Alec Baldwin pleads not guilty to involuntary manslaughter in ‘Rust’ shooting
January 31, 2024, 4:15 PM
Alec Baldwin has pleaded not guilty to involuntary manslaughter in the fatal shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the New Mexico set of "Rust."
The actor entered the plea in a court document filed Wednesday, waiving his arraignment, which had been scheduled to occur virtually on Thursday.
Under the terms of his release, the actor is ordered to not possess firearms, among other conditions, court filings show.
A grand jury indicted the 65-year-old actor on involuntary manslaughter in January, a fourth-degree felony that carries a sentence of up to 18 months in prison if convicted.
In response to last month's indictment, Baldwin's attorneys, Luke Nikas and Alex Spiro of Quinn Emanuel, said, "We look forward to our day in court."
This is the second time Baldwin has been charged with involuntary manslaughter in the deadly on-set shooting.
Santa Fe District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies previously charged Baldwin in January 2023. He had pleaded not guilty in a court filing.
After Carmack-Altwies stepped down from the case, newly appointed special prosecutors investigating the "Rust" shooting dropped their case against the actor in April 2023 -- less than two weeks before a scheduled preliminary hearing -- while noting their investigation remained "active and ongoing."
The special prosecutors said in October 2023 that they believed Baldwin had "criminal culpability" in the deadly shooting and that they planned to present the case to the grand jury to determine whether probable cause existed to charge him.
The actor was practicing a cross-draw on the Santa Fe set in October 2021 when the gun fired, fatally striking Hutchins, 42. Director Joel Souza also suffered a non-life-threatening injury.
"Rust" armorer Hannah Gutierrez was also charged with involuntary manslaughter in connection with the shooting. She has pleaded not guilty.
Jury selection in her trial is scheduled to begin on Feb. 21 in Santa Fe County. The trial is expected to start on Feb. 22 and last two weeks.
Her attorneys have previously said they expect a jury will find her not guilty. They said she "pleaded to provide more firearms training" on the set but was "denied and brushed aside."
