Halyna Hutchins' family say they support Alec Baldwin being charged with manslaughter - months after settling a wrongful death lawsuit with the Hollywood star.
The Hutchins family, including her husband Matthew and nine-year-old son Andros, welcomed the decision through their lawyer Brian J Panish who said: 'It is a comfort to the family that, in New Mexico, no one is above the law.'
Panish added that Hutchins had been killed 'with conscious disregard for human life' and stated that an 'independent investigation also supports charges are warranted.'
It comes after Baldwin reached an undisclosed settlement with the family in October after which widower Matthew stated he had 'no interest in engaging in recriminations.'
Halyna Hutchins with her husband Matthew, a film producer, and their son Andros, who was eight-years-old when his mother was shot dead on the set of Rust in New Mexico
Alec Baldwin leaving La Colombe coffee store early in the morning in New York City, NY, USA on November 1, 2022. Baldwin vowed to fight the charges, calling them a 'terrible miscarriage of justice'.
Armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, 25, (left) is also to be charged with involuntary manslaughter. Dave Halls, the Assistant Director, has pleaded guilty to the charge of negligent use of a deadly weapon.
The family launched the wrongful death lawsuit last February against the actor, the armorer and other producers.
Under the settlement, Baldwin made Matthew an executive producer on the film, which is due to resume production in Los Angeles.
Matthew, who called Baldwin 'supportive' in the immediate aftermath of Halyna's death, said after the settlement was reached: 'I have no interest in engaging in recriminations or attribution of blame (to the producers or Mr. Baldwin).'
He added: 'All of us believe Halyna's death was a terrible accident. I am grateful that the producers and the entertainment community have come together to pay tribute to Halyna's final work.'
It is not clear why the Hutchins family now support charges against Baldwin.
Baldwin earlier Thursday vowed to fight the prosecution, calling it a 'terrible miscarriage of justice'.
He and Gutierrez-Reed, who loaded the prop gun that killed Hutchins, face a maximum of 18 months in prison if convicted.
Dave Halls, the Assistant Director, has pleaded guilty to the charge of negligent use of a deadly weapon.
Baldwin's attorney said in a statement: 'This decision distorts Halyna Hutchins' tragic death and represents a terrible miscarriage of justice. Mr. Baldwin had no reason to believe there was a live bullet in the gun — or anywhere on the movie set.
'He relied on the professionals with whom he worked, who assured him the gun did not have live rounds. We will fight these charges, and we will win.'
But Mary Carmack-Altwies, the First Judicial District Attorney in New Mexico, is standing firm.
In an interview after the announcement with CNN, she said Baldwin did pull the trigger - and that he ran a 'fast and loose set' that was plagued with safety issues.
'There was such a lack of safety and safety standards on that set. There were live rounds on set, they were mixed in with dummy rounds.
'Nobody was checking those or at least they weren't checking them consistently.
'They somehow got loaded into a gun, handed off to Alec Baldwin, he didn't check it, he didn't do what he was supposed to do to make sure he was safe or make sure anyone else was safe.
'He pointed the gun at Halyna Hutchins and he pulled the trigger,' she said.
She said a 'totality of the circumstances' led to the decision, adding: 'This was a really fast and loose set. And that nobody was doing their job.'
Halyna Hutchins was shot dead on October 21, 2021, by actor Alec Baldwin
Baldwin (left) with Hutchins and other actors from the film before the fatal accident
Baldwin is shown on the set of Rust practising the drawing of his gun
A Ciência & Ensino é uma publicação semestral destinada a professores de ciências do ensino fundamental e médio e seus formadores.
'No one above the law': Hutchins family back Baldwin being charged
por Emilio Bourgeois (2023-03-07)
Halyna Hutchins' family say they support Alec Baldwin being charged with manslaughter - months after settling a wrongful death lawsuit with the Hollywood star.
It was announced that Baldwin, 64, and armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, 25, will be charged with involuntary manslaughter Thursday, 15 months after the 42-year-old cinematographer was shot dead by the actor on the set of Rust in New Mexico.
The Hutchins family, including her husband Matthew and nine-year-old son Andros, welcomed the decision through their lawyer Brian J Panish who said: 'It is a comfort to the family that, in New Mexico, no one is above the law.'
Panish added that Hutchins had been killed 'with conscious disregard for human life' and stated that an 'independent investigation also supports charges are warranted.'
It comes after Baldwin reached an undisclosed settlement with the family in October after which widower Matthew stated he had 'no interest in engaging in recriminations.'
Halyna Hutchins with her husband Matthew, a film producer, and their son Andros, who was eight-years-old when his mother was shot dead on the set of Rust in New Mexico
Alec Baldwin leaving La Colombe coffee store early in the morning in New York City, NY, USA on November 1, 2022. Baldwin vowed to fight the charges, calling them a 'terrible miscarriage of justice'.
Armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, 25, (left) is also to be charged with involuntary manslaughter. Dave Halls, the Assistant Director, has pleaded guilty to the charge of negligent use of a deadly weapon.
The family launched the wrongful death lawsuit last February against the actor, the armorer and other producers.
Under the settlement, Baldwin made Matthew an executive producer on the film, which is due to resume production in Los Angeles.
Matthew, who called Baldwin 'supportive' in the immediate aftermath of Halyna's death, said after the settlement was reached: 'I have no interest in engaging in recriminations or attribution of blame (to the producers or Mr. Baldwin).'
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He added: 'All of us believe Halyna's death was a terrible accident. I am grateful that the producers and the entertainment community have come together to pay tribute to Halyna's final work.'
It is not clear why the Hutchins family now support charges against Baldwin.
Baldwin earlier Thursday vowed to fight the prosecution, calling it a 'terrible miscarriage of justice'.
He and Gutierrez-Reed, who loaded the prop gun that killed Hutchins, face a maximum of 18 months in prison if convicted.
Dave Halls, the Assistant Director, has pleaded guilty to the charge of negligent use of a deadly weapon.
Baldwin's attorney said in a statement: 'This decision distorts Halyna Hutchins' tragic death and represents a terrible miscarriage of justice. Mr. Baldwin had no reason to believe there was a live bullet in the gun — or anywhere on the movie set.
'He relied on the professionals with whom he worked, who assured him the gun did not have live rounds. We will fight these charges, and we will win.'
But Mary Carmack-Altwies, the First Judicial District Attorney in New Mexico, is standing firm.
In an interview after the announcement with CNN, she said Baldwin did pull the trigger - and that he ran a 'fast and loose set' that was plagued with safety issues.
'There was such a lack of safety and safety standards on that set. There were live rounds on set, they were mixed in with dummy rounds.
'Nobody was checking those or at least they weren't checking them consistently.
'They somehow got loaded into a gun, handed off to Alec Baldwin, he didn't check it, he didn't do what he was supposed to do to make sure he was safe or make sure anyone else was safe.
'He pointed the gun at Halyna Hutchins and he pulled the trigger,' she said.
She said a 'totality of the circumstances' led to the decision, adding: 'This was a really fast and loose set. And that nobody was doing their job.'
Halyna Hutchins was shot dead on October 21, 2021, by actor Alec Baldwin
Baldwin (left) with Hutchins and other actors from the film before the fatal accident
Baldwin is shown on the set of Rust practising the drawing of his gun