The lawsuit against master-at-arms Hannah Gutierrez-Reed seeks to clarify, among other things, how the live ammunition arrived on set.
The criminal trial against master-at-arms Hannah Gutierrez-Reed in the US state of New Mexico began with heavy accusations, including against actor Alec Baldwin. The defendant disregarded the most important safety precautions at the filming location of the western “Rust” and caused the death of camerawoman Halyna Hutchins with his careless behavior, prosecutor Jason Lewis said on Thursday (local time) in his opening speech at Santa Fe.
Gutierrez-Reed's lawyer, Jason Bowles, on the other hand, accused actor and lead producer Baldwin and other participants in the production of “Rust” of gross errors in handling weapons. Producers ignored precautionary measures to make quick money. Your young client now has to serve as a “scapegoat” for the mistakes of others.
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Gutierrez-Reed, who was partially responsible for the weapons and security measures during filming, is charged with manslaughter. If she is found guilty, she could face up to 18 months in prison. The procedure takes approximately two weeks. Dozens of witnesses and experts could be called to the trial, including “Rust” director Joel Souza, who was injured in the shoulder in the fatal October 2021 incident at Bonanza Creek Ranch. Camerawoman Hutchins (42) was fatally struck by the same bullet when a shot fired from a stage gun.
Baldwin's trial date is still pending. Portal/David Dee Delgado
Baldwin (65), who operated the revolver he fired during rehearsals for a film scene, is also charged with manslaughter. The trial against the actor could begin this summer; an exact date is not yet known.
One of the main questions of the trial is how the live ammunition ended up on the set. In addition to the so-called harmless fake cartridges, investigators also found real cartridges at the filming location. Gutierrez-Reed loaded the revolver, which was given to Baldwin. The prosecution accuses her of not carefully checking the ammunition.