What you should know about the actor Alec Baldwin grand jury testimony and the deadly film set shooting in 2021

SANTA FE, N.M. – Prosecutors are making ready to current proof to a grand jury in opposition to Alec Baldwin within the deadly 2021 capturing of a cinematographer on the set of a Western film in New Mexico.

A grand jury didn’t take up the case Thursday and a call on whether or not to revive legal expenses in opposition to Baldwin nonetheless could possibly be weeks away. It is a secretive course of with out public entry, as prosecutors current proof and witnesses presumably testify with out a cross-examination or fast vetting by protection counsel.

Baldwin, lead actor and co-producer of “Rust,” was pointing a gun at cinematographer Halyna Hutchins throughout a rehearsal on a film set exterior Santa Fe in October 2021 when the gun went off, killing her and wounding director Joel Souza. Baldwin has stated he pulled again the hammer — however not the set off — and the gun fired.

Particular prosecutors initially dismissed an involuntary manslaughter cost in opposition to Baldwin in April, saying they have been knowledgeable the gun might need been modified earlier than the capturing and malfunctioned. They later pivoted after receiving a brand new evaluation of the gun and can ask a grand jury to contemplate recharging Baldwin.

Listed here are among the latest developments.

SUBPOENAED EVIDENCE

Particular prosecutors should not solely marshaling proof in opposition to Baldwin for the grand jury to contemplate, but additionally actively making ready for a scheduled February 2024 trial in opposition to “Rust” film armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, who has pleaded not responsible to involuntary manslaughter and proof tampering within the case.

These preparations for trial embrace latest subpoenas for paperwork from producers of “Rust,” and any audio and video recordings held by a Malibu, California, manufacturing studio which may embrace Baldwin on the set of “Rust” or his feedback in regards to the movie elsewhere.

Neama Rahmani, a former federal prosecutor in Southern California and at the moment president of West Coast Trial Attorneys, says paperwork or information uncovered in case in opposition to Gutierrez-Reed will be repurposed .

“These can absolutely be used against Baldwin,” he stated.

UNRELEASED VIDEOS

A number of beforehand unreleased video clips of Baldwin on the set of “Rust,” previous to the deadly capturing, emerged Wednesday on NBC Information, with out indicating who supplied the footage. They present Baldwin firing a prop gun outdoor within the desert and voicing considerations about security.

“You want to go on the other side of the camera? I don’t want to shoot toward you,” he says in a single clip.

Rahmani says he is seen nothing that will shift core arguments by prosecutors in opposition to Baldwin.

“I don’t see how any of this is new evidence. It isn’t,” Rahmani stated. “Their theory in the case is going to be that Baldwin pulled the trigger, even though he said he didn’t. …. You should never point even a gun at another human being and pull the trigger, even if you believe it contains blanks. That’s their theory of the case. This video doesn’t change any of that.”

GUN ANALYSIS

Specialists in ballistics and forensic testing primarily based in Arizona and New Mexico relied on substitute elements to reassemble the gun fired by Baldwin — after elements of the pistol have been damaged throughout earlier testing by the FBI. Their report examined the gun and markings it left on a spent cartridge to conclude that the set off needed to have been pulled or depressed.

The evaluation led by Lucien Haag of Forensic Science Providers in Arizona acknowledged that though Baldwin repeatedly denied pulling the set off, “given the tests, findings and observations reported here, the trigger had to be pulled or depressed sufficiently to release the fully cocked or retracted hammer of the evidence revolver.”

An earlier FBI report on the company’s evaluation of the gun discovered that, as is widespread with firearms of that design, it might go off with out pulling the set off if power was utilized to an uncocked hammer — akin to by dropping the weapon.

The one method the testers might get it to fireplace was by hanging the gun with a mallet whereas the hammer was down and resting on the cartridge, or by pulling the set off whereas it was absolutely cocked. The gun ultimately broke throughout testing.

NEXT STEPS

A grand jury might weigh whether or not there may be “probable cause” to convey expenses in opposition to Baldwin because the goal of the investigation. To indict him, no less than eight jurors out of 12 should endorse a possible trigger discovering. A case can’t be introduced twice earlier than a grand jury on the identical proof, so if they do not proceed this time a second grand jury is much less probably.

New Mexico-based prosecutors Kari Morrissey and Jason Lewis say extra information have come to mild that they consider present Baldwin has legal culpability within the demise of Hutchins.

Attorneys for Baldwin say a horrible tragedy has become this misguided prosecution try and that they may reply any expenses in court docket.

In March, David Halls, “Rust” assistant director and security coordinator, pleaded no contest to unsafe dealing with of a firearm and acquired a suspended sentence of six months of probation. He agreed to cooperate within the investigation of the capturing.