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Actor Alec Baldwin departs his home, as he will be charged with involuntary manslaughter for the fatal shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of the movie "Rust", in New York, U.S., January 31, 2023. REUTERS/David 'Dee' Delgado/File Photo
New Mexico prosecutors have announced their intention to recharge actor Alec Baldwin with involuntary manslaughter for the 2021 fatal shooting of "Rust" cinematographer Halyna Hutchins. Baldwin's case is set to go before a grand jury in mid-November, as stated by special prosecutor Kari Morrissey. This decision comes after the results of an independent forensic test indicated that Baldwin had to have pulled the trigger of the revolver he was rehearsing with for it to discharge the live round that led to Hutchins' death and the injury of director Joel Souza. The findings align with a prior FBI test on the firearm.
In their statement, Morrissey and Jason Lewis explained, "After extensive investigation over the past several months, additional facts have come to light that we believe show Mr. Baldwin has criminal culpability in the death of Halyna Hutchins and the shooting of Joel Souza."
Alec Baldwin has maintained that he is not responsible for Hutchins' death and that he did not pull the trigger. His legal team, Luke Nikas and Alex Spiro, responded, stating, "It is unfortunate that a terrible tragedy has been turned into this misguided prosecution. We will answer any charges in court."
Notably, Baldwin had previously faced involuntary manslaughter charges in January, along with the film's chief weapons handler Hannah Gutierrez, who is slated for a 2024 trial. However, these charges were dismissed in April due to new evidence suggesting potential gun modifications that could allow firing without pulling the trigger.
Kari Morrissey also noted that if new testing of the gun confirmed its proper functionality, she would proceed with recharging Baldwin. In legal proceedings, prosecutors often opt for grand juries as a more straightforward route to establish probable cause and move to trial, bypassing the preliminary hearing stage where defense lawyers can scrutinize a criminal complaint, according to legal experts.
