Alec Baldwin’s manslaughter trial for Halyna Hutchins' death dependent on whether he pulled trigger on 'Rust' set

SANTA FE, NEW MEXICO: Alec Baldwin’s chance of getting convicted has boiled down to one single question: whether he pulled the trigger on late cinematographer Halyna Hutchins. 

The high-profile case against Baldwin started on Tuesday, July 9, where the father-of-eight is defending himself against the involuntary manslaughter charges brought against him by the prosecutors.

The trial, which is taking place under Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer, is expected to run for ten days before a verdict is handed over to Baldwin.

Alec Baldwin’s verdict would depend on whether he pulled trigger

While the ‘30 Rock’ actor has always maintained that he did not pull the trigger on Hutchins who died aged 42, the prosecutors say that the 66-year-old actor pointed the .45-caliber cowboy gun at Hutchins killing her. Thus the case has come down to the question of whether he pulled the trigger in reality, per New York Post.

The unfortunate incident took place in October 2021, killing Hutchins. Moreover, the prosecutors also alleged that it was just one of the many reckless choices that Baldwin made on the set of his Western drama ‘Rust’. 

The ‘SNL’ alum has pleaded not guilty in the case and said that he should not have been handed a live round and that the gun malfunctioned and fired when he pulled back the hammer, per the New York Post. He also blamed ‘Rust’ armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed for the mishap. 

If the actor is convicted, he may face up to 18 months in prison, which is tha same as Gutierrez-Reed’s sentence for her role in the involuntary manslaughter. 

It has been claimed that Baldwin was rehearsing a cross-draw maneuver with the Colt replica when the weapon misfired. 

Even the federal investigators have corroborated the theory and said that there was no other way the shot would have been fired.

Prosecutors, for their part, argued that the actor had been reckless in handling firearms on the set of the film and once even fired “a blank round at a crew member.”

Alec Baldwin's status as producer would not be important

Amid all the troubles, Judge Sommers has, however, relieved Baldwin at least in terms of his status as a producer. 

During Monday, July 8, pretrial session (which Baldwin attended), the judge declared that his role in 'Rust' film as a producer is not relevant to the involuntary manslaughter trial, per Associated Press.

“I’m having real difficulty with the state’s position that they want to show that as a producer he didn’t follow guidelines and therefore as an actor, Mr Baldwin did all of these things wrong that resulted in the death of Ms Hutchins because as a producer he allowed these things to happen," announced the judge during the proceeding. 

She further noted, “I’m denying evidence of his status as a producer."