Defense Claims Mismanagement in Baldwin Case; Prosecutors Allege Weapons Specialist was Intoxicated

Prosecutors have claimed that the armorer on the set of the movie where actor Alec Baldwin accidentally killed a cinematographer, was under the influence of alcohol and marijuana during the evenings of filming for “Rust”. The prosecution alleges that she was possibly hungover when she inadvertently loaded a live round into the revolver used by Baldwin.

These allegations were made in response to a motion submitted by attorneys for Hannah Gutierrez-Reed last month, requesting the dismissal of her involuntary manslaughter charge. Prosecutors maintain that Gutierrez-Reed has a past of negligent behavior, arguing that it is in the public’s interest for her to face accountability.

On Tuesday, Jason Bowles, legal representative for Gutierrez-Reed, accused the prosecution of mishandling the case. He stated to The Big Big News, “Such is the weakness of their case that they’ve resorted to character defamation tactics against Hannah. It seems the prosecution has forsaken the pursuit of truth and justice.”

A preliminary hearing for Gutierrez-Reed is set for August. At that time, a judge is anticipated to determine whether there is sufficient cause for her charge to proceed.

In their rebuttal, prosecutors also indicated their intent to decide within the upcoming two months whether to refile charges against Baldwin, contingent on the examination results of the firearm and its defective sear. These items have been sent for additional testing to a state-appointed independent expert.

In April, the involuntary manslaughter charge against Baldwin, who also served as a producer on the movie, was dropped. This was due to prosecutors discovering new evidence and needing more time to conduct an investigation.

During an October 2021 rehearsal on the New Mexico film set, Baldwin inadvertently fired a gun at cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, causing her death and injuring the film’s director, Joel Souza.

Defense lawyers for Gutierrez-Reed had argued in their motion that the prosecution was influenced by inappropriate political motives. They claimed that Santa Fe District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies and the initial special prosecutor Andrea Reeb exploited the tragic on-set accident that led to Hutchins’ death to further their personal agendas.

The defense further asserts that the FBI’s testing of the gun, which resulted in permanent damage before their own examination, constituted destruction of evidence and breached the court’s discovery rules. They also argued that the specific prosecution of Gutierrez-Reed breached the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

Special prosecutors appointed after Reeb’s resignation countered these accusations in their reply, stating, “There is no element of selectiveness in this prosecution”.

While admitting that the origin of the live ammunition found on set remains unknown, prosecutors assert their continued efforts to find the source and maintain that the investigation is still underway. They also hint at the possibility that Gutierrez-Reed may be implicated, potentially leading to additional charges. The filing, however, did not provide specifics regarding this evidence.

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More about Alec Baldwin Case

• Details on Alec Baldwin’s Involvement in the Rust Incident
• More about Hannah Gutierrez-Reed’s Role on the Rust Set
• Legal Developments in the Rust Film Set Incident
• Overview of the Involuntary Manslaughter Charge
• Information on the 14th Amendment