SANTA FE, New Mexico — Santa Fe is used to tourists. But not like this.
Alec Baldwin was in town this week for the start of his manslaughter trial, but he wasn’t getting a warm welcome from New Mexicans.
A small crowd of local spectators gathered in the courtroom as the defense delivered opening statements. Baldwin, 66, is accused of accidentally firing a loaded gun on the set of the Western movie “Lust,” killing cinematographer Halina Hutchins, 42, and wounding director Joel Souza in October 2021.
Background actress Janelle Rogers and a friend held signs that read “Justice for Halina” on one side and “Safety on Set is a Must! No Excuses!!” on the other.
“There is no safety on set,” said Rogers, an Albuquerque resident who previously appeared on “Better Call Saul,” criticizing the industry.
“No matter who you are or where you are on set, safety is essential,” Rogers said. “Halina Hutchins should not have died.”
Rogers said he has friends who worked as extras in “Lust” and believes a lot of people must have failed for the shooting to happen.
“I think a lot of people are to blame for her death. There are multiple people involved. Just because you’re an actor, just because you’re not a producer, doesn’t exempt you from responsibility,” Rogers said.
She also slammed the “30 Rock” star for producing a reality show with his wife, Hilaria Baldwin, and their seven children, “The Baldwins,” which is set to premiere next year on TLC.
“This is a joke,” Rogers said about the show. “I think he’s doing this for publicity.”
Hilaria and Baldwin brought their baby to court for jury selection on Tuesday, but none of their children were present Wednesday.
“I think this is absolutely grotesque. And he brought his wife and baby here. She doesn’t need to be here. I think this is a big publicity ploy for him,” Rogers said.
“That’s self-centered and narcissistic. We noticed that when he played Trump,” Rogers said, referring to Baldwin’s recurring role as a parody of the former president on “Saturday Night Live.”
“He played the role effortlessly. Why? The attitude is, ‘I’m above everybody.’ An exemption. An exception.”
Rachel Jarrell, 32, was the first to attend court on Wednesday, driving an hour from her home in Rio Rancho, New Mexico.
Jarrell, a stay-at-home mother of two, said she had been closely following the separate trial of “Last” rookie arms maker Hannah Gutierrez Reed, who was convicted of manslaughter in March and sentenced to 18 months in prison.
“I’ve been following the Gutierrez case,” Jarrell said.[I’m] I was very excited that it was being held in my home state. [I] I drove about an hour to get here.”
Jarrell added that he is a supporter of stricter gun safety laws and wants justice for Hutchins.
Regarding the Baldwins’ upcoming reality show, Jarrell said, “I think it’s reckless to exploit a tragedy for fame. It’s sad.”
“I think Halina’s death is a tragedy and for it to have an impact on a reality TV show,” she added.
Frank Wimberly, 81, of Santa Fe, said he didn’t believe media claims made after Hutchins’ death that Baldwin did not pull the trigger of the replica .45-caliber Colt revolver.
“The hammer doesn’t fall unless you pull the trigger,” Wimberley said. “I think he pulled the trigger.”
Baldwin’s lawyer, Alex Spiro, said Wednesday morning that his client did not “intentionally” pull the trigger — an apparent attempt to reverse Baldwin’s previous denials.
Spiro said the responsibility for Hutchins’ death lay with Gutierrez-Reed, who was responsible for the safe use of weapons during filming, and other on-set crew members. Spiro said Baldwin fired a gun that was not supposed to contain live ammunition and was simply doing his job.
But prosecutor Erlinda Ocampo argued in her opening statement that Baldwin “played with a real gun” and ignored gun safety rules, contributing to the deadly tragedy.
At the start of the trial on Wednesday, both Hilaria and Baldwin’s brother, Stephen Baldwin, were sitting in the courtroom gallery a few rows behind the actor in question.
Alec and Hilaria received a slightly warmer welcome after the hearing concluded on Wednesday.
After leaving the courthouse, the Baldwins were seen shopping on a busy tourist street in downtown Santa Fe, then stopping at a Starbucks. The couple were seen with their young child in tow.
Alec pushed the empty stroller while Hilaria held the little girl’s hand.
He signed autographs for fans inside the coffee shop.
“I was going to ask for a selfie for my dad but decided not to because he’s going through a difficult time right now,” one girl said after leaving Starbucks.
“He was a really, really good guy,” said Santa Fe resident Lucille Roybal, who received an autograph addressed to her 2-year-old son, Ocean.
“He took the time to sign Ocean’s autograph and was a very sweet guy.”
Roybal added: “I don’t think he should have been convicted. No, that’s just my opinion. I think there should have been someone who took good care of the gun.”
