SANTA FE, N.M. — A judge in New Mexico has set a trial date for Alec Baldwin on charges of manslaughter stemming from a 2021 shooting on the set of the Western movie “The Lust.”
A scheduling order entered Monday calls for jury selection to begin July 9, and the trial begins the next day with opening statements from the special prosecutor and Baldwin’s defense attorney.
The hearing is scheduled to last eight days.
Baldwin, the lead actor and co-producer of the film, pleaded not guilty in January, the day before his scheduled arraignment.
After prosecutors received new analysis of the revolver he was using during the shooting, a grand jury indicted him, renewing an indictment that prosecutors originally filed and later dismissed in April 2023.
During rehearsals on set in suburban Santa Fe, Baldwin pointed a gun at cinematographer Halina Hutchins and opened fire, killing her and injuring director Joel Souza.
Baldwin said he pulled back the hammer, not the trigger, and the gun fired.
Subsequent analysis concluded that “the trigger must be pulled or depressed far enough to release the hammer of the evidence revolver in a fully cocked or retracted position.”
The revolver is also the subject of testimony in the case of Weapons Superintendent Hannah Gutierrez Reed, who is on trial for manslaughter and evidence tampering.
Her trial resumed Monday in Santa Fe with testimony from an FBI firearms expert.
The case against the armorer also affects Baldwin, who could face up to 18 months in prison if convicted.
Baldwin is free pending trial on conditions including not possessing firearms, not drinking alcohol, and not leaving the country.
Baldwin has limited access to witnesses regarding the promotion of “Rust,” which has not yet been released to the public.
Baldwin is prohibited from asking the cast and crew of “The Last” to participate in related documentary films.
