Actor Alec Baldwin has pleaded not guilty to a charge of involuntary manslaughter over the fatal shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the New Mexico set of Western Rust in 2021.
Baldwin, 64, made the plea on Thursday while waiving a court appearance on Friday. It was set to be his first in the case on how live ammunition became mixed with dummy rounds on the Santa Fe film set and then went undetected.
Last month, New Mexico's first judicial district attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies charged Baldwin and the movie's armorer, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, with two counts of involuntary manslaughter for alleged "reckless" disregard for safety prior to Hutchins' death.
Prosecutors last week downgraded charges against Gutierrez-Reed and Baldwin, reducing the possible prison time for the actor who fired the live round that killed Hutchins and wounded director Joel Souza while rehearsing a scene in front of the camera.
Baldwin's defence team argued that he had been charged retroactively with a New Mexico firearms law that was passed after the shooting took place on October 21, 2021.
The actor has said he is not responsible for Hutchins' death, arguing that Gutierrez-Reed failed to check rounds she loaded into his revolver and assistant director Dave Halls falsely told him it was a "cold gun" — an industry term meaning it was unloaded or contained only dummy rounds.
Gutierrez-Reed will make a first court appearance on Friday via video link, her lawyer Jason Bowles said.
She has blamed the shooting on potential sabotage, Baldwin's lack of firearms training and a failure by Halls and Baldwin to call her on to the set for extra firearm checks.
The Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office, the lead investigator on the case, and prosecutors have yet to present evidence on the source of six live long Colt .45-caliber rounds found on the set, including the bullet that killed Hutchins.
Halls pleaded not guilty in a Thursday court filing in which he also waived his first court appearance on Friday. He has entered a plea deal for misdemeanor charges and has been called as a witness by prosecutors should the case reach trial.
Baldwin and Gutierrez-Reed now face a maximum of 18 months in prison if convicted. Before the prosecutor dropped the alternative charge they risked a minimum of five years in jail.
Documents filed on Thursday show Baldwin is out on bail ahead of any future trial, with several conditions.
These include that he will not drink alcohol, and that he will not possess firearms or dangerous weapons.
He is also barred from having any contact with witnesses in the case, save from "in connection with completing the Rust movie."
Producers announced last year that the project would be restarted, with all principal players resuming their roles.
Work on Rust was halted with Hutchins' death. The movie's production company said filming is expected to resume this spring, without the use of real weapons or ammunition.
Hutchins’s widower, Matthew Hutchins, will be the film’s new executive producer, fulfilling the terms of a legal settlement to a wrongful death lawsuit against Baldwin and other Rust producers.
A related documentary is planned that will detail the completion of the film and the life of Hutchins.
— Additional reporting by Reuters, AP and AFP
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
2018 ICC World Twenty20 Asian Western Sub Regional Qualifier
Event info: The tournament in Kuwait is the first phase of the qualifying process for sides from Asia for the 2020 World T20 in Australia. The UAE must finish within the top three teams out of the six at the competition to advance to the Asia regional finals. Success at regional finals would mean progression to the World T20 Qualifier.
Teams: UAE, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Maldives, Qatar
Friday fixtures: 9.30am (UAE time) - Kuwait v Maldives, Qatar v UAE; 3pm - Saudi Arabia v Bahrain
Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
Dhadak 2
Director: Shazia Iqbal
Starring: Siddhant Chaturvedi, Triptii Dimri
Rating: 1/5
Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
The years Ramadan fell in May
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Veere di Wedding
Dir: Shashanka Ghosh
Starring: Kareena Kapoo-Khan, Sonam Kapoor, Swara Bhaskar and Shikha Talsania
Verdict: 4 Stars
Polarised public
31% in UK say BBC is biased to left-wing views
19% in UK say BBC is biased to right-wing views
19% in UK say BBC is not biased at all
Source: YouGov
