Alec Baldwin Involuntary Manslaughter Charges Reduced in "Rust" Shooting

New Mexico prosecutors downgraded felony involuntary manslaughter charges against Hollywood star Alec Baldwin on Tuesday in connection to the fatal shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of the western movie "Rust" in 2021.

Attorneys for both Baldwin and armorer Hannah Guttierez-Reed, who supplied the weapons on the set of the movie, had argued that they had been incorrectly charged with manslaughter under a New Mexico firearm law that had actually been passed months after the shooting took place on October 21.

A lawyer for Gutierrez-Reed told the New York Times that the updated charges reflected good ethical standards and were correct on the facts and law.

On January 19, following a lengthy investigation, the New Mexico First Judicial District Attorney’s Office announced manslaughter charges against Baldwin and Gutierrez-Reed stemming from the shooting.

First assistant director David Halls was hit with a negligent use of a deadly weapon charge; Halls has already agreed to plead guilty to that count.

Baldwin, who still faces a count of involuntary manslaughter, now is looking at a maximum of 18 months in prison if convicted.

According to the District Attorney’s Office, both Baldwin and Gutierrez-Reed were “charged in the alternative’ with the two counts of manslaughter, meaning that a jury would decide not simply if they were guilty, but under which definition of involuntary manslaughter they were guilty.

If found guilty of just involuntary manslaughter, a fourth-degree felony, both would have faced up to 18 months in prison. However, if found guilty of the commission of a lawful act, which includes a “firearm enhancement” on the charge, the punishment was a mandatory five-year prison sentence.

Under the amended charges, Baldwin now faces a maximum of 18 months in prison.

In a statement to the New York Times, Heather Brewer, a representative for the district attorney, said it had downgraded the charges to avoid further litigious distractions by Mr. Baldwin and his attorneys.

Hutchins, 42, died on October 21, 2021, after being wounded during rehearsals of the western movie on a ranch on the outskirts of Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Baldwin, who was also a producer on the film, had been pointing a gun at Hutchins during a scene when it went off, killing Hutchins and wounding director Joel Souza. The bullet that hit both Hutchins and the director was a live round. The killing sparked outrage and calls for greater safety on film sets.

There have been numerous investigations into the incident by various government agencies, from the Santa Fe Sheriff’s Office to the FBI.

The New Mexico First Judicial District Attorney’s Office had also been conducting its own investigations, with recent actions suggesting it was gearing up to file charges.

On September 23, the New Mexican reported that the state Board of Finance had awarded the DA’s office over $317,000 (out of a requested $635,000) to prosecute people connected to the shooting. While District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies declined to say who would face criminal charges at the time, the original funding request noted Baldwin as one of “the possible defendants.”