[ad_1]
Alec Baldwin’s trial in the shooting of a cinematographer begins Tuesday with the selection of jurors who will be tasked with deciding whether the actor is guilty of involuntary manslaughter.Getting chosen to serve in a trial of such a major star accused of such a major crime would be unusual even in Los Angeles or Baldwin’s hometown of New York. But it will be essentially an unheard-of experience for those who are picked as jurors in Santa Fe, New Mexico, though in recent years the state has increasingly become a hub of Hollywood production.Baldwin and his wife Hilaria arrived at the courthouse Tuesday with their youngest child, Ilaria Catalina Irena Baldwin. The couple have seven children, ranging in ages from 1 to 10.Baldwin, 66, could get up to 18 months in prison if jurors unanimously decide to convict him. The jurors are tasked with deciding whether Baldwin committed the felony when, during a rehearsal in October 2021, a revolver went off while he was pointing it at cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, killing her and wounding director Joel Souza. They were on the set of the Western film “Rust,” at Bonanza Creek Ranch some 18 miles from where the trial is being held.Baldwin has said the gun fired accidentally after he followed instructions to point it toward Hutchins, who was behind the camera. Unaware that the gun contained a live round, Baldwin said he pulled back the hammer — not the trigger — and it fired.The star of “30 Rock” and “The Hunt for Red October” made his first appearance in the courtroom on Monday, when Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer, in a significant victory for the defense, ruled at a pretrial hearing that Baldwin’s role as a co-producer on “Rust” isn’t relevant to the trial.On Tuesday, 79 people will be questioned and narrowed down. “It’s a process where both sides get to ask really specific questions of jurors,” John Day, a legal expert with sister station KOAT, said.He added, questions will come after some extensive research by both the prosecution and the defense.”Like, looked up their social media posts to see if they’ve said anything about this trial, or about guns in general, or Alec Baldwin in particular,” Day said.Candidates will also be grouped up in a 50-minute selection to ensure a faster process. Something that differed from Hannah Gutierrez-Reed’s trial. Twelve jurors and four alternates were selected in her case.”They were feeling pretty strongly that she had one job, and she didn’t do it,” Day said. “Her job was to make sure that there was no live ammunition on the set and that the guns didn’t have anything that was going to hurt someone.”That means finding the perfect juror will be key in a limited amount of time. “The ultimate juror is someone who can say, ‘I might know about the case, but I don’t have an opinion,’” Day said.However, certain ideas may be favored.For the prosecutions, the team will be looking closely at gun safety.”You’re going to want people on the jury who are familiar with gun safety issues, right?” Day said. “Who knows about gun safety, and who is going to be skeptical of somebody pointing a gun at someone without knowing what’s in it.”As for the defense, attorneys will closely look at movie set protocols.”You’re going to want people who would agree that a film is not like real life,” he said. “That if you’re an actor on a film set and someone hands you a gun and says it’s safe, there’s no reason to think otherwise.”But each side can only reject a certain number of potential jurors. “People that can kick off or they can say, ‘we’re not going to take that person for this reason,’” Day said. “It’s a process of narrowing down a large pool into a much smaller pool of jurors and alternates.”Jury selection will begin Tuesday morning at the Santa Fe County Courthouse. Opening statements are expected Wednesday.The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Alec Baldwin’s trial in the shooting of a cinematographer begins Tuesday with the selection of jurors who will be tasked with deciding whether the actor is guilty of involuntary manslaughter.
Getting chosen to serve in a trial of such a major star accused of such a major crime would be unusual even in Los Angeles or Baldwin’s hometown of New York. But it will be essentially an unheard-of experience for those who are picked as jurors in Santa Fe, New Mexico, though in recent years the state has increasingly become a hub of Hollywood production.
Baldwin and his wife Hilaria arrived at the courthouse Tuesday with their youngest child, Ilaria Catalina Irena Baldwin. The couple have seven children, ranging in ages from 1 to 10.
Baldwin, 66, could get up to 18 months in prison if jurors unanimously decide to convict him. The jurors are tasked with deciding whether Baldwin committed the felony when, during a rehearsal in October 2021, a revolver went off while he was pointing it at cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, killing her and wounding director Joel Souza. They were on the set of the Western film “Rust,” at Bonanza Creek Ranch some 18 miles from where the trial is being held.
Baldwin has said the gun fired accidentally after he followed instructions to point it toward Hutchins, who was behind the camera. Unaware that the gun contained a live round, Baldwin said he pulled back the hammer — not the trigger — and it fired.
The star of “30 Rock” and “The Hunt for Red October” made his first appearance in the courtroom on Monday, when Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer, in a significant victory for the defense, ruled at a pretrial hearing that Baldwin’s role as a co-producer on “Rust” isn’t relevant to the trial.
On Tuesday, 79 people will be questioned and narrowed down.
“It’s a process where both sides get to ask really specific questions of jurors,” John Day, a legal expert with sister station KOAT, said.
He added, questions will come after some extensive research by both the prosecution and the defense.
“Like, [they may have] looked up their social media posts to see if they’ve said anything about this trial, or about guns in general, or Alec Baldwin in particular,” Day said.
Candidates will also be grouped up in a 50-minute selection to ensure a faster process.
Something that differed from Hannah Gutierrez-Reed’s trial. Twelve jurors and four alternates were selected in her case.
“They were feeling pretty strongly that she had one job, and she didn’t do it,” Day said. “Her job was to make sure that there was no live ammunition on the set and that the guns didn’t have anything that was going to hurt someone.”
That means finding the perfect juror will be key in a limited amount of time.
“The ultimate juror is someone who can say, ‘I might know about the case, but I don’t have an opinion,’” Day said.
However, certain ideas may be favored.
For the prosecutions, the team will be looking closely at gun safety.
“You’re going to want people on the jury who are familiar with gun safety issues, right?” Day said. “Who knows about gun safety, and who is going to be skeptical of somebody pointing a gun at someone without knowing what’s in it.”
As for the defense, attorneys will closely look at movie set protocols.
“You’re going to want people who would agree that a film is not like real life,” he said. “That if you’re an actor on a film set and someone hands you a gun and says it’s safe, there’s no reason to think otherwise.”
But each side can only reject a certain number of potential jurors.
“People that [the teams] can kick off or [that] they can say, ‘we’re not going to take that person for this reason,’” Day said. “It’s a process of narrowing down a large pool into a much smaller pool of jurors and alternates.”
Jury selection will begin Tuesday morning at the Santa Fe County Courthouse. Opening statements are expected Wednesday.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
[ad_2]
