Just over a week after a New Mexico grand jury indicted him for involuntary manslaughter, Alec Baldwin maintains his innocence by pleading not guilty to the charge.
The new charge came nearly two and a half years after Baldwin accidentally shot and killed Halyna Hutchins, the director of photography., about him Oxide set in New Mexico.
According Variety, the actor faces up to 18 months in prison if convicted of negligently shooting Hutchins. The charge also comes a year after prosecutors initially filed charges against him. Those charges were later dropped.
Alec Baldwin is scheduled to appear for a video arraignment via Google Meet on Thursday, February 1. However, he chose to waive the appearance.
Meanwhile, Baldwin is free without bail. However, under the terms of his release, he must not possess firearms or drink alcohol. Although he is not allowed to speak with witnesses involved in the case, he is allowed to have business conversations about the upcoming movie release.
The release terms also prohibit the actor from soliciting witnesses to participate in the film’s behind-the-scenes documentary.
Alec Baldwin maintains he didn’t pull the trigger
Variety also reports that, in addition to pleading not guilty, Alec Baldwin maintains that he did not pull the trigger. Additionally, he noted that he has been trained not to point a gun at anyone and shoot.
During the time of the accident, Baldwin was preparing for a scene in the Oxide when his gun, a Colt .45, was fired. Hutchins died after being hit by the bullet. The film’s director, Joe Souza, was also injured in the accident. Oxide Gunsmith Hannah Gutierrez-Reed will go on trial next month on charges of involuntary manslaughter and tampering with evidence.
Although Baldwin maintains his innocence, there have been some developments in the case. Kari Morrissey and Jason Lewis, the special prosecutors in the case, hired forensic experts to examine the gun. Last summer they concluded that the gun’s trigger must have been pulled to fire.
Alec Baldwin’s lawyers plan to challenge the finding. They noted that the gun broke during previous test firings at an FBI lab.
Baldwin’s attorney, Luke Nikas, previously noted that he had no reason to believe there was a real bullet in the gun. “He trusted the professionals he worked with,” Nikas said. “Who assured him that the gun did not have real bullets.”
Gutierrez-Reed’s attorneys have also said she did not commit involuntary manslaughter. Additionally, they declared that the shooting was a “tragic accident.”
Categories: Biography
Source: vcmp.edu.vn