldwin could receive a sentence of up to 18 months in prison and a $5,000 fine.
PHOTOS: Alec Baldwin and wife Hilaria arrive at courthouse with baby in tow
Tuesday 9 July 2024 19:15
Andrea Cavallier
Why jury selection for the Alec Baldwin may go faster than other celebrity trials
Tuesday 9 July 2024 18:45
Andrea Cavallier
Jury selection can take a number of weeks for high-profile trials as lawyers attempt to find jurors who are not biased.
But according to local news outlet KCCI, this may not be the case.
In New Mexico, where the trial is being held, residents selected for jury duty receive an online questionnaire that lists all the cases a juror could serve on, KCCI reported.
On Tuesday, there were 78 potential jurors being questioned as a group. Only 12 jurors, plus alternates, will be selected.
They are expected to be selected by the time opening statements begin on Tuesday.
What to know about the prison sentence for a movie armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed
Tuesday 9 July 2024 18:15
Andrea Cavallier
Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, a movie weapons armorer, received the maximum sentence of 18 months in jail for involuntary manslaughter in the fatal shooting of a cinematographer by Alec Baldwin on a Western movie set.
A New Mexico judge found that Gutierrez-Reed’s recklessness amounted to a serious violent offense, while noting few indications of genuine remorse from the defendant since her conviction in March.
Prosecutors blame Gutierrez-Reed for unwittingly bringing live ammunition onto the set of “Rust,” where it was expressly prohibited, and for failing to follow basic gun-safety protocols .
Attention is now on Baldwin’s trial on a charge of involuntary manslaughter in the October 2021 death of Halyna Hutchins at a movie ranch on the outskirts of Santa Fe.
Watch live: Alec Baldwin ‘Rust’ trial is underway
Tuesday 9 July 2024 17:45
Andrea Cavallier
Watch live as Hollywood actor Alec Baldwin goes on trial today over the fatal shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of the movie Rust.
A look inside of Alec Baldwin’s new upcoming reality series: ‘The Baldwins’
Tuesday 9 July 2024 17:20
Andrea Cavallier
Alec Baldwin and his wife Hilaria Baldwin will be giving fans a glimpse into their chaotic home in an upcoming reality series, The Baldwins.
On Tuesday, June 4, the 66-year-old 30 Rock actor and his yoga instructor wife announced their upcoming show for TLC in an Instagram video. In the clip, Alec and Hilaria began by introducing themselves and cracking a joke about their large brood of seven children.
While many fans were excited about the upcoming reality show, some Instagram users couldn’t help but wonder where Hilaria’s former Spanish accent had gone.
“Where did her accent go? And now she has like a little girl voice. I’m so confused,” one person asked, pointing out Hilaria’s seemingly American accent in the clip.
“If she pretends to be Hispanic, I’m boycotting,” another person wrote, while someone else said: “You mean Hillary.... Right?”
Read more:
How long is the Alec Baldwin trial expected to last?
Tuesday 9 July 2024 15:20
Andrea Cavallier
The trial at the First Judicial District Court of New Mexico — about 20 miles northeast of the movie set and the shooting — is projected to last nine days, and Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer insists that she’ll keep the lawyers in line and on schedule.
Jury selection begins Tuesday, with opening statements expected Wednesday, and the projected end the following Friday.
Once the jurors get the case, however, they can deliberate as long as needed.
Alec Baldwin arrives at courthouse
Tuesday 9 July 2024 15:17
Andrea Cavallier
The Hollywood star has arrived at the courthouse in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
Jury selection in his trial is expected to begin today.
Long line of spectators and media at courthouse
Tuesday 9 July 2024 15:10
Andrea Cavallier
As Alec Baldwin heads to trial, here’s who’s who in the case
Tuesday 9 July 2024 14:40
Andrea Cavallier
A dozen people were inside a movie set church the day Alec Baldwin shot and killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and wounded director Joel Souza during a rehearsal for the Western film Rust.
Some of those who were inside the church that fateful day in 2021 are expected to testify.
Here’s a look at the key players in the criminal trial of an actor who has been a TV and movie mainstay for decades:
What happened to Halyna Hutchins?
Tuesday 9 July 2024 13:40
Rachel Sharp
On the day of the shooting, Baldwin was rehearsing a scene in which he was required to draw his weapon and aim it toward the camera.
Ms Gutierrez-Reed had prepared a trio of guns for use in the scene, including two guns that could not fire rounds, and a fully-operational replica of a Colt 45 revolver.
The armourer reportedly checked the weapons before placing them on a cart and making them available to Baldwin, according to court documents.
While discussing the scene, Baldwin was showing Hutchins, camera operator Reid Russell, and the film’s director, Joel Souza, how he intended to draw the firearm.
“So, I guess I’m gonna take this out, pull it, and go, ‘Bang!’” Baldwin reportedly said, according to a report by the LA Times.
At some point during his draw and explanation, the revolver fired. The bullet struck Hutchins in the chest, exited her body, and then hit Mr Souza, who was behind her.
First responders transported Hutchins to a hospital in Albuquerque, New Mexico, close to where the film was being shot. She was pronounced dead later that same day. Mr Souza survived.
It was later discovered that a live round had been loaded into the pistol Baldwin used on set that day.
WATCH: Moment Alec Baldwin hears of Halyna Hutchins' death in police interview after Rust shooting
Tuesday 9 July 2024 13:21
Rachel Sharp
Meet the judge presiding over Hollywood star’s case
Tuesday 9 July 2024 12:47
Rachel Sharp
Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer is presiding over the Hollywood star’s high-profile case.
Her decades-long career has included work as a law clerk, a defense attorney and a hearing officer who handled thousands of cases involving domestic violence and family matters.
In 2010, Marlowe Sommer was appointed to the First Judicial District Court by then-New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson.
When sentencing Gutierrez-Reed in April, the judge told the defendant that anything less than the maximum sentence would not be appropriate, citing what she called recklessness.
If Gutierrez-Reed’s trial is any indication, Marlowe Sommer will keep the attorneys on track and on schedule in what will be a high-profile proceeding.
Rust armorer convicted of manslaughter in April
Tuesday 9 July 2024 12:20
Rachel Sharp
Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, the stepdaughter of renowned sharpshooter and weapons consultant Thell Reed, Gutierrez-Reed was 24 at the time of the deadly rehearsal.
Rust was her second assignment as an armorer in a feature film. Her attorneys argued that she was scapegoated, pointing to safety concerns that went beyond their client.
She was sentenced to 18 months in prison on an involuntary manslaughter conviction, which she’s appealing.
At sentencing, Gutierrez-Reed said she had tried to do her best on the set despite not having “proper time, resources and staffing.”
WATCH: Police bodycam shows Alec Baldwin moments after Rust shooting
Tuesday 9 July 2024 11:45
Rachel Sharp
Alec Baldwin in New Mexico court one day before trial over deadly Rust set shooting is ready to begin
Tuesday 9 July 2024 11:25
Rachel Sharp
Alec Baldwin sat stoney-faced in court on Monday as he prepares to face trial over the fatal shooting of Halyna Hutchins on the set of the Rust movie.
The Hollywood star is charged with a single felony count of involuntary manslaughter over the incident in New Mexico in October 2021, which left the young cinematographer dead.
Jury selection in the case is expected to begin on Tuesday, though Baldwin was present for a pretrial hearing on Monday with his lead attorneys Luke Nikas and Alex Spiro.
He appeared to listen intently to proceedings, taking occasional notes on a yellow legal pad and handing written messages to his attorney. Baldwin wore glasses and close-cropped hair.
Read the full story here:
What is Alec Baldwin charged with?
Tuesday 9 July 2024 11:04
Rachel Sharp
Alec Baldwin is charged with a single felony count of involuntary manslaughter over the October 2021 shooting death of Halyna Hutchins.
Baldwin has pleaded not guilty and claims the gun fired accidentally after he followed instructions to point it toward Hutchins, who was behind the camera.
Unaware the gun contained a live round, Baldwin said he pulled back the hammer — not the trigger — and it fired.
He faces up to 18 months in prison if convicted.
Jury selection begins today in Alec Baldwin’s trial
Tuesday 9 July 2024 11:02
Rachel Sharp
Hollywood star Alec Baldwin will go on trial today over the deadly shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of the movie Rust.
Jury selection will now get under way in Santa Fe, New Mexico, on Tuesday morning.
Opening statements are then expected to take place on Wednesday.
Welcome to The Independent’s live blog
Tuesday 9 July 2024 11:01
Rachel Sharp
Follow along for live updates as Hollywood star Alec Baldwin goes on trial today over the deadly shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of the Rust movie