SAG-AFTRA Defends Alec Baldwin, Says ‘Rust’ Shooting Charges Against Him Are “Wrong & Uninformed”
SAG-AFTRA On Thursday, the defense of Alec BaldwinWho is it?s facing involuntary manslaughter charges In connection to the accidental shooting death on set of Halyna Hutchins, cinematographer Rust. The guild said that the charges against him are “wrong and uninformed,” and that it is the responsibility of producers, not performers, to ensure safety on the set.
“The death of Halyna Hutchins is a tragedy, and all the more so because of its preventable nature. It is not a failure of duty or a criminal act on the part of any performer,” the guild said in a statement today.
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“The prosecutor’s contention that an actor has a duty to ensure the functional and mechanical operation of a firearm on a production set is wrong and uninformed. An actor’s job is not to be a firearms or weapons expert. The firearms are given to the user under the supervision of several experts who are responsible for its safe and precise operation. Additionally, the employer is responsible for providing a safe workplace, including the hiring and supervision of weapons-trained professionals.
“The Industry Standards for safety with firearms and use of blank ammunition are clearly laid out in Safety Bulletin 1, provided by the Joint Industry-Wide Labor Management Safety Commission. An experienced and qualified armorer must be responsible for all firearm handling, safekeeping, and use. These duties include ‘inspecting the firearm and barrel before and after every firing sequence,’ and ‘checking all firearms before each use.’
“The guidelines do not make it the performer’s responsibility to check any firearm. Performers train to perform, and they are not required or expected to be experts on guns or experienced in their use. This responsibility is delegated to professionals qualified in the field who supervise their handling. Anyone issued a firearm on set must be given training and guidance in its safe handlingg and use, but all activity with firearms on a set must be under the careful supervision and control of the professional armorer and the employer.”
n charges set to be formally filed by the end of the month, Baldwin and Gutierrez-Reed will each be charged with two counts of involuntary manslaughter in Hutchins’ death.
Baldwin and Rust armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed each face two charges of involuntary manslaughter in the incident that occurred on the indie Western’s New Mexico set in October 2021.
One of the charges is a fourth-degree felony with a maximum sentence of 18 months in prison and a fine up to $5,000. The second charge, which is formally an involuntary manslaughter in the commission of a lawful act charge, is also a fourth-degree felony punishable by up to 18 months in jail and up to a $5000 fine. However, the second charge additionally carries a firearm enhancement. This means that if Baldwin or GutierrezReed are found guilty, they will be sentenced to a mandatory five-year imprisonment.
Mary Carmack-Altwies from New Mexico First Judicial District Attorney has revealed the charges. Baldwin’s attorney Luke Nicas of Quinn Emanuel said “the decision distorts Halyna Hutchins’ tragic death and represents a terrible miscarriage of justice. Mr. Baldwin had no reason to believe there was a live bullet in the gun – or anywhere on the movie set. He trusted the professionals with which he had worked to assure him that the gun did indeed not have live round. We will fight these charges, and we will win.”
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