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Prosecutors downgrade charges against Alec Baldwin for 'Rust' accident

Alec Baldwin still faces involuntary manslaughter charges, though the maximum sentence would be 18 months if convicted.

Alec Baldwin in a New York City gala

Alec Baldwin / Cordon Press.

Published by
Rosana Rábago Sainz

Alec Baldwin will no longer face up to five years in prison for the accident while filming the movie Rust. The actor still faces involuntary manslaughter charges in the death of Halyna Hutchins. However, the prosecution agreed to significantly reduce his sentence and that of gun owner Hannah Gutiérrez-Reed and, if convicted, they should only serve 18 months in prison.

A spokeswoman for the U.S. attorney for the First Judicial District of New Mexico, Heather Brewer, announced the prosecution's decision to reduce Baldwin's sentence via a press release sent to Deadline:

In order to avoid further litigious distractions by Mr. Baldwin and his attorneys, the District Attorney and the special prosecutor have removed the firearm enhancement to the involuntary manslaughter charges in the death of Halyna Hutchins on the Rust film set. The prosecution’s priority is securing justice, not securing billable hours for big-city attorneys.

If convicted, Baldwin would only serve 18 months in prison

It was the firearm enhancement charge that would have resulted in the most years in prison, resulting in a maximum of five years behind bars if convicted. This decision is a victory for Baldwin's legal team, who have yet to comment.

However, it was his team who argued weeks ago that their client was being charged incorrectly. The legislation imposing a maximum of five years imprisonment for this offense had not come into effect in New Mexico until months after the accident took place, they said.

The decision to reduce the sentence was made on Friday. Now both Baldwin and gun owner Hannah Gutierrez-Reed will continue to face involuntary manslaughter charges. The penalty in the event of conviction at trial for this crime is much less, as it only carries a sentence of 18 months.

One of Gutierrez-Reed's lawyers, Jason Bowles, told The New York Times that the sentence reduction "reflected good ethical standards and was correct on the facts and law." Luke Nikas, Baldwin's lawyer, declined to comment on the matter.

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