Alec Baldwin pleads not guilty to involuntary manslaughter, waives first court appearance
Julia Johnson
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Alec Baldwin has pleaded not guilty to involuntary manslaughter relating to the shooting death of Halyna Hutchins on the set of Rust in 2021.
The actor entered the plea via court documents filed on Thursday, also waiving his first appearance in the New Mexico First Judicial District Court that was scheduled for Friday.
Baldwin remains free and does not owe bond to the court.
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Initially, he faced a minimum five-year sentence if found guilty. However, his attorneys were able to argue that the district attorney had illegally charged him under a firearms law that was not in place in October 2021 at the time that the shooting occurred.
Now, the actor only faces a maximum of 18 months in prison if convicted.
It was reported Wednesday that Rust would resume filming in the spring with a different backdrop. Instead of New Mexico, the production would move to Yellowstone Film Ranch in Montana, per the movie’s producers.
Baldwin remains an actor in the movie as well as a producer.
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He was initially charged by New Mexico First Judicial District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies last month for involuntary manslaughter, along with Rust armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed.
Gutierrez-Reed is reportedly set to make her first appearance in court on Friday.