Alec Baldwin was in court in Santa Fe, New Mexico, on Tuesday as jury selection began in his involuntary manslaughter trial . The actor faces up to 18 months in prison for his role in the accidental shooting death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins . In October 2021, a prop gun Baldwin was holding while rehearsing a scene for the movie Rust misfired, striking and killing Hutchins.
Prosecutors allege that Baldwin disregarded gun safety protocols, leading to Hutchins’ death. Baldwin’s lawyers are expected to cast blame on the movie’s armorer, Hannah Gutierrez, arguing she was responsible for firearms safety on the set. Gutierrez was convicted of involuntary manslaughter earlier this year and is serving an 18-month sentence.
Baldwin’s eyes were downcast as he arrived with his lawyer, Alex Spiro, at the Steve Herrera Judicial Complex in downtown Santa Fe on July 9. Throngs of media and onlookers descended on the courthouse to catch a glimpse of the Oscar-nominated actor ahead of his criminal trial. Opening statements in Baldwin’s case should take place on July 10, after jury selection is completed.
The trial is expected to last nine days. Baldwin was also in court on July 8 for a pretrial hearing when Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer ruled that his role as Rust ’s co-producer was not relevant at the trial. Prosecutors had planned to emphasize that Baldwin had an obligation to ensure safety on set because of his producer title.
However, Sommer sided with the actor’s lawyers.
