Alec Baldwin has responded after being indicted on charges of involuntary manslaughter for a second time.
Us Weekly can confirm that Baldwin’s legal team filed paperwork on Wednesday, January 24, emphasizing their “demand for speedy trial, discovery and exculpatory information, notice of defense intent to call witnesses.” Court documents stated that Baldwin, 65, hopes to “minimize public vilification and suspicion” with a quicker trial and to “avoid the hazards of proving his innocence that often arise after a lengthy delay in prosecution.”
Baldwin is expected to appear before a judge in New Mexico on February 1 to enter his plea. Because Baldwin and his family reside in New York City, he has the option of appearing via phone or video conference.
Us confirmed on Friday, January 19, that Baldwin was indicted again in connection with the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, who was killed in an accidental shooting on the set of his movie Rust in 2021. If convicted of the fourth-degree felony, Baldwin could face up to 18 months in prison.
“We look forward to our day in court,” Baldwin’s attorneys, Luke Nikas and Alex Spiro, said in a statement to Us.
Baldwin was previously charged with involuntary manslaughter in January 2023. He pleaded not guilty, and the charges were dropped in April 2023. “We are pleased with the decision to dismiss the case against Alec Baldwin and we encourage a proper investigation into the facts and circumstances of this tragic accident,” his lawyers stated at the time.
Despite holding the prop gun that was fired on the movie set, which killed Hutchins and injured Rust director Joel Souza, Baldwin has insisted he’s not responsible for the incident.
“The trigger wasn’t pulled. I didn’t pull the trigger. I would never point a gun at anyone and pull the trigger at them. Never,” Baldwin told George Stephanopoulos in December 2021. “I have no idea [how a bullet got in there]. Someone put a live bullet in a gun. A bullet that wasn’t even supposed to be on the property.”
Baldwin was accused last year of not receiving required firearms training and not asking the movie’s armorer, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, to show him that the gun did not contain live rounds. Gutierrez-Reed is expected to stand trial in February after being charged with two counts of involuntary manslaughter, to which she pleaded not guilty.
Following Baldwin’s latest indictment, an attorney for Hutchins’ family released a statement addressing the charges. (Hutchins is survived by her husband, Matthew, and their son. Baldwin previously settled a wrongful death lawsuit with the family in 2022.)
“[My clients] have always sought the truth about what happened on the day that Halyna Hutchins was tragically shot and killed,” lawyer Gloria Allred said on Friday. “They continue to seek the truth in our civil lawsuit for them and they also would like there to be accountability in the criminal justice system.”
She added: “The grand jury has decided that there is sufficient evidence to indict Alec Baldwin on the charge of involuntary manslaughter. We are looking forward to the criminal trial which will determine if he should be convicted for the untimely death of Halyna.”
