Update January 31: Alec Baldwin has pleaded not guilty to charges of involuntary manslaughter, the day before his scheduled arraignment. According to People, Baldwin also waved his right to an arraignment and has been released on his personal recognizance. The court has allowed him to promote Rust during the trial, but he cannot discuss the incident with anyone who may be called to testify. If convicted, Baldwin faces up to 18 months in prison.
Original story follows.
A grand jury in Santa Fe indicted Alec Baldwin for involuntary manslaughter on January 19 in the case of Halyna Hutchins’s death on the set of Rust. Baldwin is accused of causing “the death of Halyna Hutchins by an act committed with the total disregard or indifference for the safety of others,†according to the indictment. The indictment also says, “The act was such that an ordinary person would anticipate that death might occur under the circumstances.†Director Joel Souza was also injured in the shooting.
The grand jury was convened following retesting on the gun’s trigger that prosecutors argued did need to be pulled to go off. Baldwin was originally relieved of all charges in April 2023 due to evidence claiming the gun’s trigger did not need to be pulled. Witnesses for the trial included Ross Addiego, a dolly operator who worked on the film who later sued Baldwin for anxiety and PTSD following the shooting, and Lane Luper, a camera assistant on Rust who quit the day prior to the shooting due to poor working conditions. Completely unrelated … anyone need a Hamptons mansion?