Current:Home > MarketsNew attorney joins prosecution team against Alec Baldwin in fatal ‘Rust’ shooting -Prime Capital Blueprint
New attorney joins prosecution team against Alec Baldwin in fatal ‘Rust’ shooting
EchoSense Quantitative Think Tank Center View
Date:2025-04-09 09:14:01
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — An attorney has been added to the special prosecution team that is pursuing an involuntary manslaughter charge against actor Alec Baldwin in the fatal shooting of a cinematographer on the set of the Western movie “Rust,” court officials confirmed Thursday.
The district attorney for Santa Fe has appointed Erlinda Johnson as special prosecutor to the case, which is scheduled for trial in July. She was sworn in Tuesday.
Baldwin has pleaded not guilty to an involuntary manslaughter charge in the shooting of Halyna Hutchins during an October 2021 rehearsal at a movie-set ranch on the outskirts of Santa Fe.
Baldwin, the lead actor and co-producer for “Rust,” was pointing a gun at Hutchins during rehearsal when the revolver went off, killing Hutchins and wounding director Joel Souza.
Johnson’s experience as a criminal defense and personal injury attorney include representing former New Mexico Secretary of State Dianna Duran, who resigned in 2015 amid revelations she used campaign funds to fuel a gambling addiction. Duran received a 30-day jail sentence after pleading guilty to embezzlement and money laundering charges.
Johnson previously worked as a federal prosecutor on drug enforcement and organized crime investigations after serving as assistant district attorney in the Albuquerque area.
Prosecutors are turning their full attention to Baldwin after a judge on Monday sentenced movie weapons supervisor Hannah Gutierrez-Reed to the maximum of 18 months at a state penitentiary on an involuntary manslaughter conviction Hutchins’s death.
Prosecutors said Gutierrez-Reed unwittingly brought live ammunition onto the set of “Rust,” where it was expressly prohibited, and failed to follow basic gun safety protocols. She was convicted by a jury in March.
Defense attorneys for Baldwin are urging the judge to dismiss the indictment against him, accusing prosecutors of “unfairly stacking the deck” in grand jury proceedings and diverting attention away from exculpatory evidence and witnesses.
Special prosecutors deny those accusations and accuse Baldwin of “shameless” attempts to escape culpability, highlighting contradictions in his statements to law enforcement, to workplace safety regulators and in a televised interview.
veryGood! (88973)
Related
- Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Hi Hi!
- AP Week in Pictures: North America
- Former aide and consultant close to U.S. Rep. Cuellar plead guilty and agree to aid investigation
- California’s budget deficit has likely grown. Gov. Gavin Newsom will reveal his plan to address it
- California DMV apologizes for license plate that some say mocks Oct. 7 attack on Israel
- Arizona State University scholar on leave after confrontation with woman at pro-Israel rally
- Maine man sentenced to 27 years in prison in New Year’s Eve machete attack near Times Square
- Ex-Ohio vice detective gets 11-year sentence for crimes related to kidnapping sex workers
- How to watch new prequel series 'Dexter: Original Sin': Premiere date, cast, streaming
- No Idea How To Do Your Hair? These Under-$15 Accessories & Tool-Free Style Hacks Are the Perfect Solution
Ranking
- Man can't find second winning lottery ticket, sues over $394 million jackpot, lawsuit says
- Video games help and harm U.S. teens — leading to both friendships and bullying, Pew survey says
- Welcome to Rockville 2024: Lineup, daily schedule, ticket information
- Hailey Bieber and Justin Bieber Renew Vows During Pregnancy Reveal
- Could your smelly farts help science?
- Looking for Unbeatable Home Deals? Run To Pottery Barn’s Sale, Where You’ll Score up to 60% Off
- A Puerto Rico Community Pushes for Rooftop Solar as Fossil-Fuel Plants Face Retirement
- Paid sick leave sticks after many pandemic protections vanish
Recommendation
Trump's 'stop
Pacers coach Rick Carlisle ejected after Knicks' controversial overturned double dribble
Utah avalanche triggers search for 3 skiers in mountains outside of Salt Lake City
Fight over foreign money in politics stymies deal to assure President Joe Biden is on Ohio’s ballot
Backstage at New York's Jingle Ball with Jimmy Fallon, 'Queer Eye' and Meghan Trainor
Hospitals across US disrupted after cyberattack targets healthcare network Ascencion
Biden says U.S. won't supply Israel with weapons for Rafah offensive
2024 South Carolina General Assembly session may be remembered for what didn’t happen