Alec Baldwin Rust Case, Charges Filed Against Actor Have Been Dropped

Alec Baldwin finally gets a break in the Rust case. The process will have a pause, requested by the authorities themselves to investigate further what happened. Initially, they accused the protagonist Alec Baldwin and the armorer Hannah Gutierrez Reed. This is for the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins during a rehearsal at the Santa Fe ranch in 2021.

This week there were several updates on this case. The first was on Thursday, with the dropping of charges against actor Alec Baldwin. The other change was approving additional investigative team time to gather evidence and conduct a more detailed investigation into what happened. 

Alec Baldwin and the Latest Updates on the Rust Case

Image via Santa Fe County sheriff’s office

The trial proceedings in the death of Halyna Hutchins in New Mexico continue to move forward. The project armorer, Hannah Gutierrez Reed, was scheduled for a hearing on May 3. However, that activity was delayed to August 9. The request came from the special prosecutors assigned to this case three weeks ago. The jury made this delay because they needed more time to talk to witnesses and investigate the evidence. 

Prosecutors dropped Alec Baldwin’s charges in the Rust case. However, Guitérrez will face a tougher process. The gunmaker’s attorney also agreed to the request, which was approved by the judge handling the case, Mary Marlowe Sommer. Gutierrez’s defense attorney stressed that he hoped the truth would come out and his client and Baldwin would be exonerated. His allegations are focused on the gun’s supplier, Seth Kenney.

According to the attorney’s comments at trial, Seth Kenney provided a defective gun and bullets that caused the cinematographer’s death. He charges that it is his responsibility for the death, not that of his client. According to the lawyer, she only proceeded to give him the gun with the implements he supplied to the studio. However, he is not a defendant at this moment but a witness for the prosecution.

Another point that the lawyer of the gunmaker touches on is the reason for the exoneration of Alec Baldwin from the Rust case. The lawyer indicates that his client only gave the gun to the actor to practice his scene. In addition, the FBI’s analysis of the evidence concluded that Colt .45 was modified before the events. 

Rust Trial Possibilities

Image via yellowstone film ranch

With Alec Baldwin cleared of charges in the Rust Case, it’s all on the armory manager. According to Gutierrez’s attorney, the scenario is quite favorable for his client, considering the request to postpone the trial. On August 9, everything can be defined. Even if no new evidence proves the guilt of the gunmaker, she can go free.

Part of Gutierrez’s defense statements were: “The truth about what happened will come out and the questions that we have long sought answers for will be answered. We fully expect at the end of this process that Hannah will also be exonerated”.

Alec Baldwin may be free, although he should not be so calm with the Rust case if we consider the comments of the special prosecutors. They clarified that despite having dropped the charges against the actor, they could formulate them again if they think it is pertinent. This would imply that the actor must appear again before the New Mexico court.

Rust’s trial will continue its investigations, which formally began in 2021. This has been an interesting two-year investment by the prosecution and the rest of the investigative team in both the Gutierrez and Baldwin cases. There is much anticipation as to what will happen in this legal dispute and whether it will ever come to light what happened that day that led to the death of Halyna Hutchins.  

Featured Image Via IMDB 

I am a circus aerialist influenced by Dick Grayson and Spider-Man. Fortunate to write about the characters that inspired me. I also have a Bachelor's degree in Political Science and a Master's degree in International Trade.