The ridiculous Alec Baldwin manslaughter case in Santa Fe took a major turn in the actor’s favor today.
The pre-trial began today, with Baldwin accused of manslaugher in the October 2022 accidental death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins. Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer ruled that Baldwin’s position as a producer on the film, “Rust,” was irrelevant.
The judge said: “I’m having real difficulty with the state’s position that they want to show that as a producer he didn’t follow guidelines and therefore as an actor Mr. Baldwin did all of these things wrong that resulted in the death of Ms. Hutchins because as a producer he allowed these things to happen.”
Even though Baldwin’s lawyers have been trying to get the whole case dismissed before the trial began, the judge’s new decision has helped them tremendously. If Baldwin’s role as a producer didn’t contribute to Hutchins’ death, being an actor certainly didn’t.
The same court has already sent Hannah Guitierrez-Reed, the person who handed Baldwin the loaded prop gun, to jail for 18 months.
But the Santa Fe District Attorney’s office has bent over backwards to prosecute Baldwin also, even though their evidence is thin. There was no intent on the actor’s part to shoot Hutchins, obviously.
I spoke to Baldwin on Saturday night when I ran into him and wife Hilaria at dinner at Nick and Toni’s in East Hampton. They were in a good but serious mood, and told me they were on their way out to Santa Fe on Sunday. Baldwin is in court and will be for the whole 10 days — unless the case is dismissed earlier. Hilaria told me she was taking her two eldest children out there for a couple of days but had to return for the five others.
The big winner here will be defense lawyer Alex Spiro, who’s already been featured in The New Yorker as a star who protects celebrities from going to jail.
