Halyna Hutchins’ family attorney says SAG-AFTRA’s defense of Alec Baldwin ‘flies in the face of law’
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: The family of Halyna Hutchins, the cinematographer who was fatally shot by Alec Baldwin on the set of 'Rust' in 2021, is still seeking justice two years after the tragic incident.
Their lawyer, Gloria Allred, slammed the actors’ union SAG-AFTRA for defending Baldwin’s actions and denying his responsibility.
SAG-AFTRA claims Alec Baldwin had no duty to inspect the firearm
SAG-AFTRA issued a statement on Thursday, January 25, 2024, in which they supported Baldwin, who was indicted for a second time earlier this month on charges of involuntary manslaughter.
The union argued that Baldwin, as an actor, was not expected to check the weapon before using it and that the blame should fall on the production staff who failed to follow safety protocols.
"To the extent that the charges filed on January 19 are based on an accusation of negligent use of a firearm predicated on this or any actor having a duty to inspect a firearm as part of its use, that is an incorrect assessment of the actual duties of an actor on set," SAG-AFTRA wrote.
It noted that "an actor’s job is not to be a firearms or weapons expert."
Lawyer says the notion that Alec Baldwin is not responsible is absurd
Allred, slammed the union's defense of Alec Baldwin said in a statement to US Weekly.
“The notion that an actor is not responsible if that actor holds a gun, points it at someone on a movie set, and discharges the weapon flies in the face of common sense and the law.”
Allred said added, “Safety protocols may be considered at trial, but they are not the law.”
He said, “This indictment was the result of a careful assessment by the grand jury of all the facts and the law."
"It is important to respect the grand jury’s decision to indict, and to allow the criminal justice system to proceed to trial where the case will be decided on its merits,” Allred said in her response on Thursday, January 25.
Alec Baldwin could face up to 18 months in jail if found guilty
Baldwin, 65, was charged with involuntary manslaughter for the second time on January 19, 2024, more than two years after he fired a prop gun that killed Hutchins, 42, and injured director Joel Souza on the Rust set in New Mexico in October 2021.
Baldwin was first charged with involuntary manslaughter in January 2023, but the charges were dropped in April 2023.
He was also sued by Hutchins’ family for wrongful death in 2022 and settled for an undisclosed amount in October of that year.
In addition, gun enhancement charges against Baldwin and armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed were dismissed in February 2023.
'Rust' armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed who was also charged with two counts of involuntary manslaughter pleaded guilty and is set to go on trial in February.
The first assistant director for "Rust" David Halls, 63, who was charged with negligent use of a deadly weapon for handing Colt .45 revolver to Alec Baldwin had pleaded no contest to his misdemeanor charge.
Halls was sentenced to six months unsupervised probation as part of a plea deal in March 2023.
