Judge denies Alec Baldwin motion to dismiss ‘Rust’ crew’s lawsuit
Written by ABC Audio. All rights reserved. on August 24, 2023
A New Mexico judge has denied motions filed by Alec Baldwin to dismiss a civil suit filed by Rust crew members. They allege that the actor-producer cut corners on safety and skipped related training before he mortally wounded cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and injured director Joel Souza during a 2021 rehearsal on the set of the Western movie.
The original motions were filed by Baldwin and El Dorado Pictures to dismiss the lawsuit, along with a motion by Baldwin to stay the civil action pending resolution of criminal proceedings.
The plaintiffs filing the lawsuit are three members of the film crew — Ross Addiego, Doran Curtin and Reese Price — who were employed as contractors, according to the suit.
Addiego was responsible for building and operating mechanisms for camera movement. Curtin was responsible for overseeing costumes and accessories. Price was responsible for non-electric support gear and the direction of the crew in the rigging department, according to court documents, the lawsuit said.
Baldwin was practicing a cross-draw when the Colt-style revolver he was holding discharged, striking Hutchins and Souza. The film’s director suffered a non-life-threatening injury.
Hutchins was transported via helicopter to the University of New Mexico Hospital in critical condition and later died from her injuries, the sheriff’s office said at the time.
Criminal charges brought against Baldwin were dropped in April. Baldwin, 65, had been charged with two counts of involuntary manslaughter in Hutchins’ death.
The film’s set armorer, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, is charged with two counts of involuntary manslaughter in Hutchins’ death. She was additionally charged with tampering with evidence in June.
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