Judge Orders Alec Baldwin To Face Civil Trial Over ‘Rust’ Shooting

Judge Orders Alec Baldwin To Face Civil Trial Over ‘Rust’ Shooting
Alec Baldwin's Involuntary Manslaughter Trial For The 2021 Fatal Shooting Of Cinematographer Halyna Hutchins During Filming Of The Western Movie 'rust'
Actor Alec Baldwin reacts during his trial on involuntary manslaughter at Santa Fe County District Court in Santa Fe, New Mexico, on July 12, 2024. In October 2021, on the New Mexico set of the Western movie "Rust," a gun pointed by Baldwin discharged a live round, killing the film's cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and wounding its director. Baldwin's trial for involuntary manslaughter was dismissed by a judge Friday after she ruled that key evidence over a fatal shooting on the set of "Rust" had been withheld from the defense. RAMSAY DE GIVE/Pool via REUTERS TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY

A Los Angeles Superior Court judge ruled Friday that Alec Baldwin must face civil trial in October regarding alleged negligence during the fatal Rust shooting. Judge Maurice Leiter rejected defense arguments that Baldwin and Rust Movie Productions weren’t legally responsible for set safety. The lawsuit stems from gaffer Serge Svetnoy’s claims of emotional distress from the October 2021 incident that killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins in Santa Fe. “A reasonable jury could find that Mr. Baldwin recklessly disregarded the probability that pointing a gun in the direction of someone, with the finger on the trigger, would cause emotional distress,” Leiter wrote. Baldwin’s manslaughter case was dismissed in July 2024 after prosecutors withheld evidence. The actor maintains he didn’t know the gun contained live ammunition and didn’t pull the trigger. The trial begins October 12th. Story URL