Alec Baldwin’s lawyers have argued that he cannot be charged with murder even if he pulled the trigger on the set of Lust.
Baldwin’s defense team has remained adamant throughout the trial that he did not pull the trigger when the gun went off, killing cinematographer Halina Hutchins on the set of the Western.
But Baldwin’s lawyer, Alex Spiro, said in opening statements in Baldwin’s manslaughter trial that it’s possible that Baldwin made a mistake and pulled the trigger — the first time the defense has reportedly raised that possibility — but Spiro also argued that this fact doesn’t make Baldwin criminally negligent.
“On a movie set, you’re allowed to pull the trigger,” Spiro said. variety“Even if you intentionally pulled the trigger, you’re not guilty of murder.”
Baldwin has previously denied ever pulling the trigger and claimed the gun had simply malfunctioned.
“Of course, if he did, that would just mean that what he said was wrong.”
As reported by The Blaze News, the FBI argued that it was impossible to fire the gun without pulling the trigger, but Baldwin’s defense accused the FBI of breaking the gun during testing: An FBI inspector hit the gun with a mallet to see if it would accidentally fire, breaking three parts of the gun.
Lucien Haag, a firearms expert who examined the Colt .45 caliber bullets used by Baldwin, testified that the gun was indeed in working order before the FBI analyzed it. Haag also testified that the ammunition used on the set of “Lust” was “hand loaded,” meaning it was made by an individual, not a manufacturer.
The latter played a key role in the trial of the film’s arms manufacturer, Hannah Gutierrez Reed, who was found guilty of manslaughter but not guilty of a lesser charge of tampering with evidence. She was sentenced to 18 months in prison.
David Holes, first assistant director on “Lust,” pleaded not guilty to a charge of negligent use of a deadly weapon and was given probation.
Prosecutors are seeking to prove that Baldwin actually pulled the trigger, and have said numerous firearms experts will testify that the gun was in working order when Baldwin allegedly fired the shot.
But Baldwin’s defense argued that the instruction manual for that particular model of gun – a Colt .45 caliber pistol – stated that dropping the hammer on the primer of a live round could cause the gun to fire.
At the same time, Spiro also reportedly urged jurors to acquit Baldwin even if it turned out he actually pulled the trigger.
“Of course, if he did, that means he was wrong,” the lawyer said. “That means he spoke in error.”
Even if he misspoke, it’s not Baldwin’s fault that the gun was loaded with live ammunition, Spiro continued.
“This problem [is] “It’s easy to argue your way off the movie set and into the courtroom world,” the lawyer theorized.[Baldwin] “I didn’t know, and I had no reason to know, that the gun was loaded with live ammunition. That’s the key. The live ammunition is the key. That’s the fatal element.”
Prosecutors plan to call Italian gun maker Alessandro Pietta, whose company produced the weapons in question, to explain quality-control measures before the jury. Santa Fe New Mexican.
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