A New Mexico judge cleared the way Friday for a criminal trial to proceed against actor Alex Baldwin for his role in the fatal accidental shooting of a cinematographer on the “Rust” movie set. The ruling by New Mexico First Judicial District Court Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer allows the trial to go forward as planned. Baldwin has pleaded not guilty to the felony count of involuntary manslaughter, and his trial is expected to begin in a Santa Fe courtroom with jury selection on July 9.
The Times has reached out to Baldwin’s camp for comment. The decision comes after months of legal wrangling between Baldwin’s high-powered legal team and special prosecutors over whether the actor-producer’s prop gun was faulty. Prosecutors have tried to prove that Baldwin pulled the trigger in the 2021 tragedy, killing Halyna Hutchins , who was standing less than four feet away.
Baldwin told investigators the gun just “went off.” His attorneys have asked that Baldwin’s indictment be dismissed, citing mistakes by investigators. Prosecutors revealed that a “Rust” crew member would testify that he saw Baldwin pull the trigger that day.
And they have offered other evidence they allege shows that Baldwin acted recklessly throughout filming of the low-budget western movie near Santa Fe and that he had a duty, as a producer, to make sure the film set was safe. During filming of the low-budget western, Baldwin, Hutchins and the film’s director, Joel Souza, and about a dozen other cre.
