Actor Alec Baldwin (left) sits with his attorney, Luke Nicas, during a preliminary hearing in his involuntary manslaughter trial for the fatal shooting on the set of the movie “Rust,” in District Court in Santa Fe, N.M., Monday, July 8, 2024. | Photo credit: Luis Sanchez Saturno
Alex Baldwin’s trial for the shooting death of a cinematographer is set to begin on Tuesday with the selection of jurors who will be tasked with deciding whether the actor is guilty of involuntary manslaughter.
Attending the trial of such a major star accused of such a major crime would be unusual even in Los Angeles or Baldwin’s hometown of New York. But it will essentially be an unheard of experience for those selected as jurors in Santa Fe, New Mexico, although the state has become a hub for Hollywood productions in recent years.
Baldwin, 66, could face up to 18 months in prison if a jury unanimously decides he committed a crime when he pointed his revolver at cinematographer Helena Hutchins, killing her and wounding director Joel Souza during rehearsals for a Western film. War in October 2021 at Bonanza Creek Ranch, about 18 miles (29 kilometers) from where the trial is taking place.
Baldwin said the gun accidentally fired when he followed instructions and pointed it at Hutchins, who was behind the camera. Baldwin said he didn’t know the gun had a live bullet in it, so he pulled the hammer back instead of the trigger, and the gun fired.
Star of 30 Rock And the hunt for Red October His first appearance in court came on Monday, when Judge Mary Marlowe Summer, in a significant victory for the defense, ruled in a pre-hearing that Baldwin’s role as co-producer War Not relevant to the test.
Lawyer Alex Spiro, left, sits next to his client, actor Alec Baldwin, in District Court in Santa Fe, N.M., during a preliminary hearing on Monday, July 8, 2024. Baldwin faces one charge of involuntary manslaughter in the death of a cinematographer on the set of the film “Rust.” | Photo credit: Luis Sanchez Saturno
The judge said jury selection should not be rushed because of the special circumstances of a celebrity trial and that opening statements should begin Wednesday.
“I’m not worried about picking a jury in one day,” Marlow Summers said. “I think we’ll have a jury picked by noon.”
However, special prosecutor Carrie Morrissey doubts that Baldwin’s lawyers, with whom he clashed during the trial, will be able to do so.
“My guess is that’s not going to happen with this group of defense attorneys,” Morrissey said during the hearing.
Special Prosecutor Carrie Morrissey speaks during a pretrial hearing for Alec Baldwin in Santa Fe, NM on Monday, July 8, 2024 | Photo credit: Ross D. Franklin
Baldwin’s attorney, Alex Spiro, responded, “I’ve never selected a jury in one day. I can’t imagine this would be the first time.”
Dozens of potential jurors will be brought into the courtroom for questioning Tuesday morning. Cameras showing the rest of the proceedings will be turned off to protect their privacy. Jurors are expected to get their case after a nine-day trial.
Lawyers will be able to request that they be dismissed because of disputes or other reasons. Under state law, the defense can dismiss up to five jurors without giving a reason, while the prosecution can dismiss three. More challenges would be allowed once four potential alternates have been selected.
Before Marlo Sommer’s verdict on Monday, prosecutors had hoped to highlight Baldwin’s on-set safety duties as co-producer to bolster an alternative theory of the crime beyond the alleged negligent use of a gun. They aimed to link Baldwin’s behavior to “gross disregard or indifference to the safety of others” under the involuntary manslaughter law.
But prosecutors scored other victories on Monday. They successfully argued to exclude summary findings from a state workplace safety investigation that placed most of the blame on the film’s assistant director, shifting blame away from Baldwin.
And the judge ruled they could show graphic photos from Hutchins’ autopsy and those taken with police lapel cameras while he was being treated for his injuries.
