Alec Baldwin: All criminal charges against the actor over the fatal shooting on the set of Rust | have been dropped Ents & Arts News

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It comes as the Hollywood actor has resumed filming Rust at Yellowstone Film Ranch in Montana, 18 months after the fatal shooting of Halyna Hutchins.

By Lucia Binding, news reporter @luciabinding

Thursday, April 20, 2023 21:43, United Kingdom

All criminal charges against actor Alec Baldwin over the fatal shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of Rust have been dropped.

Prosecutors in Santa Fe, New Mexico, were moving forward with manslaughter charges against the 65-year-old Hollywood star.

There are still at least five civil cases ongoing against Baldwin and the producers of Roast.

“We are pleased with the decision to dismiss the case against Alec Baldwin and encourage a proper investigation into the facts and circumstances of this tragic incident,” said a statement from Baldwin’s attorneys, Luke Nicas and Alex Spiro.

Image: Actor Alec Baldwin leaving his home in New York earlier this year

However, prosecutors continue to file manslaughter charges against weapons supervisor Hana Gutierrez Reed. She pleaded not guilty.

Ms. Hutchins, 42, was shot and killed on Oct. 21, 2021, while filming at Bonanza Creek Ranch.

Baldwin was practicing his gun for a scene when the gun went off, killing Mrs. Hutchins and wounding director Joel Sousa, who was also shot.

Milena Spadoni, a solicitor for Rust Movie Productions, told Sky News EXCLUSIVELY: “We have full confidence in the judicial system and that the cause of Halina’s death will be thoroughly investigated.

“Alec is a skilled professional… For others, it’s a good outcome in the sense that we believe justice has been done.”

It comes as Baldwin has resumed filming Rust at Yellowstone Film Ranch in Montana, 18 months after Halyna Hutchins was shot and killed.

The production company finalized a settlement last month with workplace safety employees in New Mexico over “gross” breaches and agreed to a $100,000 (£80,000) fine to resolve a harsh safety review that uncovered unheeded complaints and workplace failures before the murder. Hutchins.

Earlier this month, Baldwin asked that a judge dismiss a lawsuit brought by Ms. Hutchins’ parents and sister.

The actor said Olga Solovey, Anatoly Androsovich and Svetlana Zhemko filed the lawsuit in February “to obtain compensation”.

It alleges battery, neglect, and willful infliction of emotional distress and loss of union, which is when the plaintiff seeks recovery for damages to some mutually dependent relationship.

Read more: Alec Baldwin resumes filming of Rust

Filming resumes on Alec Baldwin’s Rust

Dave Halls, the first assistant director on the set, was given a suspended sentence last month after pleading guilty to negligent use of a deadly weapon. Prosecutors said he was in charge of the safety group.

Baldwin was pointing his gun at Mrs. Hutchins during a rehearsal when the gun was off.

The actor claimed that the gun went off accidentally and that he never pulled the trigger.

However, the FBI forensic report found that the weapon could not be fired unless the trigger was pulled.

The star has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing and previously pleaded not guilty to two now-dropped manslaughter charges.

The actress was also sued by Mrs. Hutchins’ husband, Matthew Hutchins, their son and their estate, alleging that reckless behavior and cost-cutting led to her death.

An out-of-court settlement was reached in October 2022.

Three crew members were among those who launched legal action, saying they had suffered from anxiety and symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder since the shooting.

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