Alec Baldwin's Request for Largest Gun and Erratic Actions Before 'Rust' Tragedy Stir Legal Battle
- IndiaGlitz, [Thursday,June 20 2024]
New records acquired by Fox News Digital show Alec Baldwin asking for the biggest gun available before starting Rust in 2021. Allegating Baldwin exhibited erratic and aggressive behavior during filming and reckless behavior with firearms, special prosecutors Kari T. Morrissey and Erlinda O. Johnson presented evidence in New Mexico courts.
Baldwin's defense team responded with charges of prosecutorial misbehavior, alleging the state kept important records hidden and revealed thousands of files over 10 weeks. Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer refused Baldwin's plea to dismiss the indictment last month after discounting his claims about the grand jury process.
Violating gun safety regulations, Baldwin discharged the handgun after filming was over, claimed the prosecutors, placed his finger on the trigger unnecessarily. They also said he engaged in horseplay with the rifle and was inattentive during weapons instruction.
The Rust armorer, Hannah Gutierrez Reed, was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter for the fatal gunshot wound to cinematographer Halyna Hutchins. She was not guilty of evidence tampering.
Prosecutors said Baldwin's actions raised safety issues and cited pictures of him handling his weapon before the gunshot. Baldwin purportedly cocks the gun without direction and pulls the trigger in a video taken on the day of the event.
Baldwin's staff claimed that the state has a pattern of withholding information, which influences his trial preparation. For Hutchins's death on October 21, 2021 Baldwin was charged on two counts of involuntary manslaughter. Should he be found guilty, he may spend up to 18 months behind bars. Baldwin is scheduled in court for a nearly two-week trial next month.