Prosecutors have downgraded the involuntary manslaughter charges against Alec Baldwin, who fired the gun on the "Rust" movie set, killing the film's cinematographer.
Baldwin’s lawyers argued that the Santa Fe County district attorney had incorrectly charged the actor under a version of a New Mexico firearm enhancement law that was passed months after the fatal shooting in October 2021.
Under that law, Baldwin, if convicted, would have received a minimum prison sentence of five years.
Instead, he now faces a maximum of 18 months in prison.
The move significantly reduces the possible prison time for the actor, The New York Times reporter.
Late last month, Baldwin formally was charged with two counts of involuntary manslaughter following the shooting death of Halyna Hutchins, a cinematographer from the film "Rust."
Santa Fe County DA spokeswoman Heather Brewer said the prosecution dropped the firearm enhancement Friday to "avoid further litigious distractions by Mr. Baldwin and his attorneys."
"The prosecution’s priority is securing justice, not securing billable hours for big-city attorneys," Brewer said in a statement Monday, the Times reported.
The altered charges also apply to Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, who was responsible for weapons and ammunition on set.
"We applaud the decision of the district attorney to dismiss the firearm enhancement and it was the right call, ethically, and on the merits," said Jason Bowles, an attorney for Gutierrez-Reed.
Baldwin fatally shot Hutchins and wounded a director when he discharged a prop gun on a movie set in New Mexico on Oct. 21, 2021.
The actor has maintained he was not responsible for the fatal shooting, saying he was handed a gun that he was told was did not contain live rounds and was safe to handle.
Gutierrez-Reed testified to New Mexico's worker safety agency (OSHA) on Dec. 7 that the shooting might have been prevented had she had more time to train Baldwin. She said he had "poor form" when using the revolver.
In November 2021, an attorney for Gutierrez-Reed implied an act of sabotage may have led to the on-set shooting that killed Hutchins and injured director Joel Souza.
Reuters contributed to this story.
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