New Mexico prosecutors on Tuesday said they intended to recharge actor Alec Baldwin with involuntary manslaughter for the fatal shooting of Rust cinematographer Halyna Hutchins in 2021.
Baldwin’s case will be brought before a grand jury in mid-November, said special prosecutor Kari Morrissey. The move followed results of an independent forensic test that found Baldwin had to pull the trigger of a revolver he was rehearsing with for it to fire the live round that killed Hutchins and wounded director Joel Souza.
The finding was the same as a previous FBI test on the firearm.
“After extensive investigation over the past several months, additional facts have come to light that we believe show Mr Baldwin has criminal culpability in the death of Halyna Hutchins and the shooting of Joel Souza,” Morrissey and Jason Lewis said.
Baldwin has said he is not responsible for Hutchins’ death and he did not pull the trigger.
“It is unfortunate that a terrible tragedy has been turned into this misguided prosecution. We will answer any charges in court,” said Luke Nikas and Alex Spiro, lawyers for Baldwin.
The 30 Rock actor was originally charged with involuntary manslaughter in January for Hutchins’ death, along with the movie’s chief weapons handler Hannah Gutierrez, who faces a 2024 trial.
The planned grand jury marked a setback for Baldwin after prosecutors dismissed charges against him in April after new evidence the gun he used might have been modified, allowing it to fire without the trigger being pulled.
Morrissey said if new testing of the gun showed it was working, she would recharge Baldwin.
Prosecutors often use grand juries as they are an easier means to prove probable cause and proceed to trial rather than filing a criminal complaint that can be probed by defence lawyers at a preliminary hearing, legal experts said.
In other news – Sophia Bush and Ashlyn Harris are dating
Sophia Bush has scored herself a new date amid her divorce from estranged husband Grant Hughes. The One Tree Hill alum is dating former USWNT soccer player Ashlyn Harris, who herself is in the middle of a legal separation from estranged wife Ali Krieger, according to multiple outlets.
News of their budding romance comes two months after reports surfaced that Bush, 41, had filed for divorce from Hughes, 42, to end their 13-month marriage. Read More
