Actor Alec Baldwin scored a significant win in the “Rust” shooting case.
On Monday, The New York Times reported that prosecutors have moved to downgrade the involuntary manslaughter charges filed against Baldwin after holding the gun that killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of the movie “Rust” in 2021.
The Times noted the decision reduces the prison time Baldwin would have received from a minimum of five years to 18 months.
Heather Brewer, a spokeswoman for the district attorney, said in a statement the prosecution decided to get rid of the firearm enhancement charge to “avoid further litigious distractions by Mr. Baldwin and his attorneys.”
She added, “The prosecution’s priority is securing justice, not securing billable hours for big-city attorneys.”
Additionally, according to the report, the change to the charges applies to armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed.
A lawyer for Gutierrez-Reed, Jason Bowles, commented on the prosecutors’ decision, saying it “reflected good ethical standards and was correct on the facts and law.”
The Times noted prosecutors have filed two counts “in the alternative” for the clients.
The newspaper explained that means if Baldwin and Gutierrez-Reed “are convicted, a jury would decide which definition of involuntary manslaughter applies.”
A judge will be asked to decide if there is reason to go ahead with the charges filed against them.
They are both set to enter their pleas on Friday, per the Times.
Prosecutors previously explained their case against Baldwin last month in a statement obtained by Fox News.
“Baldwin’s deviation from known standards, practice and protocol directly caused the fatal death of Hutchins,” the statement explains.
It continues, “By not receiving the required training on firearms, not checking the firearm with the armorer, letting the armorer leave the firearms in the church without being present, deviating from the practice of only accepting the firearm from the armorer, not dealing with the safety complaints on set and/or making sure safety meetings were held, putting his finger on the trigger of a real firearm when a replica or rubber gun should have been used, pointing the firearms at Hutchins and Souza, and the overall handling of the firearms in a negligent manner, Baldwin acted with willful disregard for the safety of others and in a manner which endangered other people, specifically Hutchins and Souza.”
The actor will make his first appearance in court on February 24.
