Halyna Hutchins Shot With Prop Gun - Alec Baldwin indicted & Hannah Gutierrez-Reed charged, 2021 #7

[Betty P]

Prosecution concerned about "bracketed language" - there may be more than one significant cause of death. Prosecution agrees: Baldwin pulled back hammer and trigger - another significant cause of death.


Prosecution: Defense could argue that HGR is not responsible, Baldwin is responsible
Defense: We’re in agreement with giving both of those - language in jury instructions.

IANAL and hopefully @PrairieWind will advise, but I get the feeling the county prosecutor is using Hannah's trial to tee up their attack on AB.

 

[Luna20]

I stand corrected, I didn’t realize that AB wasn’t the main producer. Did he share directing with DH also? I’m curious if AB worked with him before and if he was aware of the previous issues DH had.

It’s still a lack of judgment call in my opinion. If I were the top acting talent I personally would have my hands in everything for this very reason. I realize that technically it wasn’t his job to be doing some of these things but being as his reputation is on the line I don’t know how he wouldn’t want to be more involved.

In the case of someone like Spielberg I’m sure he has a regular crew that he partners with and knows & trust what they are capable of doing. But on the Rust set it seems that many moving parts (people) were unsure of what to expect from each other.

 

[Cool Cats]

‘Sloppy’ armourer or ‘easy target’: Key moments so far from Rust shooting trial

The state called Gutierez-Reed ‘sloppy’ and ‘unprofessional’ while defence described her as an ‘easy target’. Graig Graziosi reports on the key moments in the trial so far

news.yahoo.com

 

[BeachSky]

This PI they hired to review discovery documents is offering a lot of opinions on things he's not qualified to judge. He's making judgments about ballistics, etc., but he's not a ballistics expert.

JMO, I don't find him very credible.

AND …He seriously walked back everything the state is calling him out on.
IMO he is a nothing burger.

 

[ch_13]

I stand corrected, I didn’t realize that AB wasn’t the main producer. Did he share directing with DH also? I’m curious if AB worked with him before and if he was aware of the previous issues DH had.

The sole director on the film was Joel Souza. AB didn't do any directing. Neither did DH.

DH was the Assistant Director. Despite the name, that job is more akin to being the manager of the film shoot. From wikipedia:

The role of an assistant director on a film includes tracking daily progress against the filming production schedule, arranging logistics, preparing daily call sheets, checking cast and crew, and maintaining order on the set. They also have to take care of the health and safety of the crew.[1]

Assistant director - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[Weki]

IANAL and hopefully @PrairieWind will advise, but I get the feeling the county prosecutor is using Hannah's trial to tee up their attack on AB.

Yes this trial has turned my skepticism about AB’s guilt into probably guilty. AB is the big fish for sure. I suspect special prosecutor Morissey will be on fire for his trial. This is the rehearsal. JMO

 

[Slick762]

Correct. He was a producer in name only to receive additional pay. He wasn’t a producer with extra authority - he wasn’t in charge as they say

He certainly acted like he was in charge in some of the videos shown at trial.

 

[Slick762]

He didn't review sheriff's report.
Didn't review behind the scenes video of the filming
Never relied on expert opinions that were given to write report

OSHA is all about nailing the employer. It's a regulatory agency, they don't care about individuals being at fault, only that the employer is following the regs and laws. And they will dig into EVERYTHING.

 

[Betty P]

OSHA is all about nailing the employer. It's a regulatory agency, they don't care about individuals being at fault, only that the employer is following the regs and laws. And they will dig into EVERYTHING.

This was NM state OSHA, so may be a little different, just as my state’s EPA is much different from the US EPA. They’re usually susceptible to local pressure.
In any investigation, you would expect the regulator to interview all the people involved. It sounds like he overlooked a few things.
It didn’t make a huge difference, but I’m not really sure how he was relevant to HGRs trial.

 

[Slick762]

Defense PI investigator, Scott Elliott, was a pointless witness. I’m not sure what defense thinks they got out of that testimony that helps them. But I guess defense always has an impulse to bring out testimony criticizing LE/the investigation. And that’s fine but in this case the issue is whether HGR is criminally culpable for putting the live bullet in the gun and not properly & adequately checking it before handing it to AB. It’s a simple issue. JMO

Watching the cross on him was brutal. I kept thinking of that Simpsons meme, "Stop, he's already dead!"

Watching the 'gun expert' was hilarious. He's rambling on about being a reenactor cannon sergeant.

 

[Marantz4250b]

I wouldn't imagine if anyone maliciously set up HGR they imagined anyone would get harmed, so much as a live round would propel and hit a wall or some rigging or something - simply because through the course of this case, I've learned that an actor should never be pointing even a blank or dummy round towards another person including the camera person. I assume that HH, thinking the gun was empty of any rounds whatever, asked AB to 'shoot' as if towards her shoulder and he took that direction because he also believed there were no rounds.

I don't know why anyone thinks HGR couldn't have been set up as I strongly suspect she could have been, again, not with the intent of murder but the intent to show she wasn't checking and to get her out of her job, discredited. One live round firing off and hitting a part of the scenery or a wall would be enough to scare the life out of everyone and finish her 'career' forever surely?

I guess it's possible but extremely unlikely, imo.

Replacing dummies with live ammo is insanely dangerous and anyone thinking about doing that would know it was. Even if you could guarantee that the gun would never be pointed at anyone (which you couldn't) then you have no idea where it's going to end up after that.

The bullet which killed HH and injured JS passed almost completely through two people - it was only the last layer of JS's skin which brought it to a halt. Things like the walls of that church, or pretty much anything else present including things like car doors, would not have stopped it in any meaningful way. It could have easily killed someone 100 or more yards away.

You've have to be completely unhinged to do something like that. If there were any real likelihood of that happening then I'm sure that the police would have looked into that.

 

[Betty P]

I guess it's possible but extremely unlikely, imo.

Replacing dummies with live ammo is insanely dangerous and anyone thinking about doing that would know it was. Even if you could guarantee that the gun would never be pointed at anyone (which you couldn't) then you have no idea where it's going to end up after that.

The bullet which killed HH and injured JS passed almost completely through two people - it was only the last layer of JS's skin which brought it to a halt. Things like the walls of that church, or pretty much anything else present including things like car doors, would not have stopped it in any meaningful way. It could have easily killed someone 100 or more yards away.

You've have to be completely unhinged to do something like that. If there were any real likelihood of that happening then I'm sure that the police would have looked into that.

Not to mention motive. Why would anyone want to? No one on set knew her well.

 

[aafromaa]

Watching the cross on him was brutal. I kept thinking of that Simpsons meme, "Stop, he's already dead!"

Watching the 'gun expert' was hilarious. He's rambling on about being a reenactor cannon sergeant.

I thought the whole defense presentation Tuesday was about the same as the whole movie set operation - disorganized chaotic mess with egotistical people who didn’t have a clue what they were supposed to be doing.

 

[Marantz4250b]

I thought the whole defense presentation Tuesday was about the same as the whole movie set operation - disorganized chaotic mess with egotistical people who didn’t have a clue what they were supposed to be doing.

I have to say that I think the whole legal thing, to me, has been farcical from start to finish; the original prosecutors being dismissed or resigning or whatever; lawyers arguing in open court; the prosecution making it known in court that they think a witness was a "charlatan"; innumerable objections and trips to the judges bench to argue about stuff; a seemingly pointless defence "expert" firearms witness who managed to point guns all over the place; the defence and prosecution both arguing in open court about what evidence and witnesses were admissible - the defence even making representations to have words on the charge sheet altered.

I mean what the hell? Surely, this is all stuff which should have been agreed to or ordered long before anyone even entered a courtroom?

And quite frankly the level of disrespect for the court and the procedure in general - from both sides, not least seeing as this involves a death and a serious injury - is quite unbelievable from where I'm sitting.

And that's before we consider stuff previous to the trial such as the police not securing the scene; people throwing away potential evidence; HGR producing ammo from her pocket in a police interview room; text messages between potential suspects going here there and everywhere; search warrants not being undertaken for weeks or months after the events?

It just comes over as really bad on so many levels, quite honestly.

 

[PrairieWind]

IANAL and hopefully @PrairieWind will advise, but I get the feeling the county prosecutor is using Hannah's trial to tee up their attack on AB.

If they are, they are doing a terrible job of it. I am very underwhelmed by the litigation skills of both the prosecution and defense. This isn't good lawyering. The prosecution has failed to object to things they clearly should, they seem argumentative and not prepared, the defense is all over the map and in bringing up that Baldwin was not safe with guns seems to have shown why their client should have been extra careful. The prosecution can't do this against Baldwin. They wont get half this evidence in. I am very much a believer that the attorney doesn't make the case, the facts and the law do. But in this case, I think Baldwin's attorneys will do a much better job of focusing their defense and making the Judge rule in their favor on evidentiary issues.

 

[arielilane]

DAY 11 of the "Rust" manslaughter trial of armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed. The defense will finish calling witnesses today. Closing arguments are expected to start as early as this morning.


Judge going over jury instructions. On intent: state will not include "general intent" instruction.


State has concern over defense closing argument language they plan to use about the improper intubation of Halyna Hutchins. Dr. testified that cause of death was the gunshot. State wants to prevent jury from hearing that improper intubation could have been a cause of her death.


Judge looking over transcript of doctor’s testimony. transcript notes: HH had been intubated incorrectly - sending oxygen to the stomach. Dr. said she could not opine that HH would have survived if she had not been intubated incorrectly.


Judge: you can say she was intubated but the doctor did not make the conclusion that HH would have survived. Judge wants defense to include full scope of the doctor's testimony.


Court now replaying doctor’s testimony.


Bowles and the judge disagree on what the doctor said. Judge says Bowles is only taking a portion of the doctor’s testimony and leaving out the rest. Court replaying doctor’s testimony for a second time.


Going over jury questions and verdict form:
Prosecution wants to mention that jurors have to be unanimous on involuntary manslaughter charge but not unanimous on the 3 alternative theories.
Defense objects: they have to be unanimous on the theory.


Judge reviewing case law.


Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer: “I always have to get the facts.”


Judge ruling: jury instructions as they stand are sufficiently correct. We do not need anonymity on the theory.


Court taking break before jury is brought in.


@DanaGriffinNBC

 

[arielilane]

@phaedraann

'Rust' witness points empty revolver toward judge, rattling crowd




Jury instructions being discussed in #Rust trial, they haven’t been finalized but appears jury will be given option to find armorer Gutierrez Reed guilty of a step down from involuntary manslaughter to negligent use of a firearm.


11:11 AM · Mar 6, 2024

 

[arielilane]

@cathyrusson

Arguments happening over closing arguments in #RustTrial. Judge not allowing broadcast (ridiculous, imo)

https://twitter.com/x/status/1765408753925681233

WATCH LIVE: Alec Baldwin ‘Rust’ Movie Shooting — NM v. Hannah Gutierrez ... https://youtube.com/live/J9iwn_Pm5Jw?si=N6TG6_LMYSD5YGSg via @YouTube

https://twitter.com/x/status/1765382262223495447

Closing arguments today in #RustTrial. Defense is expected to rest at some point this morning.


9:21 AM · Mar 6, 2024

 

[arielilane]

Concerning the numerous sidebars:

@cathyrusson

The sidebars only happened after the judge allowed the prosecutor to do a thousand speaking objections the first couple of days. After that she said they had to come to the bench for every objection.

9:20 AM · Mar 6, 2024

 

[arielilane]

Judge just went over what will happen next:
Defense will present its last witness
Closing arguments
Judge will read jury instructions
Alternates will be pulled aside and thanked for their time


DEFENSE WITNESS 5: PJ Pesce, Hollywood Film Director/Writer


@DanaGriffinNBC