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Alec Baldwin’s involuntary manslaughter trial took an unexpected turn Friday after his defense team filed a suprise motion to dismiss the actor’s case over disputed ammunition evidence.
Attorney Spiro argued that prosecutors hid evidence from them about the ammunition that may be related to the shooting death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of the Western film “Rust” in 2021.
Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, the film’s armorer was expected to testify today, but it has been delayed. She has already been convicted of involuntary manslaughter and was sentenced to 18 months in prison.
During a rehearsal of a shooting scene in 2021, a prop gun Baldwin was holding went off, striking and killing Hutchins and injuring director Joel Souza. Baldwin is charged with involuntary manslaughter and faces 18 months in prison.
On Wednesday, jurors heard opening statements with prosecutors saying that the Hollywood star skipped safety checks and recklessly handled a revolver prior to the fatal incident.
Baldwin “played make believe with a real gun and violated the cardinal rules of firearm safety,” special prosecutor Erlinda Ocampo Johnson said.
But defense attorney Alex Spiro said “these cardinal rules, they’re not cardinal rules on a movie set.”
In witness testimony, prosecutors played the fraught 911 call in the aftermath of the shooting and graphic bodycam capturing the frantic efforts of first responders to save Hutchins. In the courtroom, Baldwin looked at the screen somberly as the video played.
Key points
- Hannah Gutierrez-Reed will not testify today
- Crime scene tech says there is evidence armorer brought live rounds on set
- Alec Baldwin’s wife Hilaria and brother Stephen show support at trial
- Gloria Allred says Halyna Hutchins’ family cannot travel for trial
- How much jail time could Alec Baldwin face if convicted?
‘A wild goose chase’
The ammunition at the center of Friday’s explosive proceedings was handed over to a crime scene technician after Hannah Gutierrez-Reed’s trial by a “good Samaritan” who claimed they came from “Rust” prop supplier Seth Kenney, the owner of PDQ Props.
Special prosecutor Kari Morrissey established in her questioning that the source of the ammunition was Troy Teske, who is friends with Gutierrez-Reed’s father.
The state says the rounds do not match the rounds that were found on set because the primers are different colors.
“This is a wild goose chase,” Morrissey said. “This has no evidentiary value whatsoever.”
But the defense said that that was not for her to decide and that she should’ve disclosed it to them.
The judge asked to see the rounds and put on blue gloves. She then asked Marissa Poppell, the crime scene technician, to go through the rounds one by one.
Morrissey said the ammunition had no evidentiary value, but the defense said that that was not for her to decide and that she should’ve disclosed it to them.
Andrea Cavallier12 July 2024 18:57 1720805223Defense files surprise motion to dismiss case over ammo evidence
Alec Baldwin’s defense filed a motion to dismiss the case over disputed ammunition evidence.
The defense argued that prosecutors hid evidence from them about the ammunition that may be related to the shooting death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of the film “Rust” in 2021.
The prosecution has said that the ammunition was not connected to the case and was not hidden.
The issue came up Thursday with crime scene technician Marissa Poppell after Baldwin’s lawyer Alex Spiro suggested with his questions that Poppell and other authorities had been too cozy with the film’s firearms supplier Seth Kenney and had insufficiently investigated whether he was responsible for the live bullets reaching the set.
Special prosecutor Kari Morrissey established in her questioning that the source of the ammunition was Troy Teske, a friend of the father of the film’s armorer, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed.
Morrissey said the bullets were not the same size or chemical composition as the live rounds found on the “Rust” set, including the one that killed Hutchins.
Andrea Cavallier12 July 2024 18:27 1720801156Judge dismisses jury for the weekend
The jury is being dismissed for the weekend.
“Trials are fluid,” Judge Marlowe Sommer tells them.
They will return on Monday at 10:30am ET.
Court is now taking a break.
Andrea Cavallier12 July 2024 17:19 1720799340Jury still not in courtroom
Court was expected to resume this morning in Alec Baldwin’s trial, but a motion’s hearing has delayed further testimony.
Attorneys and Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer are in the courtroom, along with Baldwin.
Andrea Cavallier12 July 2024 16:49 1720795722Hannah Gutierrez-Reed will not testify today
According to reporters at the Alec Baldwin trial in Santa Fe, New Mexico, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed will not testify today.
Prosecution is running behind with their witnesses, which delays the trial schedule.
A motion hearing will be held this morning before court resumes with the lead detective in the case.
Andrea Cavallier12 July 2024 15:48 1720795421No Hannah Gutierrez-Reed today. This trial is running behind schedule. Motion this AM is regarding the bullets brought in to the sheriff's office by the "Good Samaritan" after Hannah's conviction. Prosecution says the Good Samaritan was a friend of Hannah's father, legendary…
— Angenette Levy (@Angenette5) July 12, 2024
WATCH LIVE: Alec Baldwin trial resumes
Andrea Cavallier12 July 2024 15:43 1720795057Will Hannah Gutierrez-Reed testify?
Questions still remain about whether or not Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, the armorer on the Rust film set, will testify on Friday – or at all – during Alec Baldwin’s involuntary manslaughter trial.
She has been transported from prison to the courthouse in Santa Fe, but her attorney has said she will plead the Fifth.
There are reports that special prosecutor Kari Morrissey is now unsure whether she will call Gutierrez-Reed to testify.
Gutierrez-Reed has already been convicted of involuntary manslaughter and was sentenced to 18 months in prison.
Andrea Cavallier12 July 2024 15:37 1720793320Special prosecutors Kari Morrissey and Erlinda Johnson arrive for Baldwin trial
Special prosecutors Kari Morrissey, Erlinda Johnson and Jason Lewis have arrived at the Santa Fe courthouse on Friday for Alec Baldwin’s involuntary manslaughter trial.
Andrea Cavallier12 July 2024 15:08 1720792682Special prosecutors arrive - Kari Morrissey, Erlinda Johnson and Jason Lewis. I asked about this morning’s motion @LawCrimeNetwork #AlecBaldwin pic.twitter.com/8eB14njDcO
— Angenette Levy (@Angenette5) July 12, 2024
Crowd gathers outside courthouse for Alec Baldwin’s trial
Andrea Cavallier12 July 2024 14:58 1720789251LIVE: Alec Baldwin on trial for involuntary manslaughter in fatal shooting on 'Rust' set https://t.co/kiFNSJSirb
— Reuters (@Reuters) July 12, 2024
Court will resume at 10:30am ET
Alec Baldwin will be back in court today as the first week of his involuntary manslaughter trial comes to a close.
Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, the armorer on the film set “Rust,” who was convicted in March, is set to take the stand.
But will she speak? Her attorney has said she will plead the fifth.
Gutierrez-Reed is reportedly being transported from prison to the Santa Fe courthouse this morning.
Andrea Cavallier12 July 2024 14:00 Newer1 / 5OlderDisclaimer: 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.
