Santa Fe, New Mexico — Though her husband is an actor, some legal experts believe Hilaria Baldwin herself acted in the New Mexico courtroom that was swarmed by reporters on Tuesday morning.
With her husband, Alec Baldwin, facing manslaughter charges, the controversial yogi arrived at a sun-drenched Santa Fe building in a black SUV with the couple’s baby just before jury selection began.
The toddler, one of the couple’s seven children, was removed from the car and Hilaria held the baby girl in front of the cameras before quickly handing her over to a caretaker, who then drove off in the same SUV moments later.
Legal experts speculate that the Baldwins wanted to humanize the uncouth actor in the eyes of the public and perhaps potential jurors.
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Actor Alec Baldwin (left) and wife Hilaria Baldwin, holding their child, arrive for jury selection for his manslaughter trial, Tuesday, July 9, 2024, in Santa Fe, New Mexico. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
“It’s unusual to bring children because it’s not a very good place for children,” the divorce lawyer said. Christopher C. Melcher “And you have to think, if you’re leaving your kids with a nanny, what’s your reason for bringing your kids in other than for show?” she told Fox News Digital.
The Baldwins knew photos of the mother and child arriving at the courthouse would quickly spread online, he said.
“They could have afforded to place their children in care. The courts are not really a place for children, so this seems like a strategic move.”
“There are a lot of people who have to go to court, but they don’t have anywhere to care for their kids, so they have no choice but to bring their kids to court,” Melcher said. “This is common, but that’s not the case with the Baldwins. They could have afforded to care for their kids. The court is not really a place for kids. So this seems like a strategic thing to do.”
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Some believe Baldwin’s reputation for being fiery and at odds with the press and the public could harm his case.
“As an attorney, you always want to humanize the person on trial and show them that they’re more than just a case on your radar,” said Elizabeth Bunker, an attorney in New Mexico. “Having family support shows jurors that a lot of people care about the outcome of this case and it can subtly encourage them to really dig deep and pay attention to the facts.”
But Bunker warned that an appearance by Hilaria and her allies could provoke animosity among Santa Fe residents.
“On the other hand, trying too hard to be sympathetic can be counterproductive,” she says. “In my experience, if there’s even the slightest hint of desperation, jurors will naturally reject anything that sounds inauthentic or performed.”
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Alec and Hilaria have been married for 12 years and have seven children. (Getty Images)
New Mexico’s artsy towns have long been magnets for fashionable residents, but one lawyer warned that many locals, including potential jurors, may not be as hung up on celebrity and may even have an aversion to the rich and famous.
“If it seems like you have a nanny 24 hours a day, that could backfire,” said New York lawyer Mark Bederow. “Why would you take a baby out of an SUV just to hand him out like a prop? It could be perceived as a contrived way to garner public support and positive press.”
The actor recently announced plans to star alongside his wife and kids in a TLC reality show called “The Baldwins,” which will showcase his family’s “ups and downs, the good and the bad and the wild and crazy.”
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Actor Stephen Baldwin, the younger brother of actor Alec Baldwin, leaves a courtroom in Santa Fe, New Mexico, on Tuesday, July 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
But Melcher added that the embattled actor faces a public relations challenge he has little hope of winning, and Hilaria’s absence will raise questions about whether she is not supporting her husband, he said.
“When the stakes are high, you expect supporters and close family members to be there,” he said. “I think it would have been a blow if she hadn’t been there.”
Pictured: Alec Baldwin and his wife Hilaria Baldwin leave the courthouse after jury selection.
Baldwin’s brother, Stephen Baldwin, was also in court on Tuesday, sitting in the back row of the courtroom with Hilaria.
After a two-hour delay in the morning, jury selection began around 10:30 a.m. Tuesday. Sixteen jurors, including four alternates, have been selected to hear arguments in the manslaughter case. Eleven of the selected jurors are women and five are men.
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Baldwin accidentally fired a gun on the set of the film “Lust” in October 2021, killing cinematographer Halina Hutchins and wounding director Joel Souza. If convicted, he could face up to 18 months in prison, but he has pleaded not guilty.
The “30 Rock” actor claims he only cocked the gun, not pulled the trigger. Prosecutors counter that the gun couldn’t have fired if Baldwin hadn’t fired the bullets.
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