A date for Alec Baldwin’s hearing in the Rust shooting case has been set for early May (Picture: AFP via Getty Images)
Alec Baldwin is said to ‘want his day in court’ as he faces charges of involuntary manslaughter.
The actor, 64, is facing two charges of involuntary manslaughter after a prop gun he was holding discharged and shot cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, a mother of one, in 2021.
Amid an investigation into the incident, which took place on the set of his film Rust, Baldwin was charged with two counts of involuntary manslaughter, to which he has pleaded not guilty.
Baldwin has always maintained that he was not aware that the gun had a live round, and that he did not intend to shoot Hutchins; the production’s armourer, Hannah Guttierez-Reed, is facing the same charges.
Lawyers for the actor now says he is looking forward to the court date as he attempts to clear his name.
A judge has set a date in early May for a preliminary investigation hearing in the case.
The cinematographer and mother of one was killed in October 2021 (Picture: Facebook)
Baldwin did not attend a virtual hearing on Thursday, in which the court heard that the firearm which killed Hutchins had reportedly been destroyed by the state.
Lawyer Alex Spiro said the alleged destruction of the firearm was an ‘issue’ as Baldwin’s team would need to examine it, adding that his client ‘wants his day in court.’
However, a Santa De District Attorney’s office spokesperson insisted the gun had not been destroyed, saying it was ‘available for the defense to review.’
The actor is said to want his day in court to clear his name (Picture: Reuters)
They added the defense may refer to a 2022 FBI statement ‘that said damage was done to internal components of the gun during the FBI’s functionality testing.
‘However, the gun still exists and can be used as evidence.’
Lawyer Spiro said that prosecutors had 46 people on a list of witnesses for the court date, and requested the list be provide to Baldwin’s team as soon as possible, with judge Mary Marlow Sommer setting a deadline of April 17 for the list of names to be handed to the defense.
The preliminary investigation will begin on May 3 and is set to last for two weeks, during which time it will be decided whether there is enough evidence for a full trial.
Baldwin was filming western Rust when the gun he was holding went off and shot and killed Hutchins (Picture: AFP)
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March 27 will see another hearing to review a motion by Valdwin’s lawyers about the disqualification of the special prosecutor in his case.
Representatives for the Hollywood star previously said that special prosecutor Andrea Reeb’s involvement in the case was ‘unconstitutional’, due to her elected position in the New Mexico House of Representatives.
In a response to the motion to have Ms Reeb dismissed, the DA said the state constitution provided a variety of safeguards against legislators interfering with the outcome of ongoing court cases.
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‘Any attempt by Ms Reeb as a legislator to influence the outcome of this trial would be completely ineffective,’ the filing stated.
‘Disqualification of a special prosecutor on constitutional grounds is a severe remedy and cannot be supported by the imaginative but unsupported theories set out by the Defendant’s motion.’
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MORE : Alec Baldwin ‘sued by Rust crew members over PTSD symptoms’ following death of Halyna Hutchins
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Baldwin has pleaded not guilty.
