American actor Alec Baldwin pleaded not guilty on Thursday to manslaughter after a fatal shooting on the set of the
2021 movie
Rust
. Thursday, he will not be present at this hearing.
On October 21, 2021, the filming of
Rust
on a ranch in New Mexico, a state in the southwestern United States, turned tragic when Alec Baldwin fired a weapon supposed to contain only blank bullets, but one of which A very real projectile had killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, 42, and injured director Joel Souza.
The actor targeted by a complaint from the parents of the victim
Alec Baldwin is being prosecuted in New Mexico for manslaughter and faces an 18-month prison sentence, just like the film's armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed.
The 64-year-old actor was also targeted by an aggravating circumstance – due to the use of a firearm – which made him face five years behind bars.
This aggravating circumstance had however been disputed by his lawyers, on the grounds that it was based on a New Mexico law which was not in force at the time of the tragedy.
She was finally abandoned by the prosecutors,
"in order to avoid wasting time"
according to them.
Read alsoAlec Baldwin's fatal shooting: the FBI's conclusions contradict the actor's version
Alec Baldwin is also the subject of a civil complaint from the Ukrainian parents and the victim's sister.
Alec Baldwin, known in particular for his role in the series
30 Rock,
has always claimed his innocence.
According to him, he was assured that his weapon was harmless, and he denies having pulled the trigger.
An assertion questioned by many experts.
This rare news item had shocked Hollywood and had a strong impact, triggering calls to ban firearms on the sets, where the presence of live ammunition is in theory already prohibited.