PrairieWind
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Do we know how many jury trials this judge has handled?
Halyna Hutchins Shot With Prop Gun - Alec Baldwin indicted & Hannah Gutierrez-Reed charged, 2021 #7
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arielilane
Justice for Liz Barraza
Good morning, I'm back in the courtroom for the involuntary manslaughter trial of Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, the armorer on the movie set Rust. The jury is being brought in now and the defense will call one more witness before we get right to closing arguments.
The defense calls PJ Pesce, a TV and film director for 35+ years. He has previously shot a film at Bonanza Creek Ranch, where Rust was filmed. He has extensive experience directing films with firearms.
Pesce says he has never worked a film where an armorer had to split duties as a prop master, as well. He says weapons need to be tracked consistently to keep the set safe. He says it is not only advisable but recommended to have daily safety meetings.
Pesce says the 1st Assistant Director should be in charge of making sure a set is safe, pulling people aside and discussing any issues with stunts, props, firearms, etc. He says safety is everyone's responsibility and that anyone can call "cut" if set safety is compromised.
There is a hotline crew members can call if they feel a set isn't safe, but it's taboo to use in Hollywood, Pesce says: "If you report something, you could put your career in jeopardy, and no one wants to do that.”
Defense has no further questions.
Prosecution now x-exam: Pesce clarifies anyone can call cut on set, including Hannah Gutierrez-Reed. HGR was not inside the church at the time of the shooting, she was out performing other armorer duties. No further questions. With one final question, Pesce says that if there is a firearm on set, the armorer should also be on set. Witness excused.
The defense has rested. The judge is now providing the jury its instructions before closing arguments and deliberations.
@alcaprari23
The defense calls PJ Pesce, a TV and film director for 35+ years. He has previously shot a film at Bonanza Creek Ranch, where Rust was filmed. He has extensive experience directing films with firearms.
Pesce says he has never worked a film where an armorer had to split duties as a prop master, as well. He says weapons need to be tracked consistently to keep the set safe. He says it is not only advisable but recommended to have daily safety meetings.
Pesce says the 1st Assistant Director should be in charge of making sure a set is safe, pulling people aside and discussing any issues with stunts, props, firearms, etc. He says safety is everyone's responsibility and that anyone can call "cut" if set safety is compromised.
There is a hotline crew members can call if they feel a set isn't safe, but it's taboo to use in Hollywood, Pesce says: "If you report something, you could put your career in jeopardy, and no one wants to do that.”
Defense has no further questions.
Prosecution now x-exam: Pesce clarifies anyone can call cut on set, including Hannah Gutierrez-Reed. HGR was not inside the church at the time of the shooting, she was out performing other armorer duties. No further questions. With one final question, Pesce says that if there is a firearm on set, the armorer should also be on set. Witness excused.
The defense has rested. The judge is now providing the jury its instructions before closing arguments and deliberations.
@alcaprari23
PrairieWind
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I'm not really sure what Pesce's testimony added. Just muddying the water and making it seem no one was being safe I guess, but it doesn't really help HGR.
Observe_dont_Absorb
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IMO it would have helped the court to know the name of the organisation a person can call if they believe safety is not upheld, to see a copy of the print outs they supply. PJ was able to name all the guilds and then stumbled when asked for the name of the safety network. At that point it all seemed a little vague and possibly unlikely. JMO
arielilane
Justice for Liz Barraza
@CourtTV
On day 10, defendant #HannahGutierrez enters the Santa Fe County court to face what could be the final day in the #BaldwinMovieShootingTrial. #CourtTV Which side did YOU think had the stronger case? State or Defense?
WATCH LIVE - https://youtube.com/live/Yf5C-ljBqlw?feature=share
On day 10, defendant #HannahGutierrez enters the Santa Fe County court to face what could be the final day in the #BaldwinMovieShootingTrial. #CourtTV Which side did YOU think had the stronger case? State or Defense?
WATCH LIVE - https://youtube.com/live/Yf5C-ljBqlw?feature=share
Maybe this:
"Pesce says he has never worked a film where an armorer had to split duties as a prop master"
Weki
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The defense case seems to be no one was being safe so if everyone is not being criminally charged then HGR shouldn’t be either. Zachry and Hall weren’t charged so HGR shouldn’t be either. How does this absolve HGR!? It seems to be a jury nullification argument to me. The defense seems to be saying to the jury that HGR is a scapegoat and they shouldn’t allow Rust production to get away with doing that to her. On a basic level, any juror who doesn’t have a management role at their job could be sympathetic to this argument. JMO
IMO, everything boils down to "Don't put live rounds in a gun and tell the guy holding it that it's not loaded".
The arguments about where the rounds came from, problems on set,, enough time to do her job, and whether or not she was qualified is interesting and contributed to what happened but it all comes down to basic firearm safety.
Perhaps, but as I recall from Ms. Pickle’s testimony, all of HGRs days on set up to the day of the accident had been armorer days.
Production manager testifies about gun oversight in fatal shooting by Alec Baldwin in 2021 rehearsal
Jurors in a trial over the fatal movie-set shooting of a cinematographer by Alec Baldwin have heard in courtroom testimony that a manager increased oversight of firearm safety but was only partially aware of misfires in the days leading up to it.
apnews.com
Weki
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Regarding the lawyering—-I’m not a lawyer but I think aside from her unnecessary combativeness I like Morissey. I am keeping in mind that she’s a defense attorney who’s been tapped by the state as special prosecutor to handle this prosecution. So she’s not a political animal and lacks the finesse. She doesn’t answer to the people of New Mexico and it’s reflected in her behavior. She’s used to being on the other side of the table throwing rocks and she’s pelted the heck out of Bowels.
Both sides have done a ton of leading, which makes sense for 2 defense attorneys. Neither objected much on this front. Despite this, Morrisey has been effective on direct and cross.
I think Morrisey will rev up for AB. It’s gonna be interesting to see how she does with more skilled defense lawyers.
JMO
Both sides have done a ton of leading, which makes sense for 2 defense attorneys. Neither objected much on this front. Despite this, Morrisey has been effective on direct and cross.
I think Morrisey will rev up for AB. It’s gonna be interesting to see how she does with more skilled defense lawyers.
JMO
Marantz4250b
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I haven't seen much of the previous videos of her in court and coming and going but people have commented on her apparent "arrogant" demeanor. She looks far from arrogant in that video - scared/worried, if anything.
Observe_dont_Absorb
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IMO the defence lawyer is speaking in a way that is really hard to track and somewhat nonsensical, word salad, and also makes me feel quite sleepy. I feel hypnotised to sleep and very glad not to be a juror. The Tylenol nurse argument was verging on absurd. JMO MOO
Marantz4250b
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I get what you're saying, but........the universally accepted system of safe firearms use involves that the person receiving it never takes the word of anyone else that it's safe. Indeed, even the accepted movie-set protocols are that the gun is actually demonstrated to you as being safe.
Now, that in no way absolves someone further down the line for loading the wrong ammo, but it's a break down of the accepted practices which, if adhered to, absolutely would have prevented this whole sorry incident.
As you say, it's basic firearms safety.
The really depressing thing is that none of the basic rules of firearms handling are rocket science. They are remarkably simple and anyone can understand them. I've said before that in my line of work we train 10 year-olds to safely handle firearms (under the watch of a parent) and they all pick it up pretty easily and safely. The fact that people like AB and DH find it so difficult to stick to is pretty shocking, tbh. They don't find it difficult, of course, it's just pathetic macho arrogance and we all know it is.
From what I've read on here and other places, I don't hold the belief that HGR is particularly useless, arrogant or blase about safety as she has been portrayed by a lot of people. Yes, she was inexperienced and under pressure, but I don't accept that she just didn't care about safety. Perhaps she made a mistake in not spotting a live round but that's not the same as being indifferent towards the safety of others.
Some testimony and stories from the movie The Old Way, her first job a armorer. She did several unsafe things that upset crew and actors and had been warned a few times.
Inexperienced 'Rust' Armorer Drew Numerous Complaints for Last Film
A crew member on Nicolas Cage's "The Old Way" demanded firing of armorer Hannah Gutierrez Reed, but she went on to handle guns on "Rust"
www.thewrap.com
Gutierrez-Reed walked onto the set with live rounds of blanks and no public announcement to the cast and crew, breaking established safety protocols.
• She tucked pistols under her armpits and carried rifles in each hand that were ready to be used in a scene. Firearms were aimed at people. She turned around and the pistols that were tucked under her armpits were pointing back at people.
• She twice fired guns on the set without giving any warning to the cast and crew, as required. The first time she was demonstrating the gun volume to see if the loud sound would startle the horses when without warning the gun went off.
Hung over, imo. Looks like she might barf at one point.
Scared/Worried folk don’t wear their coat like that…indoors…also while seated…and with a vinyl (?) skirt.
[...]
Shoulder robing is a challenge. You have to stand up straight, so it looks deliberate, and resist the urge to hunch forward to stop the jacket falling off, or you’ll look as if someone has thrown a blanket over you, like a criminal being protected from rotten tomatoes, which is not the energy we are channeling here at all.
[…]
Successful shoulder robing makes you look both terrifically busy and glamorous, a bit like a bulging, glossy Filofax did in the 1980s. To pull it off, you have to look as if your schedule is so tight, you simply don’t have time to put your arms in your sleeves between high-powered meetings, but must simply charge through the day with the wind in your sails like an urban matador. And now that we fetishise being busy – ask someone how they are and the answer is likely to be, “So beyond manic it’s ridiculous” – shoulder robing is about as now as fashion statements get.
How to dress: shoulder robing
all imo
Weki
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Ms. Morrissey’s rebuttal argument was really good imo. She hit all the points. She didn’t coddle the jury - it was dicey at a couple points esp when she said if you feel sympathetic you can excuse yourself! Lol. Whoa easy! Never heard a prosecutor say anything like that to a jury before! But she dismantled all the defense arguments. Just cause she’s a woman and she’s young doesn’t mean she gets a pass. Just cause she’s inexperienced although she herself doesn’t think she is doesn’t mean she gets a pass. That’s not how the law works. If we are to feel sympathy for the young and old and give them a pass, then the middle aged are the only ones going to prison (that’s me saying that)! Lol.
And she pointed out that defense was trying to scapegoat Seth Kenney! That’s why Bowels was calling the detective so much.
JMO
And she pointed out that defense was trying to scapegoat Seth Kenney! That’s why Bowels was calling the detective so much.
JMO
Observe_dont_Absorb
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Nobody's coming out of this case looking good, AB is re-indicted, SZ, SK got immunity and AH took a plea deal. There's lawsuits filed and the medic I believe it was said she sued for $1.5m for the distress and trauma IIRC.
I felt sorry for HGR towards the end as she looked like a scared child in court IMO and I feel sad if she has to do prison time as I think she's probably already learned her lesson but I do believe she is guilty and will be found guilty, not because she's a scapegoat or an easy target but because she took a job that was way out of her depth and she wasn't acting safely. JMO MOO
I felt sorry for HGR towards the end as she looked like a scared child in court IMO and I feel sad if she has to do prison time as I think she's probably already learned her lesson but I do believe she is guilty and will be found guilty, not because she's a scapegoat or an easy target but because she took a job that was way out of her depth and she wasn't acting safely. JMO MOO
PrairieWind
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Absolutely no one is coming out of this looking good. Its a mess. I think HGR is going to be convicted of maybe the manslaughter but maybe reckless. I don't think she should be guilty on the tampering charge, but who knows. Should she go to jail? Honestly I don't think that does anyone any good. She will never work in this industry again. She has been all over the news nationwide, shamed. Maybe jail would help her, I don't know. She needs to get her life cleaned up. She has to understand you can't be using drugs and alcohol if you have those sort of responsibilities.
I agree completely with what you've said. I was in the Army for 20 years, a part time gunsmith now and I am the same way.
BUT, and I hate saying but, guns on movies sets have to be handled in ways that would make a normal gun person clench up and twitch and pop a vein. We're talking about actors and movies and the whole point of having armorers is to make sure that the idiots on set don't kill anyone when they do something unsafe.
As much as I don't like Alec Baldwin, I feel sorry for the guy and wouldn't vote to convict him based on what he did during the shooting. It was careless and dumb but it would have been harmless if HGR had done her job. His influence and behavior on set as lead actor (always wanting a real gun not a rubber duck for example) and producer, yes. but not as the guy holding the gun in that moment.
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