Mexico

Manslaughter Charges Against Alec Baldwin Dropped

APR 21 2023·Updated APR 24 2023

Story

Image credit: dailywire

The Facts

On Thursday, New Mexico prosecutors announced that they're dropping involuntary manslaughter charges against actor Alec Baldwin over the fatal on-set shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins in October 2021.
Mirror
This comes after prosecutors learned that Baldwin's prop gun, a Colt .45 pistol, had been modified with a new trigger in a way that made a misfire more likely, stating that the newly revealed facts "demand further investigation and forensic analysis."
BBC News
Baldwin had been filming 'Rust' on a ranch south of Santa Fe when the prop firearm he was pointing at Hutching went off, killing her and injuring director Joel Souza.
guardian
Accused of showing negligent behavior by pointing a real pistol at Hutchins and placing his finger on the trigger, Baldwin was charged with two counts of involuntary manslaughter in January this year.
Al Jazeera
Despite this development, Baldwin, who had pleaded not guilty to manslaughter and criminal culpability, isn't completely absolved as there's potential for charges to be refiled.
Los Angeles Times
In March, the movie's safety coordinator and assistant director David Halls pleaded no contest to his conviction for unsafe handling of a firearm and received a suspended sentence of six months of probation.
NPR

Sources Split

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The Spin

Narrative A

This case has been botched from the get-go. The investigators failed to determine how live bullets ended up on a movie set while turning a blind eye to the fact that live rounds were found in multiple locations, and that firearms had reportedly gone off by accident before this fatal incident. Moreover, the decision to drop the involuntary manslaughter charges raises questions about whether the previous team of prosecutors ever had sufficient evidence before deciding to charge Baldwin.

Newsweek

Narrative B

Indicting Baldwin was undoubtedly wrong given he had no reason to believe there was a live bullet in the firearm, as he relied on the role of professionals whose job it was to ensure safety on set. Nevertheless, Hutchins's death was not an accident — it was the tragic and wholly avoidable result of Hollywood's obsession with authenticity in its pursuit of profit. This incident highlights the urgent need to legislate, or even ban, the use of real weapons on movie sets.

Los Angeles Times