Prosecutors are set to call more witnesses Friday as they build their case against actor Alec Baldwin, though attorneys for one of those potential witnesses have said she will plead the fifth.
Attorneys were set to begin the New Mexico trial’s third day of testimony arguing a motion, pushing back the time the jury was to enter Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer’s Santa Fe courtroom to 9:30 a.m. MDT, 11:30 a.m. EDT.
Baldwin is charged with involuntary manslaughter, a felony, in the 2021 on-set shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins. If convicted, he could face up to 18 months in prison. He has pleaded not guilty, and has said he did not pull the trigger.
Attorneys for Hannah Gutierrez-Reed — the film’s armorer, who has already been convicted of involuntary manslaughter in the shooting — said they expect her to be called to testify Friday. The judge earlier rejected a motion by the prosecution to compel her to testify. Her attorneys have said she plans to plead the fifth.
Gutierrez-Reed is already serving 18 months in prison for her role in the shooting on the set at Bonanza Creek Ranch, a popular filming location near Santa Fe.
The prosecution, which called both the gun’s manufacturer and a representative of the firm that imported it to testify Thursday, ended the day by calling the case’s lead detective, sheriff’s Cpl. Alexandria Hancock, to the stand. Her testimony is expected to continue Friday.
Thursday’s testimony saw a lengthy cross-examination of crime scene technician Marissa Poppell by Baldwin’s defense attorney Alex Spiro, who suggested the searches of a prop truck and a warehouse for the live ammunition that ultimately were loaded in Baldwin’s prop gun, a revolver, were shoddy and subpar.
Baldwin has been joined in the courtroom by his wife, Hilaria Baldwin, for each day of testimony in the trial, which is scheduled through July 19.
Elise Preston, Kathleen Seccombe and Elizabeth Campbell contributed to this report.
Source : Cbs News
