Alec Baldwin ‘Rust’ trial live: Opening statements begin as brother Stephen sits behind actor in court

The prosecution told the jury that Baldwin routinely failed to do safety checks with armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed on the set of “Rust.”

Johnson said Baldwin was filmed during his required gun safety training “running around, shooting his gun.”

She also said he “didn’t want to offend” Gutierrez-Reed by doing the checks every time he was handed a gun.

“You will learn that one of the rounds in that revolver was a real round, and the evidence will show that Ms. Gutierrez then handed the gun to the defendant,” Johnson said.

“And what you will learn is that, once again, the defendant failed to do a gun safety check with this armorer.”

Prosecutor Johnson said Baldwin asked to be given the “biggest gun” available for the movie.

She told the jury during her opening that they would hear evidence that firearm was sold to the “Rust” set in “perfect” working order.

Gloria Allred, attorney for Halyna Hutchins’ parents and sister, speaks out ahead of court.

Special prosecutor Erlinda Johnson has started her opening statement.

“When someone plays make believe, with a real gun.

And that person disregards the Cardinal rule of gun safety… People die.”

Johnson says the budget on “Rust” was tight and crew was inexperienced.

Stephen Baldwin, the actor brother of Alec Baldwin, sits behind him in court on Wednesday.

Opening statements are expected to start shortly.

Court has resumed for a second day in Alec Baldwin’s trial in Santa Fe. A jury was selected on Tuesday.

Baldwin is in court and opening statements will begin shortly.

The proceedings can be livestreamed here:

Prosecutors say they’ll present evidence that Baldwin went “off script” and failed to follow basic industry standards for firearms safety when he pointed the firearm at Hutchins on October 21, 2021.

“At the end of the day, the prosecutor’s main theory is that this was a gun involved, and Baldwin had a gun in his hand, and it doesn’t matter if it’s a film set or hunting safety class, you’re responsible for what comes out of the end of the barrel,” said John Day, a Santa Fe-based defense attorney and former prosecutor.

Testimony at trial will delve into shortcomings in a final safety check of the gun before Baldwin began rehearsing with it, as well as the mechanics of the weapon and whether it could have fired without a trigger pull. The live bullet that killed Hutchins also wounded director Joel Souza.

Prosecutors and defense attorneys selected 16 jurors — 11 women and five men — on Tuesday, seating a jury from a region with strong currents of gun ownership and safety informed by backcountry hunting.

Four of the jurors will be deemed alternates while the other 12 deliberate once they get the case.

The shooting death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, a 42-year-old rising star in her craft, nearly three years ago sent shock waves through the film industry and led to one felony charge against Baldwin that could result in up to 18 months in prison.

Baldwin attorney Alex Spiro probed prospective jurors on Tuesday for strong opinions about gun safety and asked whether a person must entirely take responsibility for whether a gun is loaded or may “rely on experts, does anybody have a problem with that?”

Most who answered said they always treat a gun as if it were loaded.

Opening statements in Alec Baldwin’s involuntary manslaughter trial are expected to begin today.

A jury was selected on Tuesday. The Hollywood actor arrived at the Santa Fe courthouse Tuesday morning with his wife Hilaria and their youngest child.

Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer said the trial is only expected to last nine days.