Hollywood star Alec Baldwin's trial over the shooting of a cinematographer on a movie set will begin on Tuesday.
Jurors will be tasked with deciding whether the actor is guilty of involuntary manslaughter over the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of the western film Rust in October 2021.
The 66-year-old could get up to 18 months in prison if convicted.
A revolver Baldwin was pointing at cinematographer Halyna Hutchins went off, killing her and wounding director Joel Souza during rehearsals.
The 30 Rock star has said the gun fired accidentally after he followed instructions to point it toward Hutchins, who was behind the camera.
Unaware the gun contained a live round, Baldwin said he pulled back the hammer, not the trigger, and it fired.
New Mexico Judge Mary Marlowe Summer has said that the special circumstances of a celebrity trial shouldn't keep jury selection from moving quickly, and that opening statements should begin Wednesday.
“I'm not worried about being able to pick a jury in one day," Marlowe Summer said. "I think we're going to pick a jury by the afternoon."
Dozens of prospective jurors will be brought into the courtroom for questioning on Tuesday morning.
Cameras that will carry the rest of the proceedings will be turned off to protect their privacy.
On Monday, the judge ruled that Baldwin's role as a producer on the film was not relevant to the involuntary manslaughter charge.
The move was a setback for prosecutors who had planned to present evidence that showed that Baldwin bore a special responsibility as co-producer for the dangerous environment that led to the deadly shooting.
Read More
But the judge also ruled prosecutors could show graphic images from Ms Hutchins' autopsy, and from police lapel cameras during the treatment of her injuries to make their case.
Rust armourer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed received 18 months in prison after a jury found her guilty of the same charge. Her defence lawyer has filed an appeal notice.
Disclaimer: The copyright of this article belongs to the original author. Reposting this article is solely for the purpose of information dissemination and does not constitute any investment advice. If there is any infringement, please contact us immediately. We will make corrections or deletions as necessary. Thank you.
