Alec Baldwin, a US actor, requested a "speedy trial" from a New Mexico court on Wednesday. Baldwin is accused of manslaughter in connection with the fatal shooting that occurred on his movie set.
Producer and star of the movie Baldwin was accused anew on Friday for his involvement in cinematographer Halyna Hutchins' 2021 death on the set of his picture "Rust."
During the low-budget Western's New Mexico rehearsals, he was carrying a Colt.45 when it fired a live cartridge, killing Hutchins and wounded director Joel Souza.
Baldwin has consistently denied taking responsibility for the shooting, maintaining that the gun should have been loaded with a non-lethal blank and that he did not pull the trigger.
The accusations made on Friday represent the most recent effort to hold someone accountable for the fatal incident, which rocked Hollywood and prompted demands to strengthen the laws governing the use of weapons on film sets.
According to court records viewed by AFP, Baldwin was ordered by the court to appear either in person or virtually for a first hearing by February 1.
Baldwin's protection To "minimize public vilification and suspicion and to avoid the hazards of proving his innocence that often arise after a lengthy delay in prosecution," Luke Nikas and Alex Spiro submitted a plea for a speedy trial on Wednesday.
The 65-year-old Baldwin's first manslaughter charges were dropped in April of last year as a result of what the prosecution described as "new facts" that prompted "further investigation and forensic analysis" and the grand jury's appointment, which resulted in Friday's indictment.
Baldwin may spend up to eighteen months behind bars if found guilty.
The armorer in the movie, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, who is in charge of keeping and distributing weapons, is scheduled to go on trial for involuntary manslaughter and tampering with evidence next month.
After accepting a plea agreement from the prosecution, Dave Halls, the assistant director and safety coordinator for the movie that gave Baldwin the loaded gun, was given a six-month probationary period.
The incident stopped "Rust" filming, but it started up again last year.
Executive producer for the film was Matthew Hutchins, the widower of the cinematographer, who had previously reached a settlement with the creators of "Rust" in a wrongful death lawsuit.
Returning as well, director Souza stated that while finishing the film will be "bittersweet," the actors and crew "are committed to completing what Halyna and I started."
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