Alec Baldwin’s trial in the fatal shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins starts today with jury selection in Santa Fe, New Mexico. It is set to last nine days.
Baldwin, 66, faces charges of involuntary manslaughter after a revolver he was handling on the set of Rust accidentally fired, killing Hutchins and wounding director Joel Souza in 2021.
If convicted, Baldwin could face up to 18 months in prison. He claims the gun fired accidentally during a rehearsal. His team further says that the actor was told that the gun didn’t carry a live round, arguing that he had no knowledge that firing the gun would release the bullet, so he couldn’t be charged with involuntary manslaughter.
Meanwhile, in a major setback to prosecutors, a judge ruled that Balwin’s role as producer is irrelevant to the trial.