Alec Baldwin's charges dismissed

fuzzybuddy

fuzzybuddy

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The Sticks, Northeast PA.
I watched some of the trial. I thought Baldwin shot during a western dual scene, like the opening of Gunsmoke. But they were shooting a closeup of Baldwin's waist as he pulled the gun from his holster. He did that several times. And both he and the director checked the gun, it had 3 fake rounds, as it was supposed to have. They didn't know there was a live round in the chamber. I'm no lawyer but I was wondering why the judge just didn't throw out the case. Then he did.
https://www.cnn.com/2024/07/12/entertainment/alec-baldwin-trial-rust/index.html
 

As a Canadian who hasn't been obsessed with this case, I have considered a question. Baldwin has been extremely politically opinionated & an outspoken satirist. Any chance that someone got to the gun to produce mischief on the set?

This is just something that has crossed my mind. Law enforcement probably considered this. I'm not someone who starts or follows conspiracies. Let's not make it that. I am simply curious about what SF members from the US may think, and my hope is that consideration of the above question never goes beyond our Forums.
 
fuzzybuddy said:
I watched some of the trial. I thought Baldwin shot during a western dual scene, like the opening of Gunsmoke. But they were shooting a closeup of Baldwin's waist as he pulled the gun from his holster. He did that several times. And both he and the director checked the gun, it had 3 fake rounds, as it was supposed to have. They didn't know there was a live round in the chamber. I'm no lawyer but I was wondering why the judge just didn't throw out the case. Then he did.
https://www.cnn.com/2024/07/12/entertainment/alec-baldwin-trial-rust/index.html
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Excellent news, about time.
 
helenbacque said:
Good, I never thought charges should have been brought against him.
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Neither did I. He was an actor who was handed the gun by someone hired to make sure it was safe before giving it to anyone on set.

It's not like a neighbor comes to your house and hands you a gun and says it's not loaded, then you point it at someone and kill them. Completely different scenario.

Too bad he had to go through all this nonsense, but that's how it is when there are lawyers attempting to defend the actual guilty party. Always good to see justice is served.
 
rgp said:
I respectfully disagree. IMO the last person to hold the gun, is ultimately responsible. And that was Baldwin.
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In general that would sound sensible, but with actors that would require the actors to have expertise about guns they might not have. If I got an actress job I sure wouldn't have a clue how to tell blanks from real bullets, at least not unless someone was going to train me. There supposedly is an armorer that is the person on a film set that is knowledgeable and responsible (and according to the linked article that person is serving a sentence for involuntary manslaughter).
 
NYT- "There had been signs of tensions behind the scenes and criticism of the investigation. Robert Shilling, a former chief of the New Mexico State Police who worked as an investigator for the district attorney’s office before being removed from the case, sharply criticized the investigation in an email to prosecutors that later became public.

“The conduct of the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office during and after their initial investigation is reprehensible and unprofessional to a degree I still have no words for,” he wrote in the email. “Not I or 200 more proficient investigators than I can/could clean up the mess delivered to your office in October 2022 (1 year since the initial incident … inexcusable).”"

He may have been found guilty but NM authorities fubarred the investigation and prosecution. Any normal person would have been forced to accept a plea, while the shoddy investigation would have died a quick death behind the "blue wall" and the public would have never known exactly how awful the investigation was and how badly the prosecution acted.
 
I heard the news this afternoon. Good for him! And good for the judge because, yeah, the rules of discovery have to be followed properly. If they aren’t, then what is court for? If the rules of discovery and procedures are not followed, they you can just get 12 people together to play jury, shout all kinds of crazy allegations at one another, and then the jury chooses which stories and accusations they like best.
 
JBR said:
As a Canadian who hasn't been obsessed with this case, I have considered a question. Baldwin has been extremely politically opinionated & an outspoken satirist. Any chance that someone got to the gun to produce mischief on the set?

This is just something that has crossed my mind. Law enforcement probably considered this. I'm not someone who starts or follows conspiracies. Let's not make it that. I am simply curious about what SF members from the US may think, and my hope is that consideration of the above question never goes beyond our Forums.
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I also began to wonder if he and the armorer were set up; if the armorer was not being cautious enough, and if someone with ill-intent snuck live rounds onto the set?

BUT, without cameras on the set 24/7, how could one prove such an allegation, right?

This trial being dismissed is not the end-all and be-all of justice in America. Believe me, in other courts, innocent people will still go to prison this week, and organized criminals will still get away with murder this year, especially in California. Let’s keep it all in perspective.
 
Only one(1) person killed someone on the "Rust" set
And all charges were just dropped against that witless murderer
People are legally held accountable for accidents ... but not today

The special prosecutor bungled it and the defense had the resources to uncover withholding of evidence
Today, the law was served. Justice was a casualty
Despite the ruling he will always remain a wife and mother slaughtering douche nozzle.

- He was offered a firearms safety course and didn't attend. Maybe it should have been mandatory
- The Armorer was not only NOT on the set that day, but DID NOT hand him the firearm
- FBI stated after forensic examination and testing of the firearm, that the ONLY way the firearm fired is when the trigger was pulled

For those who know nothing about firearms ... NEVER point a firearm at someone, whether you think it is loaded or not. Exercise trigger control: Keep your finger off of it until ready to fire. Beyond that, if you EVER think you will have hands on a firearm, by ALL means take a firearms safety course.

And if you ever "accidentally" kill someone, firearm or whatever, don't expect to be so "lucky" as that guy.
 
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I would like to think being Alec Baldwin is his own life sentence and just punishment. That on some level he is being held accountable and no matter what, he will go to his grave knowing what he has done, aware many people condemn his actions in and of the moment, as well as his behavior and actions afterward. And that his mind will always be a tumultuous prison.

But that may not be the case. That’s only for people with a conscious ...

He’s a true believer that thinks himself totally innocent and was being railroaded. It’s Guiterrez’s fault, the janitors fault, the dish washers fault … Everyone else did it, and is culpable except him. The firearm just went off. He never pulled the trigger in spite of anything the FBI professional forensic examinations and tests of the actual firearm used, revealed.

That mindset falls into the category of denial. And, people in denial are ALWAYS miserable. This wasn't his first violent act and likely won't be his last ... but won't be his fault of course.

Maybe he'll just spend the rest of his life trying to find who killed Halyna Hutchins. Hope there are no mirrors around, Mr. Baldwin.
 
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JBR said:
As a Canadian who hasn't been obsessed with this case, I have considered a question. Baldwin has been extremely politically opinionated & an outspoken satirist. Any chance that someone got to the gun to produce mischief on the set?

This is just something that has crossed my mind. Law enforcement probably considered this. I'm not someone who starts or follows conspiracies. Let's not make it that. I am simply curious about what SF members from the US may think, and my hope is that consideration of the above question never goes beyond our Forums.
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Most of us think the lady who was hired to check and load the prop weapons, the armorer, was way to inexperienced for the job. I'm sure only a few think she stuck in a live cartridge to stir up trouble for Baldwin or for any other purpose....like murder.

Baldwin was in no way responsible for the props. Three different people are supposed to safety-check each weapon before it's put into the hands of an actor. That's studio policy.
 
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Naturally said:
... The firearm just went off. He never pulled the trigger in spite of anything the FBI professional forensic examinations and tests of the actual firearm used, revealed.
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I've had a pistol fire when I didn't pull the trigger. It can happen. It was a 6-shooter, too, and in perfect condition. My finger was at rest on the side the trigger, but not on the front plane of it. The gun should not have fired, but it did.

I took it to a gun shop to have it tested. I was told the trigger sensitivity was above average. Maybe Baldwin's gun was extra sensitive. I saw how many times he yanked it out of its holster and shoved it back in during takes 1, 2, 3, and more. Maybe that activity caused the gun to be fully cocked and he didn't know it. There are only 2 or 3 scenarios that can cause a gun to fire when you're sure you didn't pull the trigger...so, very few, but it is possible, and has nothing to do with a flaw.


I shot a hole through my hot-water heater, btw. That was sure a bummer. And my ears rang for a while, because I was inside my house at the time (in the mud room). Fortunately, after the slug went through the hot-water heater, the frame of the utility shed stopped it or I might have shot a window out of my truck, too.
 
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The special prosecutor is a defense lawyer. Kari Morrissey is a career defense attorney and should know something about withholding evidence eh. This is the first case she prosecuted and only because she was brought in as the special prosecutor.

And I have to wonder if on some level, it was set up that way. She took 3yrs to bring charges to court ... maybe she needed more time.

The other Special Prosecutor, Erlinda Ocampo Johnson, walked away from the case on Friday when she realized how badly Morrissey had bungled it. She bailed before the hearing was conducted and the judge's decision for dismissal handed down. Johnson had made an opening statement accusing Baldwin of being reckless, but said she knew the prosecution’s case was in trouble Friday when she learned that some rounds had not been turned over to the defense. She knew withholding evidence was wrong and felt the state should drop the case. Morrissey screwed the pooch on that one, otherwise, they had a case against Baldwin.

The only thing that I can see that makes (Clown World) "sense" (for Morrissey to self immolate) was the statement Morrissey stated that she has always been a fan / fond of Baldwin, loved his SNL work, agreed with his politics and perhaps "sacrificed herself" to see him "freed". In other words, some kind of mental flaw something or other or star struck. Otherwise it is a head scratcher why she withheld evidence and lied about it, knowing she would be caught in a lie. This has been a circus since day one ... regardless of the severity of the crime a monied "elitist" gets a wide berth.

Withholding evidence is the kiss of death for any prosecution. Just poorly handled. A career defense attorney such as Kari Morrissey should well know that. But that doesn't give Baldwin the right to say he's innocent. He still killed Halyna Hutchins. And that had nothing to do with the special prosecutors incompetence in the case.

And if the armorer wasn't on the set, which she wasn't ... why did Baldwin or anyone handle firearms? It wasn't their job nor were they qualified to make that decision, but they did.

Those firearm rounds that were turned in just this year and had been stored out of state all this time and were never on the "Rust" set, but were said to be similar to the live rounds on the "Rust" set ... were irrelevant. But Morrissey's mishandling of those rounds and filing them in a case that had nothing to do with the "Rust" case and then lying about it ... made them relevant ... to the defense team. Maybe I need to put on my tin foil hat. Just too much to read between the lines. Almost scripted.


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Murrmurr said:
I've had a pistol fire when I didn't pull the trigger. It can happen. It was a 6-shooter, too, and in perfect condition. My finger was at rest on the side the trigger, but not on the front plane of it. The gun should not have fired, but it did.

I took it to a gun shop to have it tested. I was told the trigger sensitivity was above average. Maybe Baldwin's gun was extra sensitive. I saw how many times he yanked it out of its holster and shoved it back in during takes 1, 2, 3, and more. Maybe that activity caused the gun to be fully cocked and he didn't know it. There are only 2 or 3 scenarios that can cause a gun to fire when you're sure you didn't pull the trigger...so, very few, but it is possible, and has nothing to do with a flaw.


I shot a hole through my hot-water heater, btw. That was sure a bummer. And my ears rang for a while, because I was inside my house at the time (in the mud room). Fortunately, after the slug went through the hot-water heater, the frame of the utility shed stopped it or I might have shot a window out of my truck, too.
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Interesting story but the fact is the FBI did not find a faulty trigger on the firearm in the "Rust" case. And Baldwin wasn't using your firearm. And if you had shot and killed someone, not just a water heater, do you think you would have been arrested and gone to court on charges?
Murrmurr said:
Yeah, there were pretty definite *hints* of that.
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I'd say pretty definite hints that the case was designed / scripted to fail.
Murrmurr said:
Same. He's not even a fairly good actor. But, yes, that was a very unfortunate, accidental shooting.
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People are held legally accountable for accidentally killing someone and brought to justice. Why hasn't he?
I don't have numbers in front of me but know there are men and women in prison today and justly so, for accidentally killing someone.
MaxHarris said:
Wrong....that is why an armourer is employed as part of the production.
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The armorer wasn't on the set that day Baldwin killed Halyna Hutchins, so why were firearms even out on the set and by whose authority?
According to an affidavit, Baldwin was handed one of three prop guns by assistant director David Halls ... not the armorer.
Baldwin was in no way responsible for the props. Three different people are supposed to safety-check each weapon before it's put into the hands of an actor. That's movie-set policy.
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That policy wasn't following and the director, assistant director and Baldwin had to have known that. This wasn't their first movie. It all sounds pretty reckless, even negligent on their part.
 

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