The trial of Alec Baldwin on involuntary manslaughter in the accidental shooting on the set of “Rust” will begin on July 9, a judge in Santa Fe, N.M., ruled on Monday.
Jury selection is scheduled to begin that day. Testimony will begin July 10, and the trial is scheduled to last eight days, concluding on July 19.
Baldwin’s attorneys, led by Alex Spiro, had wanted the trial to start a month earlier, on June 13, indicating at a hearing last week that the actor is eager to have the case heard as soon as possible.
“Mr. Baldwin has been dealing with this for several years,” Spiro said at the hearing. “We’re asking for a speedy trial.”
Prosecutor Kari Morrissey told the court that she would be busy in June with another trial, and asked for a date in July or August.
Baldwin is accused of firing a live bullet from a Colt .45 revolver while preparing for a scene on Oct. 21, 2021. Halyna Hutchins, the cinematographer, was killed, while director Joel Souza was wounded. Baldwin has denied pulling the trigger, and has claimed that he was told the gun was “cold” before the rehearsal started.
If convicted, Baldwin faces up to 18 months in prison.
Baldwin was indicted by a grand jury on Jan. 19. Baldwin was both the lead actor and a producer on the film. According to his defense lawyer, prosecutors are attempting to hold him responsible as a producer for lapses that led to an unsafe set.
At last week’s hearing, Spiro said he would seek to have that portion of the case thrown out before trial.
“There is a theory that by being the creative producer, he also has criminal liability,” Spiro said. “We don’t think that will withstand scrutiny.”
Workplace safety investigators concluded that Baldwin did not have management authority on set, except over his personal assistant.
At the hearing, Spiro said the case could be tried “rather quickly, in terms of the number of days necessary.”
Spiro also indicated that he would file a motion to throw out the indictment, arguing that certain judicial orders were violated during the grand jury proceeding.
Hannah Gutierrez Reed, the film’s armorer, is on trial in Santa Fe on charges of involuntary manslaughter and evidence tampering. Prosecutors have alleged that she was “sloppy” and “unprofessional” on set, and that her failure to follow safety protocols led to Hutchins’ death.
