Alec Baldwin's manslaughter trial for the fatal 2021 shooting on the set of a Western movie begins Tuesday with jury selection.
Alec Baldwin's manslaughter trial for the fatal shooting on the set of the 2021 Western film begins Tuesday with jurors being selected to decide whether he was responsible for the death of a “Lust” crew member.
The Hollywood A-lister pointed a prop gun at cinematographer Halina Hutchins while rehearsing a scene, causing a live bullet to fire, killing Hutchins and wounding the director.
Baldwin, 66, has said he did not know the gun was loaded and did not pull the trigger. Prosecutors say he acted recklessly at the scene and has changed his testimony multiple times since the tragic incident in October 2021.
Baldwin's lawyers have tried multiple times, but failed, to get the case thrown out. On Monday, the actor appeared at his final pretrial hearing, where he took detailed notes on a yellow notepad he keeps in his Barnes & Noble tote bag.
Jury selection began Tuesday and opening statements are scheduled for Wednesday, with the trial in southwestern New Mexico expected to last about 10 days.
See also: Manslaughter charges against Alec Baldwin will be dropped, prosecutor says
The huge profile of the “30 Rock” actors and the rarity of on-set fatalities meant the incident attracted worldwide attention and sharply divided opinion.
Sympathetic observers see Baldwin as a victim who was pursued by prosecutors in part because of his status as a public figure and liberal darling.
Others believe the death was the easily avoidable result of a movie star's unpredictable and self-indulgent behavior.
“Mr. Baldwin's behavior on the set of Lust displays a man with zero control over his emotions and zero regard for how his actions affect those around him,” special prosecutor Kari Morrissey said.
If convicted, Baldwin faces up to 18 months in prison. It is not yet known whether he plans to take the stand in his own defense.
See also: Alec Baldwin charged with manslaughter in shooting
“Basic Gun Safety”
Hutchins' death occurred nearly three years ago, during a sunny afternoon rehearsal in a small chapel at Bonanza Creek Ranch during the filming of “Lust.”
Baldwin was rehearsing a scene in which his character, an aging outlaw cornered by two sheriffs in a church, pulls out a Colt six-shooter.
The actor said he was told the gun was safe and that Hutchins instructed him to point the gun in her direction but he did not pull the trigger.
Live ammunition is banned on movie sets anyway, and Baldwin said it was not his responsibility as an actor to check for it.
Filming on “Lust” was halted by tragedy but was completed last year in Montana.
See also: Alec Baldwin files countersuit in fatal on-set shooting
Earlier this year, the film's arms manufacturer was convicted of manslaughter by the same court and sentenced to 18 months in prison.
Her trial revealed the arguments the prosecution will likely make against Baldwin.
At the time, defense lawyers for gun technician Hannah Gutierrez argued that Baldwin “violated the most basic rules of gun safety, including never pointing a gun at a person unless you intend to fire it.”
“Alec Baldwin's actions and the lack of gun safety measures inside that church that day are something he must be held accountable for,” Morrissey responded.
“Not with you today. That will be on another day with a different jury.”
See also: Alec Baldwin settles with family over 'Lust' death
Defense Strengthening
That day has now arrived.
On Monday, Baldwin, wearing a black suit and striped tie, thick-rimmed glasses and short-cropped hair, watched his lawyers work out various pre-trial issues.
Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer ruled in favor of the defense, ruling that the prosecution could not argue that Baldwin's role as a producer on Lust made him more guilty.
But the fact that the case has finally reached court is a victory for prosecutors, who have fended off multiple attempts to have the case thrown out.
Baldwin's lawyers argued that he did not get a fair trial because the gun was damaged by an FBI lab.
See also: Alec Baldwin not expected to be charged in fatal film set accident
The FBI concluded that the gun could not have fired without the trigger being pulled, but the defense argues it was denied the opportunity to disprove that conclusion.
The judge was not convinced and ordered the trial to continue.
– Creator: © Agence France-Presse
