Alec Baldwin pleads not guilty to manslaughter charges

The US actor faces expenses of involuntary manslaughter after fatally capturing a cinematographer on a movie set in 2021.

A photograph of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, who died after being shot by Alec Baldwin on the set of the movie Rust, is displayed throughout a vigil in October 2021 [File: Kevin Mohatt/Reuters]

United States actor Alec Baldwin has pleaded not responsible to felony expenses of involuntary manslaughter within the capturing loss of life of a cinematographer on the set of a Western film, in line with court docket paperwork filed on Thursday. He additionally waived his first formal court docket look.

Baldwin and a weapons supervisor had been charged final month with felony involuntary manslaughter within the capturing of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, who died shortly after being wounded throughout rehearsals at a ranch on the outskirts of Santa Fe, New Mexico, in October 2021.

Baldwin agreed to forgo a listening to to have his rights defined to him. A decide on Thursday set circumstances of launch that enable Baldwin to have restricted contact with potential witnesses in reference to plans to finish filming of the film Rust.

Prosecutors and defence attorneys are making ready for a probable preliminary listening to inside a couple of months to find out whether or not there's possible trigger to proceed to trial.

Different provisions of Baldwin’s pretrial launch embody a prohibition on consuming alcohol and towards any possession of weapons, together with firearms.

“Defendant is permitted to have contact with potential witnesses solely … in reference to finishing the Rust film and different associated and unrelated enterprise issues,” state District Choose Mary Marlowe mentioned in a signed order.

The order underscored, nonetheless, that Baldwin “isn't permitted to debate the accident at difficulty” with these potential witnesses.

The involuntary manslaughter expenses towards Baldwin, a lead actor and co-producer on Rust, and armourer Hannah Gutierrez Reed are punishable by as much as 18 months in jail and a $5,000 nice underneath New Mexico regulation.

Authorities mentioned Baldwin was pointing a pistol at Hutchins when the gun went off, killing her and wounding director Joel Souza.