SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) – A New Mexico judge on Friday heard arguments that the process was unfair to the defendants in the shooting death of Alec Baldwin on the set of the movie “The Last.” A decision is expected next week on the grand jury indictment.
In a January indictment, Baldwin was charged with manslaughter in the October 21, 2021 shooting death of cinematographer Halina Hutchins at a movie ranch outside Santa Fe.
Baldwin, a leading actor and co-producer of Western movies, has pleaded not guilty to the charges, which carry a maximum sentence of 18 months in prison. His lawyers argued in a virtual hearing Friday that the grand jury received one-sided statements from prosecutors that maliciously steered jurors away from exculpatory evidence and witnesses.
During rehearsals, Baldwin Pointing a gun at cinematographer Halina Hutchins The revolver went off, killing Hutchins and injuring director Joel Souza. Baldwin claimed he pulled the gun's hammer but not the trigger.
Baldwin's motion to dismiss the charges argued that the grand jury received inaccurate and limited testimony about revolvers and safety procedures on movie sets.
In more than two hours of arguments Friday, Baldwin's attorneys accused the special prosecutor of failing in his responsibility to ensure impartiality and access to defense witnesses and evidence.
“The fix was in,” defense attorney Alex Spiro said. “There were no (defense) witnesses to testify. There were no evidence binders in the defense exhibit.”
“They never intended for a grand jury to call for witnesses,” he continued. “They never wanted to request exhibits from a grand jury.”
The special counsel said they followed grand jury procedures and accused Mr. Baldwin of a “shameless” attempt to evade responsibility, accusing law enforcement, workplace safety regulators and the court of his It emphasizes the contradictions in the statement. TV interview. A jury trial is scheduled for July.
Lead prosecutor Kari Morrissey on Friday defended his oversight of the grand jury, reading to jurors a court-approved letter with instructions for accessing exculpatory evidence and witnesses and physically opening defense evidence boxes. He pointed out that he was pointing at the target.
“The grand jury never asked to hear from any witnesses. There's nothing I can do about that,” Morrissey said. “We complied with all of the judge's orders.”
The defense also highlighted that the jury was interrupted when they asked questions about safety procedures on movie sets. Baldwin's lawyers said jurors avoided hearing testimony from sheriff's detectives and were instead directed to expert witnesses paid by prosecutors to speak about safety on movie sets.
Judge Mary Marlow Sommer seized on that point in a series of questions for Morrissey, asking why the detective was not allowed to answer. Morrissey said the detective was familiar with poor gun safety practices on film sets from his work on the set of “The Last,” but was unfamiliar with proper industry procedures.
“I did not prevent the grand jury from getting answers,” Morrissey said. “We made sure the grand jury had the most experienced witnesses to answer their questions.”
Mr. Baldwin did not appear at the hearing. After a judge handed down the guilty verdict in April, prosecutors turned their full attention to Baldwin. Movie Weapons Supervisor Hannah Gutierrez-Reid If convicted of manslaughter in Hutchins' death, he faces up to a year and a half in state prison.
Last year, prosecutors dismissed an earlier manslaughter charge against Baldwin after they said the gun he was carrying may have been modified and malfunctioned before firing. A new analysis of the gun last year allowed prosecutors to restart the case.
The indictment against Baldwin includes the following: Two possible standards for the prosecution to pursue. One is based on careless use of a firearm. The alternative is to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Baldwin caused Hutchins' death without “due care” or “vigilance.” This is also defined as “acts committed with complete disregard or indifference to the safety of others.''
Defense attorneys also argued that prosecutors prevented the grand jury from testifying against witnesses, including the film's director, assistant director and safety coordinator Dave Halls, and prop master Sarah Zachry. Halls pleaded no contest last year to a charge of careless handling of a firearm and was sentenced to six months of unsupervised probation.
Mr. Gutierrez-Reed's two-week trial presented an unusual opportunity for Mr. Baldwin's lawyers and the public. How will the actor's own trial develop?
Baldwin featured prominently in his testimony and closing argument, underscoring his authority as co-producer and lead actor on “The Last.” At Gutierrez-Reed's trial, both the prosecution and defense dissected video footage of Baldwin before the shooting for clues about a malfunctioning firearm safety.
Prosecutors argued that Gutierrez-Reed failed to follow basic gun safety regulations by unknowingly bringing live ammunition onto the set of “The Last,” where it was explicitly prohibited.
Gutierrez-Reed is appealing the jury's guilty verdict in March in Superior Court, but has not yet filed a detailed argument. At sentencing, Gutierrez-Reed told the judge that she tried to do her best on set, even though she didn't have “adequate time, resources and staffing.”
After filming in New Mexico, filming for “The Last” resumed in Montana, in agreement with Hutchins' husband Matthew Hutchins, with Hutchins appointed as executive producer. A civil court wrongful death lawsuit brought by Matthew Hutchins and Hutchins' son has been settled on undisclosed terms.
Defense attorneys said Baldwin was offered a deal last year to plead guilty to a “misdemeanor” offense before a grand jury convened, but the offer was “inexplicably withdrawn” before the deadline to respond.
