We finally have a new update on the Alec Baldwin ‘Rust‘ Shooting case, where the actor has received partial legal victory, avoiding a 5-year prison sentence. Baldwin, who is facing involuntary manslaughter charges for the 2021 shooting incident on the set of ‘Rust,’ has succeeded in his legal battle with Santa Fe District Attorney’s office.
While the actor is still charged with involuntary manslaughter, the firearm enhancement charge has been dropped. This means that he is no longer facing a mandatory five-year prison sentence if found guilty.
The move comes after Baldwin’s lawyers disputed the validity of the statute under which he was charged. Baldwin and the Rust armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed are scheduled to appear virtually in the first hearing on February 24. This development is a significant win for Baldwin and his legal team, who have been fighting the charges in court since they were filed.
Alec Baldwin and Rust armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed were charged with two counts of involuntary manslaughter on January 31 by D.A. Carmack-Altwies, following an extensive FBI-assisted investigation by the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s office. The charges stem from the tragic death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on October 21, 2021, when the crew was shooting at Bonanza Creek Ranch. ‘Rust,’ the name of the film that has taken a hit, is directed by Joel Souza was also injured in the shooting.
Under New Mexico law, the first charge of involuntary manslaughter carried lighter consequences as a fourth-degree felony, with a sentencing of up to 18 months in jail and a $5,000 fine. The second charge, involuntary manslaughter in the commission of a lawful act, was also a fourth-degree felony punishable by up to 18 months in jail and up to a $5,000 fine. However, the second charge also carried a firearm enhancement, transforming the offense to a mandatory minimum of five years in state prison if found guilty.
Baldwin and his lawyers at Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan began to argue with the D.A. over the second charge and the recent statute that created the sentence earlier this month. They successfully argued that the second charge did not apply to Baldwin as he was not committing a lawful act at the time of the shooting. Therefore, the charge and its mandatory minimum sentence were dismissed by the judge.
