Alec Baldwin will stand trial on Thursday on manslaughter charges after accidentally shooting a camerawoman on a film set.
The star actor is scheduled to be arraigned in New Mexico's First Judicial District Court, although he will appear virtually.
The movie star named Alexander Rae Baldwin in the case was indicted after a grand jury voted to indict him on Jan. 19.
Baldwin fatally shot cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of his ill-fated Western film Rust when a prop gun was loaded with live bullets.
Alec Baldwin (pictured in November) was indicted by a New Mexico grand jury on involuntary manslaughter charges
The grand jury indicted him for negligent use of a firearm and disregard for the safety of others in the Oct. 21, 2021, shooting.
He faces up to 18 months in prison if convicted, but previous charges filed by New Mexico prosecutors were dismissed in April last year.
Baldwin always maintained that he followed gun safety laws and that the blame lay with the gunsmith or crew who gave him a gun loaded with a live cartridge.
He insists he confirmed the gun was “cold” – meaning no live ammunition – when he took it with him to rehearse the scene.
Gloria Allred, the attorney for Halyna's parents and sister, responded to the new charges: “Our clients have always sought the truth about what happened the day Halyna Hutchins was tragically shot.”
“They continue to seek the truth for them in our civil lawsuit and also want the criminal justice system to be held accountable.”
“The grand jury has determined that there is sufficient evidence to indict Alec Baldwin for involuntary manslaughter.
“We look forward to the criminal trial, which will determine whether he should be convicted of Halyna’s untimely death.”
Camerawoman Halyna Hutchins, 42, died in an ambulance on the way to hospital
Baldwin's lawyers Alex Spiro and Luke Nikas countered: “We look forward to our day in court.”
They responded almost immediately to the charges, arguing that continued media interest in his case could affect the impartiality of a jury.
The filing said a speedy trial would “minimize public vilification and suspicion” and “avoid the dangers of proving his innocence that often arise after a long delay in prosecution.”
The film set's gunsmith, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, will stand trial in February after pleading not guilty to involuntary manslaughter.
Prosecutors accused her of failing to properly check the weapon's ammunition and allowing live shots to be fired onto the film set.
Baldwin was practicing pulling the prop gun from his holster when he claimed it spontaneously fired.
He always insisted he didn't pull the trigger.
However, a new report from Lucien Haag of Forensic Science Services in Arizona states that the trigger “had to be pulled or pulled sufficiently to release the evidence revolver's fully cocked or retracted hammer.”
Baldwin embarked on a media tour in the weeks following Hutchins' death, emphasizing that it was a tragic accident and not a murder for which he was responsible.
He was first charged in January 2023 by New Mexico's first female district attorney, Mary Carmack-Altwies, who launched her own media tour shortly after the charges were filed.
Baldwin's team interpreted her enthusiasm for the case as a fame-hungry attempt to boost her own career.
After settling with his team in the court of public opinion, Carmack-Altwies stepped away from the case and a special prosecutor was appointed to take over.
That team decided to drop charges against Baldwin, who had already settled a wrongful death lawsuit brought by Hutchins' family.
The scandal, which is now making headlines again with the new charges, has damaged the actor's reputation and earning power.
Baldwin appeared in a windswept beachfront real estate video earlier this month to promote the sale of his home in the Hamptons.
He is selling the property for $19 million – $10 million less than he originally listed it. Many see it as a desperate cash grab to pay his mounting legal bills.
Baldwin may be sweating over the allegations he thought were settled, but the top defense attorney he hired to defend his case has never lost in court.
Alex Spiro, a go-to person for celebrities struggling with legal problems, has been hailed as a “force of nature” and is respected for his impeccable track record in jury trials.
A source told that “prosecutors in New Mexico have no idea what they're facing…Alex is a force of nature.”
The Miami-based lawyer is known for working with high-profile names – his clients include Jay-Z, Naomi Osaka, Elon Musk and Megan Thee Stallion, as well as NBA basketball stars and famous athletes.
Although he also takes on lesser-known cases, the Harvard law graduate has earned a reputation for doing his job well after beginning his career with the Manhattan District Attorney's Office as an assistant district attorney.