Murder trial on set in Hollywood took unexpected scenario
2023.03.27 18:11
Murder trial on set in Hollywood took unexpected scenario
By Kristina Sobol
Budrigannews.com – After the previous special prosecutor resigned, attorneys for the armorer in the New Mexico shooting death of “Rust” cinematographer Halyna Hutchins will ask a judge on Monday to reject a district attorney’s request to appoint a new one.
The latest effort by defense attorneys to weaken a prosecution plagued by legal errors since it filed criminal charges in January against armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed and actor Alec Baldwin for the 2021 on-set fatality is the noon ET (1600 GMT) Santa Fe court hearing.
On March 15, Andrea Reeb, a Republican state representative, resigned as the case’s special prosecutor after Baldwin’s attorneys argued that serving in two branches of government at the same time was illegal because it could result in a conflict of interest.
For an involuntary manslaughter charge, Baldwin has pleaded not guilty, and armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed is anticipated to do the same.
On Monday, Gutierrez-Reed’s attorneys, Jason Bowles and Todd Bullion, will request that district court judge Mary Marlowe Sommer, who is in charge of the “Rust” case, prevent the appointment of a new special prosecutor on the grounds that Santa Fe District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies is already in charge of the case. This request will be made during a virtual hearing.
Given the “magnitude” of the case and Marlowe Sommer’s current workload, Carmack-Altwies, who appointed Reeb, has asked Marlowe Sommer for permission to appoint a new special prosecutor.
A revolver Baldwin was practicing with fired a live round, resulting in the deaths of Hutchins and injuries to “Rust” director Joel Souza. Only the second film in which Gutierrez-Reed served as the primary weapons handler was “Rust.”
Baldwin and Gutierrez-Reed’s more serious charge of involuntary manslaughter was dropped after defense attorneys said a law supporting the charge was passed after Hutchins was killed.
On May 3, Marlowe Sommer will determine whether there is probable cause to try Baldwin and Gutierrez-Reed, who were both producers on the film.
Dave Halls, the first assistant director of “Rust,” has agreed to a misdemeanor plea deal and will have a hearing on March 31.
