Alec Baldwin entered a plea of not guilty to an additional charge of involuntary manslaughter related to the tragic 2021 Rust shooting.
Alec Baldwin, aged 65, submitted his not guilty plea on Wednesday, waiving the right to an arraignment, as outlined in New Mexico court documents. He filed these documents in Santa Fe County court a day before the scheduled arraignment, subsequent to being indicted for the second time by a New Mexico grand jury on Jan. 19, in connection to the Rust shooting.
As per court documents, Baldwin has been released on personal recognizance. Conditions for his release include adherence to all local, state, and federal laws, prohibition from possessing firearms or dangerous weapons, refraining from drug or alcohol consumption, and obtaining written permission from the court before leaving the country.
The court granted Alec Baldwin permission to promote “Rust,” yet he is restricted from discussing the accident with potential witnesses or the alleged victim(s) involved in the production.
Previously charged with involuntary manslaughter in January 2023, the criminal case faced a delay when charges were dropped three months later. Baldwin now confronts charges of involuntary manslaughter, either through negligent use of a firearm or, alternatively, without due caution or circumspection.
Alec Baldwin may confront a potential 18-month prison sentence if convicted under the new charge, as stipulated by New Mexico law. In response to his indictment on Jan. 19, the actor’s lawyers, Alex Spiro and Luke Nikas of Quinn Emanuel, asserted, “We look forward to our day in court.”
In 2021, while on the set of the upcoming Western “Rust,” Alec Baldwin, holding a prop gun, experienced an accidental discharge resulting in the tragic death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and injuries to director Joel Souza. Baldwin consistently asserts his lack of awareness that the gun contained a live bullet and denies pulling the trigger.
SAG-AFTRA publicly supported Alec Baldwin following the latest charges filed against him.
“To the extent that the charges filed on January 19 are based on an accusation of negligent use of a firearm predicated on this or any actor having a duty to inspect a firearm as part of its use, that is an incorrect assessment of the actual duties of an actor on set,” the union shared in a statement released Thursday.
“An actor’s job is not to be a firearms or weapons expert,” the statement added. “Firearms are provided for use on set under the guidance of multiple expert professionals directly responsible for the safe and accurate operation of that firearm.”
Gloria Allred, the attorney representing Halyna Hutchins’ family, responded to SAG-AFTRA’s statement last Thursday. She expressed that the notion an actor is not responsible for discharging a weapon on a movie set “flies in the face of common sense and the law.”
“Safety protocols may be considered at trial, but they are not the law,” she said in a statement. “This indictment was the result of a careful assessment by the grand jury of all the facts and the law. It is important to respect the grand jury’s decision to indict, and to allow the criminal justice system to proceed to trial where the case will be decided on its merits.”
In addition to Alec Baldwin, “Rust” on-set armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed faces involuntary manslaughter charges. She entered a not guilty plea in August and is scheduled to stand trial in February.