Actor Alec Baldwin no longer faces years in prison, but his case still raises questions about prosecutorial overreach.
In October 2021, while rehearsing a scene on the New Mexico set of his film Rust, Baldwin discharged a firearm inexplicably loaded with live ammunition. The shot killed one person, cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, and injured another. Last month, New Mexico First Judicial District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies filed involuntary manslaughter charges against Baldwin and the film's armorer, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed. While the charges carry a maximum sentence of 18 months in prison, prosecutors included a firearm enhancement which could add a mandatory minimum of five years.
