A judge in the fatal Rust movie shooting has declined to dismiss the case against the on-set armourer, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed. Gutierrez-Reed was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter following the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins. The armourer had hoped the judge could change her initial 18-month sentence after she lodged an appeal following Alec Baldwin's case being dropped.
Ukrainian cinematographer Hutchins was shot dead on the set in New Mexico in October 2021 after a gun Gutierrez-Reed passed to Hollywood star Alec Baldwin discharged live rounds. Director Joel Souza was also injured in the tragic incident. Baldwin had been facing charges over Hutchins' tragic death and had pleaded not guilty to the charge.
If convicted, he could have faced up to 18 months in prison, like Gutierrez-Reed. However, his case was dropped and Gutierrez-Reed subsequently lodged on appeal of her own. Her attorneys had argued in court filings that she was entitled to a new trial or dismissal of the case for "egregious prosecutorial misconduct" and "severe and ongoing discovery violations by the State.
" However, the motion was denied on Monday by Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer. Arguments had been heard during a virtual hearing on Thursday. The judge also denied a separate motion from the defence seeking immediate release from detention.
The judge stated that issues that had been raised by the defence hadn't justified ordering a new trial or dismissal. She went on to say that in Gutierrez-Ree.