With Alec Baldwin's involuntary manslaughter trial underway in New Mexico, a jury is hearing arguments for and against the actor, who is accused of bearing some responsibility for the death of his film's 42-year-old cinematographer in an on-set incident in 2021.
After 12 jurors and four alternates — 11 women and five men — were chosen Tuesday, the courtroom heard opening arguments Wednesday.
Baldwin, 66, has pleaded not guilty to the charge and remains free on his own recognizance. The actor faces up to 18 months in prison if convicted.
The trial is in Santa Fe, New Mexico, over eight days, between July 10-19.
During the first day of Baldwin's trial, wife Hilaria Baldwin and brother Stephen Baldwin were seated behind the actor while opening arguments were underway. High-profile attorney Gloria Allred was also in the courtroom gallery representing Hutchins' family.
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"It was obviously a tragic accident, but Alec committed no homicide," Baldwin's attorney, Alex Spiro, said in opening statements, stressing Baldwin's role as an actor.
"Alec took the gun from those charged with its safety. He did not tamper. He did not load it himself. He did not leave it unattended. It completed his costume and his character. It was an actor handling a prop and integrating it into the character of Harlan Rust."
Spiro largely blamed "Rust" armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed and first assistant director Dave Halls for alleged negligence. "There were people responsible for firearms safety but actor Alec Baldwin committed no crime," Spiro said.
Prosecutor Erlinda Johnson said during opening statements: "The evidence will show that someone who played make-believe with a real gun and violated the cardinal rules of firearm safety is the defendant, Alexander Baldwin."
Johnson also alleged Baldwin "requested to be assigned the biggest gun available" for the production.
On Oct. 21, 2021, Baldwin was pointing a pistol at Halyna Hutchins during a rehearsal for the Western film in when the gun went off, killing Hutchins and wounding director Joel Souza. The tragedy marked Hollywood's first on-set shooting fatality in three decades.
Baldwin, also a producer on the film, had claimed he'd pulled back the hammer — but not the trigger — and the gun fired.
A combination of 24-year-old armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed's "negligence and inexperience" and Baldwin's "complete lack of concern for the safety of those around him" on set contributed to the death of 42-year-old Hutchins, according to prosecutors.
In March, a jury found Gutierrez-Reed guilty of involuntary manslaughter. In 2023, assistant director Halls pleaded no contest to negligent use of a deadly weapon and the unsafe handling of a firearm. He received a suspended six-month sentence with unsupervised probation.
Contributing: Naledi Ushe