In Santa Fe, New Mexico, prosecutors are strongly urging a judge not to dismiss charges of involuntary manslaughter against a movie weapons supervisor involved in the 2021 shooting death of a cinematographer during a rehearsal for the film “Rust,” which was incidentally caused by actor Alec Baldwin.
During an online hearing scheduled for Tuesday, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed’s defense attorneys will argue for the charges to be dropped, alleging that the prosecution’s handling of the case has been careless and marked by a tendency to seek public attention, thereby violating their client’s right to due process.
Additionally, the hearing will address objections to a recently filed charge of evidence tampering against Gutierrez-Reed. Moreover, there is a debate on whether prosecutors should be allowed to keep the identity of a witness confidential as they pursue this particular charge.
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According to prosecutors, a witness has come forward and is willing to testify that Hannah Gutierrez-Reed gave them a small bag of narcotics after returning from an interview at a police station. However, the witness has expressed concerns about potential media harassment and being blacklisted within the industry if they testify.
Defense attorney Jason Bowles has criticized the evidence-tampering charge, denouncing it as a vindictive attempt at “character assassination” orchestrated by prosecutors.
In the legal proceedings related to the tragic incident, prosecutors dropped the involuntary manslaughter charge against Alec Baldwin in April, which now leaves Hannah Gutierrez-Reed as the only remaining defendant in the case. If found guilty, she could face a maximum sentence of three years in prison.
The fatal shooting occurred during a rehearsal for the film “Rust” on October 21, 2021, when Alec Baldwin unintentionally fired a gun, resulting in the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and the injury of director Joel Souza.
In March of the same year, the “Rust” safety coordinator and assistant director, David Halls, pleaded no contest to a charge of unsafe handling of a firearm. He received a suspended sentence of six months’ probation and agreed to cooperate with the investigation into the shooting. Halls is now listed as a potential witness in upcoming evidentiary hearings to determine whether the case can proceed to trial.
