Alec Baldwin’s manslaughter charges in the ‘Rust’ case have been lowered, reducing the possible jail time

Prosecutors have lowered the manslaughter charges against Alec Baldwin, reducing the prison sentence the Hollywood star could face for the fatal 2021 shooting on the set of the movie ‘Rust’, according to documents. charge.

Last month, New Mexico First Judicial District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies charged Baldwin and the film’s gunsmith Hannah Gutierrez-Reed with two counts of manslaughter in the death of the cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, the most serious charge carrying a five-year prison sentence.

Good news removing the gun boost

Carmack-Altwies filed amended charges for Baldwin and Gutierrez-Reed on Friday, removing the gun boost and reducing their possible prison terms from a minimum of five years to a maximum of 18 months.

“To avoid further contentious distractions from Mr. Baldwin and his attorneys, the District Attorney and Special Prosecutor have removed the firearm reinforcement of the manslaughter charges in connection with the death of Halyna Hutchins on the set of “Rust,” Heather Brewer, a spokeswoman for New Mexico’s first judicial prosecutor, said in a statement.

A lawyer for Baldwin did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

“We applaud the district attorney’s decision to reject the gun reinforcement and it was the right decision, ethically and substantively,” said Jason Bowles, an attorney for Gutierrez-Reed.

The ’30 Rock’ actor denied responsibility for the shooting, which occurred when a gun he was training with fired a live bullet that killed Hutchins. He said he cocked the revolver but never pulled the trigger and it was the job of Gutierrez-Reed and other weapons professionals to make sure he was unloaded.

On December 7, Gutierrez-Reed told the New Mexico Worker Safety Agency (OSHA) that the shooting could have been avoided if she had had more time to train Baldwin. She said he was in “bad form” when using the gun.