Prosecutors want the armourer from the ill-fated production of Rust to be forced to testify at actor Alec Baldwin’s upcoming trial. Baldwin, 68, has been charged with involuntary manslaughter after the prop gun he was holding discharged and killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of the western film in October 2021, and the court has been asked to order Hannah Gutierrez-Reed - who is serving an 18-month jail sentence after being convicted of the same charge in March - to give evidence. The weapons expert, who has appealed her conviction, appeared on recent witness lists submitted to the court by Baldwin’s team ahead of his trial next month.
A motion filed by special prosecutors Kari T Morrissey and Erlinda Johnson and obtained by People magazine stated: “Presumably defendant Baldwin named Gutierrez as a witness so his counsel can obtain potentially exculpatory information.” However, during a pre-trial interview on May 14, Gutierrez-Reed “asserted her Fifth Amendment privilege to all substantive questions”. The Fifth Amendment to the US Constitution allows a person to exercise their right to remain silent and not incriminate themselves.
As a result, the special prosecutors are asking the court to grant “use immunity”, which would mean whatever Gutierrez-Reed said during the trial couldn’t be used against her during her own appeal. They warned: “[If Gutierrez-Reed] is not granted use immunity the defendant will likely attempt to have her previous s.