Alec Baldwin pleads not guilty in 'Rust' involuntary manslaughter charge

Alec Baldwin pleaded not guilty and filed a waiver of arraignment in the "Rust" case over two years after the fatal shooting that left cinematographer Halyna Hutchins dead.

Baldwin was charged for a second time with involuntary manslaughter Jan. 19 in connection to the tragic on-set moment. Hutchins died Oct. 21, 2021, after a gun Baldwin was holding discharged while rehearsing a scene.

The actor was hit with involuntary manslaughter, negligent use of a firearm, or, in the alternative, involuntary manslaughter without due caution or circumspection. Baldwin's legal team has demanded a speedy trial for the 65-year-old Hollywood star.

Baldwin must "obey all federal, state, tribal, and local laws, statutes, and ordinances" as part of his conditions of release. In addition, he is not allowed to possess "firearms or dangerous weapons, which includes any device that is capable of expelling a projectile by action of an explosion."

He's also not allowed to "consume alcohol or illegal substances" or "leave the United States of America without written permission of the Court." Baldwin must "maintain contact" with an attorney, and must "avoid all contact with the alleged victim(s) or anyone who may testify in this case."

The condition stated Baldwin is permitted to have contact with potential witnesses from the "Rust" film. However, he is "not permitted to discuss the accident at issue." Related business matters include promoting the movie and other similar activities is permitted.

"The defendant will not directly or indirectly solicit witnesses or members of the cast and crew to participate in the documentary with Moxie films or to obtain statements regarding safety on the ‘Rust’ set outside of standard investigative procedures," the conditions of release stated.

"Mr. Baldwin is entitled to a fair and speedy disposition of the charges to minimize public vilification and suspicion and to avoid the hazards of proving his innocence that often arise after lengthy delays in a prosecution," documents obtained by Fox News Digital state.

A former federal prosecutor Neama Rahmani, who is not involved in the case, previously explained to Fox News Digital, "When defense attorneys think the prosecution doesn't have a good case, they insist on a speedy trial to basically jam them up and force them to push the case to trial.

"If they have a bad case as a prosecutor, then the defense will say, 'All right, let's go to trial,' because they know [the prosecution is] not going to have [the] witnesses and evidence ready," he added. "That's probably the case here. This is a weak case for the prosecution.

However, a speedy trial may not be a benefit for Baldwin, criminal defense attorney Robert J. Degroot told Fox News Digital.

"A speedy trial may not be in Mr. Baldwin's best interests," Degroot said. "There is currently a trial scheduled for another defendant who was the ‘armorer’ on the location. What explanation she may have for the presence of live rounds, creating a ‘hot gun’ situation, would have an immediate impact and collateral effect on Mr. Baldwin's case."

Baldwin has maintained he did not pull the trigger of the gun Oct. 21, 2021.

"The trigger wasn’t pulled. I didn’t pull the trigger," Baldwin told George Stephanopoulos in an interview shortly after the fatal shooting.

"No, no, no, no, I would never point a gun at anyone and pull the trigger. Never."

However, the FBI conducted an accidental-discharge test and determined the gun used in the fatal shooting of Hutchins "could not be made to fire without a pull of the trigger," ABC News reported.

Baldwin was originally charged with two counts of involuntary manslaughter on Jan. 31, 2023, and the charges were later dropped in April.

At the time, the prosecution claimed "new facts" had been revealed that require further investigation. In their motion to dismiss, the special prosecutors noted the inquiry and forensic analysis required could not be completed before the start of Baldwin's scheduled preliminary hearing.

"Rust" armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed's involuntary manslaughter trial is scheduled to begin in February. Baldwin has not been included on any witness list the prosecution has submitted at this point.

For more, go to Fox News.