(DailyAnswer.org) – Alec Baldwin has been indicted a second time by a New Mexico grand jury for the fatal shooting on the “Rust” film set. The 65-year-old actor has been hit with a new indictment for involuntary manslaughter after charges were dropped in April 2023, two weeks before a criminal trial was due to start. Local prosecutors stated that “additional facts” found from forensic tests conducted on the weapon used were behind the new charges. Baldwin was practicing using a Colt .45 pistol before shooting a scene in October 2021 when the gun went off, fatally wounding 42-year-old cinematographer Halyna Hutchins as well as wounding director Joel Souza.
Baldwin and the armorer on the “Rust” set, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, were charged in January 2023 with two counts of involuntary manslaughter in connection with Hutchins’ death. These are not the only legal issues Baldwin has faced; Baldwin was sued by a man named Ahmed Mustafa in a civil lawsuit over a car accident in the spring of 2021, just months before the fatal shooting. The lawsuit alleged that due to the “impatience and negligence” of the actor who had just left the Cross Creek shopping center in Malibu, Los Angeles, Mustafa received both property damage and physical injuries. Three “Rust” crew members also sued Baldwin and the film’s producers in February 2023 over anxiety and symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder allegedly caused by the incident.
The Hutchins family’s attorney, Gloria Allred, stated that they continue to seek justice and the truth and look forward to seeing whether Baldwin will be convicted in connection with the cinematographer’s death. David Halls, the assistant director of the film who handed Baldwin the firearm, signed a plea agreement in 2023 relating to the negligent use of a deadly weapon in a deal that includes six months of probation. Gutierrez-Reed again faces charges of involuntary manslaughter along with Baldwin and will face trial in February. In October 2023 prosecutors announced that details had come to light that they concluded demonstrated Baldwin’s criminal culpability relating to the incident. They proceeded to levy two charges against Baldwin, which could lead to the actor only being convicted of one. Baldwin could face a fine of $5,000 and up to 18 months in prison if convicted.
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