Actor Alec Baldwin pleaded not guilty this Wednesday to the charge of involuntary manslaughter for the death of a colleague on set in 2021 while rehearsing a scene for his movie Rust.
Baldwin presented his written statement before the New Mexico court overseeing the investigation into the death of the movie's director of photography, Halyna Hutchins. In the statement, the 65-year-old actor declined to formally appear before the court. The first hearing of the case initially scheduled for this Thursday, February 1, will not be held, according to AFP.
Alec Baldwin was charged last month with the fatal shooting that killed the movie's director of photography. Baldwin was holding a Colt .45 pistol on October 21, 2021, at the Bonanza Creek ranch, near Santa Fe, when a shot was fired that fatally hit Hutchins and wounded the movie's director, Joel Souza.
The actor was charged a year ago. However, the prosecution dropped the charges in April after Baldwin also pleaded not guilty. The star repeatedly claimed that he did not fire the weapon. However, forensic experts hired by the prosecution concluded that Baldwin had to apply some pressure on the trigger for the gun to fire. A grand jury concluded in January that there was probable cause against Baldwin, either for negligent use of a firearm or for lack of caution, which led to this new accusation.
If convicted, Baldwin could face up to 18 months in prison. The actor is currently out on bail.
