Fresh Criminal Charges Loom for Alec Baldwin in 2021 “Rust” Shooting. New Mexico prosecutors, in a statement to Fox News Digital, have confirmed that Alec Baldwin may potentially face new criminal charges in connection with the fatal “Rust” shooting of 2021. Special Prosecutors Kari Morrissey and Jason Lewis announced their findings after conducting an extensive investigation over the past several months.
“Additional facts have come to light that we believe show Mr. Baldwin has criminal culpability in the death of Halyna Hutchins and the shooting of Joel Souza,” said Morrissey and Lewis. They further expressed, “We believe the appropriate course of action is to permit a panel of New Mexico citizens to determine from here whether Mr. Baldwin should be held over for a criminal trial.”
Alec Baldwin’s legal team responded to these claims with a statement provided to Fox News Digital, saying, “It is unfortunate that a terrible tragedy has been turned into this misguided prosecution. We will answer any charges in court.”
New Criminal Charges Loom for Alec Baldwin: Fresh Developments in the ‘Rust’ Shooting Case (Credits: ABC News)
Morrissey and Lewis are planning to present their case to a grand jury within the next two months. This grand jury will be responsible for determining whether there is probable cause to bind Alec Baldwin over for criminal charges.
It’s worth noting that Baldwin was initially charged with involuntary manslaughter in January, more than one year after cinematographer Halyna Hutchins tragically lost her life on the set of the western film “Rust.” However, these criminal charges were dismissed in April, as special prosecutors cited that further investigation and forensic analysis required would not be completed before the scheduled preliminary hearing in May.
In a separate legal development, a judge recently ordered Baldwin’s production company to provide documents to prosecutors. The purpose of these documents is to investigate whether Baldwin may have attempted to cut corners on safety measures to maximize profit. The state’s request for these documents came after “Rust” armorer Hannah Gutierrez Reed’s legal team suggested that additional safety training was denied due to financial motives.
