Alec Baldwin shoots and kills cinematographer on set of Rust

[DanOregon]

Well, they are past the grand jury phase if they've filed.

Curious about the armorer, if the producers went "cheap" (Baldwin is listed as a producer) and if protocols for actors and armorers were followed.

 

[TigerVols]

Well, they are past the grand jury phase if they've filed.

Curious about the armorer, if the producers went "cheap" (Baldwin is listed as a producer) and if protocols for actors and armorers were followed.

It's been long ago proven they started out cheap and went even cheaper as the production wore on. It was a notorious production among NM crew types before the shooting.

 

[qtlaw]

Charge = "DA believes that there was probable cause that a crime was committed"

this is in lieu of Grand Jury Indictment = "We find that there is probable cause that a crime was committed"

next step, Baldwin can request:

Preliminary Hearing = Judge finds after hearing evidence in open court that "there is probable cause that a crime was committed"

Accident that results in a death does not equal involuntary manslaughter; that requires something more, gross negligence, e.g. driving while impaired with prescription drugs or shooting a gun while untrained.

Here, I've got to believe that there are strong indications that the conditions on the set were known to be extremely lax or that Baldwin was told about concerns and he and/or others simply chose to ignore them.

 

[Slacker]

This feels like one of those "I've got to protect my phoney-baloney job" DA decisions where they go ahead and file charges against everyone involved but hope the grand jury either returns a no bill to indict or they can plea bargain something with Baldwin's attorney as a slap on the wrist. Fine and community service perhaps.

Don't mess with her, hombre. She talks tough!

"On my watch, no one is above the law, and everyone deserves justice."

Well alrighty then.

 

[LanceyHoward]

Charge =
Accident that results in a death does not equal involuntary manslaughter; that requires something more, gross negligence, e.g. driving while impaired with prescription drugs or shooting a gun while untrained.

In virtually every hunting accident someone willfully fires a gun they know to be loaded. Yet I don't think many of the shooters in those cases get indicted. I am sure Baldwin did not realize the gun was loaded. There have been lots of movies made on the cheap where guns were used and no actual bullets were fired. There was some one hired on the set to check these things. It does not take a genius to do that job.

 

[qtlaw]

In virtually every hunting accident someone willfully fires a gun they know to be loaded. Yet I don't think many of the shooters in those cases get indicted. I am sure Baldwin did not realize the gun was loaded. There have been lots of movies made on the cheap where guns were used and no actual bullets were fired. There was some one hired on the set to check these things. It does not take a genius to do that job.

When I gave the gun example I wasn't talking about this situation, I meant where some person just randomly buys a pistol, loads it, and then aims it and shoots without any training and without taking into consideration that he/she's on a street or that people are nearby. Sheer stupidity, not this situation where assuming everything was done reasonably and there was a purpose to shooting the gun, making a movie. For example, the Brandon Lee death I don't think was found to be criminal, it was an unfortunate accident.

 

[Twirling Time]

Sounds like Alec .... better call Saul.

 

[HanSenSE]

Bump.

 

[TheSportsPredictor]

Alec next?

 

[User 1019]

The analysis I heard today is that this is actually really good for his case. The prosecution argued that the mishandling of a the weapon by an actor should be expected, and the armorer was most responsible for inspections.

 

[Deskgrunt50]

I've not paid too close attention to this case. From a simple perspective, it seems unreasonable to charge an actor who certainly wasn't expecting to be given a gun with live ammo.

I guess there's a case if they're going after him as a producer for hiring bad people?

 

[swingline]

Why is live ammo even anywhere near that set?