Alec Baldwin's trial for the Rust case has begun

The match started two hours later than planned due to technical problems | Photo: EFE

The criminal trial once morest Alec Baldwin for the case Rust The trial formally began on Tuesday, July 9, with the selection in a court in Santa Fe, New Mexico (USA), of the 12 jurors and four alternates who will be in charge of determining the innocence or guilt of the American actor.

The hearing began two hours later than planned due to technical issues, and for nearly five hours the prosecution and defense questioned potential jurors from diverse demographics and ages, who experienced a one-on-one with the 66-year-old interpreter.

Baldwin, who arrived half an hour early to court with his wife, Hilaria, the youngest of their seven children, and his brother Stephen, remained serious throughout the proceedings and sat next to his attorneys, Alex Spiro, Heather LeBlanc, Stephanie Kelemen and Luke Nikas.

Before entering the Santa Fe grounds, the star of 30 Rock He was questioned by reporters regarding how he felt and whether he was afraid of going to jail, but the actor refused to give any kind of statement.

What is Baldwin accused of?

Baldwin, who might face up to 18 months in prison, is charged with one count of involuntary manslaughter in the on-set death of the film’s director of photography. Rust, Halyna Hutchinsin October 2021, while rehearsing a scene in which he held a Colt 45 revolver.

Photo: EFE

The actor has maintained in several interviews that he did not pull the trigger of the gun and that it went off on its own following he cocked it.

Who are the members of the jury?

The selection of jurors and substitutes, from a total of 70 people, was made up of eleven women and five men and ended around 4:30 p.m. local time.

The trial is scheduled to end on July 19, and opening statements by lawyers and testimony are expected to begin on Wednesday, July 10.

Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer began a round of general questioning of prospective jurors, asking whether they were related to any member of the prosecution, Baldwin’s defense or the actor himself, or whether their schedules would allow them to be present throughout the entire trial.

Alex Baldwin's trial for the Rust case has begun: what is known — Photo: EFE/EPA/Ross D. Franklin / POOL

Lead special prosecutor Kari Morrissey then began her questioning by saying the goal of both sides was to get a fair jury.

“We want to get a fair and impartial jury for Baldwin, that’s his right,” said Morrissey, who asked the candidates on several occasions if they felt that their exposure to information regarding the case presented in the media had generated a value judgment in their regard.

Morrissey also asked the candidates their opinion on the use of firearms or if they had any special sympathies for the Hollywood actor that might interfere with their objectivity in the case.

Spiro, for his part, made a point of asking participants regarding their opinions on gun safety and whether they believed a person might rely on an expert to ensure safety and not just on themselves.

One defendant has already been found guilty

The film’s gunsmith, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, who was tasked with delivering the gun that killed Hutchins to Baldwin, was found guilty in March and sentenced to 18 months in prison.

Despite the professional atmosphere surrounding the session, there was also room for humor generated by comments from potential jurors, such as the response of a woman who said she might not be part of the process if she did not smoke marijuana daily, or Marlowe Sommer’s question to another candidate regarding whether she would not prefer to be part of the jury instead of undergoing shoulder surgery.

Although the trial officially began on Tuesday, Baldwin appeared in court on Monday morning for a pretrial hearing in which the judge ruled that his role as producer of the film would not be taken into account.

Baldwin’s position as producer has been part of the prosecution’s strategy to show that the actor had additional responsibility during filming.

Finally, following choosing the jury, Marlowe Sommer reiterated to the selected ones before ending the session: “You cannot say anything that you hear here and that happens here, it is critical for your role as a jury.”

With information from EFE