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Nearly three years after cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was shot and killed on the New Mexico set of the film «Rust», Alec Baldwin is going on trial over her death. Here are the essential things to know.What charge does Alec Baldwin face?
The actor is about to enter a New Mexico courtroom for the first time since the Oct. 21, 2021 shooting. He is charged with felony involuntary manslaughter. If a jury unanimously convicts him, he could get 18 months in prison.
Baldwin, the star and co-producer of the Western, was pointing a revolver at Hutchins during a rehearsal in a small church on the movie set at Bonanza Creek Ranch when the gun went off, killing her and wounding director Joel Souza. Baldwin has said he pulled back the hammer — but not the trigger — and the gun fired.
Two major themes will predominate, one large, one small: the chaotic atmosphere of the movie set, and the details of the Italian-made classic revolver that Baldwin pointed at Hutchins.
It has never been officially determined who brought the live rounds that killed Hutchins on to the set. Prosecutors at the previous trial of «Rust» armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed alleged that she was responsible. She was convicted of involuntary manslaughter and sentenced to the same 18 months in prison Baldwin faces.What jurors must decide
Prosecutors have two alternative standards for proving the charge. One is based on the negligent use of a firearm. The other is proving beyond a reasonable doubt that Baldwin acted with total disregard or indifference for the safety of others.
Despite the legal and technical complexities of the case, the 12 citizens of Santa Fe County that will make up the jury will have to reach just one verdict — guilty or not guilty — on a single count.How long is the Alec Baldwin trial expected to last?
The trial at the First Judicial District Court of New Mexico — about 20 miles northeast of the movie set and the shooting — is projected to last nine days, and Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer insists that she’ll keep the lawyers in line and on schedule. Jury selection begins Tuesday, with opening statements expected Wednesday, and the projected end the following Friday. Once the jurors get the case, however, they can deliberate as long as needed.Why is Alec Baldwin famous?
Baldwin, 66, emerged as a major movie star in the late 1980s and early ’90s through films like «Beetlejuice» and «The Hunt for Red October», and has remained a household name ever since. He would move on to memorable supporting roles in films including 2003’s «The Cooler», which got him an Oscar nomination. Comedy dominated his later career as he won two Emmys for playing network executive Jack Donaghy on six seasons of «30 Rock», and won a third for playing Donald Trump on «Saturday Night Live.
