Alec Baldwin will face court charged with involuntary manslaughter on Thursday after accidentally shooting to death a cameraman on a film set.
The top actor is scheduled to be arraigned in New Mexico First Judicial District Court, although he will appear virtually.
Named as Alexander Rae Baldwin in the case, the movie star was indicted after a grand jury voted to indict him on January 19.
Baldwin shot to death director of photography Halyna Hutchins on the set of his ill-fated western film Rust when a prop gun was loaded with real bullets.
Alec Baldwin (pictured in November) was indicted by a New Mexico grand jury on charges of involuntary manslaughter.
The grand jury charged him with 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, brought by New Mexico prosecutors, were dismissed in April of last year.
Baldwin always maintained that he followed gun safety laws and that the fault lies with the gunsmith or the team that gave him a gun loaded with a live bullet.
He insists that he confirmed that the gun was “cold,” meaning it did not contain live ammunition, when he took it to rehearse the scene.
Gloria Allred, an attorney for Halyna’s parents and sister, said in response to the new charges: “Our clients have always sought the truth about what happened the day Halyna Hutchins was tragically shot and killed.”
‘They continue to seek the truth in our civil lawsuit and would also like to see accountability in the criminal justice system.
‘The grand jury has decided that there is sufficient evidence to charge Alec Baldwin with involuntary manslaughter.
“We look forward to the criminal trial that will determine whether he should be convicted for Halyna’s untimely death.”
Cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, 42, died in an ambulance on the way to hospital
Baldwin’s attorneys, Alex Spiro and Luke Nikas, responded: “We look forward to our day in court.”
They responded to the accusation almost immediately, arguing that continued media interest in their case could disrupt the jury’s ability to be impartial.
The documents noted that a speedy trial would “minimize defamation and public suspicion” and could “avoid the risks of proving his innocence that often arise after a long delay in prosecution.”
The film’s gunsmith, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, will stand trial in February after she pleaded not guilty to involuntary manslaughter.
Prosecutors accused her of failing to properly check the gun’s ammunition and allowing live bullets onto the film set.
Baldwin was practicing removing the prop gun from its holster when he claims it went off spontaneously.
He has always been adamant about not pulling the trigger.
But a new report from Lucien Haag of Arizona Forensic Science Services states that the trigger “had to be pulled or depressed enough to release the fully cocked or retracted hammer from the evidence revolver.”
Baldwin launched a press tour in the weeks following Hutchins’ death, insisting that it was a tragic accident and not a murder for which he was responsible.
He was initially charged in January 2023 by New Mexico First Judicial District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies, who launched her own media tour shortly after filing charges.
Baldwin’s team interpreted his enthusiasm for the case as a fame-hungry effort to boost his own career.
After discussing it with her team in the court of public opinion, Carmack-Altwies resigned from the case and a special prosecutor was appointed to take charge.
That team opted to drop charges against Baldwin, who had already settled a wrongful death lawsuit brought by Hutchins’ family.
The scandal, which is now back in the news with the new set of charges, has damaged the actor’s reputation and earning power.
Baldwin appeared windswept on the beach in a real estate video earlier this month to promote the sale of his Hamptons home.
He is selling the property for $19 million, $10 million less than what he first listed it for. Many see it as a desperate way to get money to pay their mounting legal bills.