Alec Baldwin’s fans were left devastated after the actor was charged with one count of involuntary manslaughter over the tragic death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins.
A grand jury in New Mexico charged the 65-year-old with a count of involuntary manslaughter over the incident that occurred on the set of the movie Rust in 2021, BBC News reported.
The decision was announced on January 19 after the grand jury heard evidence presented by prosecutors Jason Lewis and Kari Morrissey.
According to CBS News, the actor now faces up to 18 months in jail.
Baldwin’s attorneys, Alex Spiro and Luke Nikas, responded to the decision to indict the actor. They said in a statement: “We look forward to our day in court.”
Last April, previous charges against the actor had been dropped but local prosecutors said in October that ‘additional facts’ meant that the case should be put to a grand jury.
Baldwin was holding a prop gun in October 2021 on the set of Rust when it discharged, taking the life of Hutchins and leaving director Joel Souza injured.
The actor said that he did not know the weapon contained a live bullet and claimed that he did not pull the trigger.
Gloria Allred, an attorney for Hutchin’s family, responded to Friday’s indictment and said: “Our clients have always sought the truth about what happened on the day that Halyna Hutchins was tragically shot and killed on October 21, 2021.
“They continue to seek the truth in our civil lawsuit for them and they also would like there to be accountability in the criminal justice system.”
Allred continued: “The grand jury has decided that there is sufficient evidence to indict Alec Baldwin on the charge of involuntary manslaughter. We are looking forward to the criminal trial which will determine if he should be convicted for the untimely death of Halyna.”
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