Rust shooting trial: Alec Baldwin accused of irresponsibly breaking rules

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — Prosecutors have sought to exclude Alec Baldwin as someone who flouts the rules and has little regard for workplace safety first day of his trial in New Mexico during the filming of a director of photography.

Special prosecutor Erlinda Ocampo Johnson repeatedly referred to Baldwin playing “pretend” with a gun on the set of the movie “Rust,” and said it led to very real danger and death. Halyna Hutchinswhom she called “a dynamic 42-year-old rising star.”

Ocampo Johnson told jurors in his opening statement Wednesday that Baldwin “requested to be given the biggest gun available” and that during a training session for it, “people were filming him running around shooting this gun.”

The prosecutor said behind-the-scenes video allegedly shows Baldwin casually disregarding basic gun safety rules.

“You’ll see him use that gun as a pointer to point at people, at objects,” Ocampo Johnson said. “You’ll see him cock the hammer when he’s not supposed to, you’ll see him put his finger on the trigger when his finger is not supposed to be on the trigger.”

Hutchins’ Death and the injury of director Joel Souza nearly three years ago sent shockwaves through the film industry. The fatal shooting led to the involuntary manslaughter charge against Baldwin, the A 66-year-old star of “30 Rock” and frequent host of “Saturday Night Live,” which could result in up to 18 months in prison.

His wife Hilaria Baldwin, younger brother Stephen Baldwin and older sister Elizabeth Keuchler sat behind him in the gallery again Thursday as the trial got off to a rocky start on its second day.

Baldwin’s attorney, Alex Spiro, asked crime scene technician Marissa Poppell detailed questions about how she retrieved and handled the gun and live ammunition that ended up on the set, but he was frequently interrupted by objections from the prosecution and subsequent arguments with the judge.

The day’s testimony was expected to focus largely on the collection of evidence and the revolver Baldwin used.

Seated in two rows of eight people each, the jurors and their alternates took notes as they listened to the testimony. The jurors had their own close-up view of the visual evidence, thanks to six screens installed in the jury box.

The prosecution’s interrogation of Poppell the day before allowed them to see in person the revolver and the bullet that killed Hutchins.

Spiro stressed in his opening statement that Baldwin on the set of “Rust” did what actors always do.

“He has to be able to pick up that weapon and use it like the person he’s playing would,” Spiro told jurors.

That includes pulling the trigger. Baldwin said the shot was fired accidentally, but Spiro said it wouldn’t constitute manslaughter even if he fired it intentionally.

“On a movie set, you have the right to pull the trigger,” Spiro said.

Spiro called the shooting an “indescribable tragedy” and said an “incredible person” died, but said the blame lies with the film’s armorer, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, who already been convicted of involuntary manslaughterand assistant director David Halls, who told Baldwin the gun was “cold.”

“The gun was checked and rechecked by the people responsible for making sure it was safe,” Spiro said. “He didn’t tamper with it, he didn’t load it himself. He didn’t leave it unattended.”

The first witness to testify was Nicholas LeFleur, the first law enforcement officer to arrive on the Bonanza Creek Ranch set after the shooting, and his lavalier camera video gave jurors a glimpse of the chaotic scene: a grim view of an apparently unconscious Hutchins as LeFleur and others worked to resuscitate her.

Later in the video, LeFleur can be seen telling Baldwin not to talk to other potential witnesses, but Baldwin does so repeatedly.

“Was Mr. Baldwin supposed to talk about the incident?” special prosecutor Kari Morrissey asked him.

“No, ma’am,” LeFleur replied.

“Does he seem to do it anyway?” Morrissey asked.

“Yes, ma’am,” LeFleur said.

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Dalton reported from Los Angeles.

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