Alec Baldwin Pleads Not Guilty

UPDATE Jan 31, 2024 6:05 PM CST

Avoiding a formal arraignment, Alec Baldwin entered a not guilty plea in New Mexico on Wednesday to the new involuntary manslaughter charges against him in the shooting death of Halyna Hutchins. The actor was then released on his personal recognizance, People reports. The conditions of his release include prohibitions on possessing firearms and on consuming drugs or alcohol. Baldwin may not leave the country without the court's permission.

Jan 19, 2024 2:02 PM CST

Alec Baldwin is back in familiar territory—facing charges of involuntary manslaughter in his fatal movie-set shooting of 2021. A grand jury in New Mexico on Friday indicted the actor in the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, reports Variety. Baldwin faced the same charge previously before local authorities dropped the case last year. If convicted, the 65-year-old Baldwin would face 18 months in prison. "We look forward to our day in court," said Baldwin's attorneys Luke Nikas and Alex Spiro in a statement. No trial date has been set, per NBC News.

Baldwin has long denied responsibility for Hutchins' death, saying he was not informed the gun he held on the set of Rust contained live rounds, adding that no live ammo should have been on the set at all. He also insists he never pulled the gun's trigger, though the New York Times notes that a subsequent forensics analysis by prosecutors cast doubt on that claim. Special prosecutors in Santa Fe brought the case to a grand jury this week, months after that analysis had been completed, per the AP. Two of the witnesses who testified before the grand jury were crew members on the movie, and one was present when the shot was fired.

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The shooting also injured director Joel Souza. In addition to the criminal case, Baldwin has been embroiled in a series of civil suits over the shooting. He has asserted in court filings that the controversy has made it difficult for him to get acting jobs, and USA Today notes that he recently put his Hamptons estate on the market for $19 million. (More Alec Baldwin stories.)