USA After death of camerawoman - trial against Alec Baldwin begins

Almost three years after the death of a camerawoman in a shooting incident on the film set of the western "Rust", Hollywood star Alec Baldwin (66) is on trial for involuntary manslaughter. At the start of the headline-grabbing trial in Santa Fe in the US state of New Mexico, the jury is to be selected on Tuesday (local time). In the end, twelve jurors will have to reach a verdict. If found guilty, Baldwin faces up to 18 months in prison.

The deadly drama at Bonanza Creek Ranch, a popular western filming location in New Mexico, had shaken up Hollywood. On October 21, 2021, leading actor Baldwin pulled out a revolver in western gear during rehearsals. But instead of harmless bullets, live ammunition went off. The bullet pierced camerawoman Halyna Hutchins (42) and then hit director Joel Souza, who was standing behind her, in the shoulder. The mother of a then nine-year-old son died shortly afterwards, Souza escaped with minor injuries. It is unclear how the live ammunition got onto the set.

Baldwin's lawyers score points before trial begins

Baldwin had already appeared in court on Monday for a hearing with his lawyers - wearing a dark suit and tie. At the hearing, the defense and the prosecution exchanged blows in front of the judge until the very end over motions regarding which evidence and witnesses should be admitted to the trial. The defense scored points with their demand that only Baldwin's role as an actor is relevant in the proceedings. The prosecution, on the other hand, wanted to bring up Baldwin's other role as co-producer of the western, arguing that he had disregarded safety regulations in this role, exerted pressure on film-makers on set and thus put them in danger.

The hearing also dealt with the question of whether the jury will be able to see videos of Baldwin handling weapons on set. The prosecution wants to show, among other things, that the actor acted recklessly. The judge ruled in favor of the prosecution on this point.

Proceedings to be watched via livestream

Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer has scheduled just under two weeks for the trial. Cameras are permitted in the courtroom - the proceedings will be broadcast around the world via livestream. Among others, filmmakers, investigators and weapons experts are expected to take the witness stand.

Baldwin has claimed in interviews that he did not pull the trigger of the gun. The actor and producer pleaded not guilty to the charge in January. However, according to a report by firearms experts, the trigger must have been pulled.

In a separate trial, the armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, who was responsible for gun safety on the set of "Rust", was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter. She had loaded the gun, which contained live ammunition. In April, she was sentenced to the maximum sentence of 18 months in prison.

Baldwin's name was constantly mentioned in the first criminal trial - as the lead actor and producer of the low-budget western, the prosecution blamed him and other participants for a lack of safety on set. The producers had ignored precautionary measures in order to make a quick buck, it was claimed.

SDA