Alec Baldwin has pleaded not guilty over the fatal shooting of “Rust” cinematographer Halyna Hutchins.
The “Glengarry Glen Ross” actor, 64, was charged with one count of involuntary manslaughter in January, over the 2021 tragedy, and submitted his plea in the case on Thursday, according to documents obtained by “Page Six”.
Baldwin had expected to be arraigned on 25 February, and reportedly no longer needs to appear in court on Friday, but is not allowed to drink alcohol, own a gun or talk to potential witnesses besides discussing the continuation of the filming of neo-Western “Rust”.
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The production is set to resume in spring, without its armourer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, who is also facing an involuntary manslaughter charge over Hutchins’s death on the New Mexico set of the movie on October 21, 2021, at the age of 42, when a prop gun went off during rehearsals and hit in her in the chest.
The film’s director, Joel Souza, 49, also sustained injuries in the incident, but the District Attorney has stated no charges would be filed in relation to his wounds.
Baldwin has denied accusations he pulled the trigger on the prop gun, but prosecutors argued photos and videos “clearly” show him “multiple times”, with his “finger inside the trigger guard and on the trigger” ahead of the shooting.
The actor initially faced up to five years in prison, but is now looking at 18 months behind bars – as is Gutierrez-Reed – if convicted, after a judge dropped the firearm enhancement charge tied to the one of involuntary manslaughter.
Gutierrez-Reed’s attorney Jason Bowles, told “Entertainment Tonight” about how she will not be returning to the “Rust” production with Baldwin: “Hannah is not returning to the ‘Rust’ filming.”
After charges were filed against the pair, Melina Spadone, an attorney for Rust Movie Productions, confirmed plans would go ahead to complete the film, stressing there would be “on-set safety supervisors and union crew members” and that the production “will bar any use of working weapons or any ammunition”.