Lawyers for “The Last” armorer Hannah Gutierrez Reed are challenging her manslaughter conviction in a Santa Fe, New Mexico, court earlier this month.
Gutierrez-Reed’s attorneys filed an emergency motion on March 15 seeking a new trial and release, according to documents obtained by Fox News Digital.
Defense attorneys are also asking for the defendant’s release while deliberations proceed, according to the Associated Press.
Alec Baldwin’s “The Last” armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reid is appealing her manslaughter conviction. (New Mexico State Court/Santa Fe Sheriff)
According to the Associated Press, Gutierrez-Reed’s attorneys Jason Bowles and Monica Barreras said in a motion released Monday that instructions given to jurors during the trial were “confusing and confusing to jurors.” “This could lead to a non-unanimous verdict.” According to the media, a similar challenge was made during the trial but was rejected.
Alec Baldwin’s ‘Last’ Armorer Convicted of Manslaughter
According to the Santa Fe Reporter, Bowles and Barreras cited a New Mexico Supreme Court ruling in their motion for reconsideration.
“The Last” armorer, Hannah Gutierrez Reed, was found guilty of manslaughter on March 6th. (Courtesy of Santa Fe County Adult Detention Facility/Getty Images)
In the March 14 case of New Mexico v. Taylor, a child abuse conviction was vacated based on jury error, the newspaper reported. On similar grounds, he noted, “the Court of Appeals or the Supreme Court would almost certainly have to reverse the outcome of this case on paper.”
Bowles told Fox News Digital that the New Mexico Supreme Court in Taylor has addressed this issue regarding the error in jury instructions to use or non-unanimous verdicts for certain acts. “I believe that Hannah is entitled to a new sentence.” Judgment will be conducted based on this. ”
Hannah Gutierrez Reed in a New Mexico courtroom. (Courtesy of New Mexico State Court)
On March 6, a jury found Gutierrez-Reed guilty of manslaughter in the death of cinematographer Halina Hutchins. This armorer was responsible for the guns that fired live ammunition on the sets of Western movies. On October 21, 2021, Hutchins was in the line of fire when actor Alec Baldwin pulled a gun from his holster.
Gutierrez-Reed was also found not guilty. tampering with evidencethe charges she received in 2023 came after investigators accused her of disguising a bag of cocaine on the day of the Set shooting.
On March 16, Baldwin’s defense team told a New Mexico judge that prosecutors had acted unethically and failed to present important evidence to a grand jury on the set of the movie “The Last.” asked to dismiss charges against Baldwin in connection with the shooting death of .
Lawyers argued that the state violated “nearly every rule in the code” in order to convict Baldwin of fatally shooting Hutchins on a movie set.
Alec Baldwin’s defense team asked a New Mexico judge on March 16 to dismiss the charges against him. (Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Department)
“Enough is enough,” the lawyers wrote. “This is an abuse of the system and a mistreatment of innocent people whose rights were severely trampled,” they said in a court filing.
Baldwin was indicted On January 19, he was charged with two counts of involuntary manslaughter, negligent use of a firearm, or involuntary manslaughter without due care or prudence.
Jurors in Gutierrez-Reed’s trial deliberated for just under three hours in a New Mexico courthouse. After the verdict was read, Judge Mary Marlow Sommer ordered Gutierrez-Reed taken into custody and held until sentencing.
Alec Baldwin and Hannah Gutierrez Reed were charged with manslaughter in the death of Halina Hutchins. (Getty Images)
“I’m going to remand you,” Sommer told the court. “The reason is that you have now been found guilty and this is death.” Gutierrez-Reed was immediately taken into custody by deputies and his sentencing date was set for April 15.
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In addition to a $5,000 fine, she could face up to 18 months in prison.
The armorer’s trial, which began on February 21, featured testimony from weapons experts, the FBI, Santa Fe County authorities and a crew member who witnessed the fatal shooting.
Halina Hutchins was killed on October 21, 2021, when Baldwin pulled a gun from his holster on the set of “The Last.” (Fred Hayes/Getty Images, SAGindie)
Prosecutors primarily focused on Gutierrez-Reed’s actions as an armorer, arguing that she did not do her job properly.
“Hannah Gutierrez knew Baldwin was on the loose. She knew it,” special prosecutor Kari Morrissey said in closing arguments. “Even though it was her job, she didn’t do anything about it. That was her job, if you really want to call an A-list actor that. “Hey, you can’t have that attitude when handling firearms. ” That’s her job. That’s what they pay her. That’s the job she applied for. That’s the job she accepted. ”
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Gutierrez-Reed’s attorneys told the jury that prosecutors did not present enough evidence to convict Armorer of manslaughter.
Gutierrez-Reed’s trial began with jury selection on February 21st. (Courtesy of New Mexico State Court)
“They’re not going to come here with a straight face and ridicule us and criticize us and say we’ve given enough of a verdict to convict her beyond a reasonable doubt, because they don’t.” Because he hasn’t,” Bowles told jurors.
Bowles claimed that factors beyond Gutierrez-Reed’s control occurred on set and led to the fatal shooting.
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“No matter who did the live rounds on set, Mr. Baldwin ended up going off script and doing what he did,” the attorney said. “These were external events beyond Ms. Gutierrez-Reed’s control and she had no knowledge of what was about to happen.”
Fox News Digital’s Lauryn Overhultz and Tracy Wright contributed to this report
