Why Were Alec Baldwin’s Charges Downgraded?

Last month, Alec Baldwin was charged with involuntary manslaughter over the 2021 death of Halyna Hutchins on the set of Rust. Now, the Santa Fe District Attorney has downgraded the charges and lessened Baldwin’s potential prison sentence.

The involuntary manslaughter charge still remains against both Baldwin and the movie’s armorer Hanna Gutierrez-Reed, but The Santa Fe District Attorney has now removed a firearm enhancement from a second charge, meaning the maximum prison sentence for Baldwin will be 18 months.

Baldwin has still maintained his innocence over the last year and even attempted to clear his name by suing his former crew members. The actor claims that the crew members were negligent and did not provide property safety training, though reports have been piling up against him.

Heather Brewer, the spokesperson for the New Mexico First Judicial District Attorney, explained the reasoning for the charges in a statement: “In order to avoid further litigious distractions by Mr. Baldwin and his attorneys, the District Attorney and the special prosecutor have removed the firearm enhancement to the involuntary manslaughter charges in the death of Halyna Hutchins on the Rust film set. The prosecution’s priority is securing justice, not securing billable hours for big-city attorneys.”

Surprisingly, the movie is still expected to resume shooting this spring with Baldwin still attached. His next project, the disaster film Supercell starring the late Anne Heche, is expected to be released on demand next month.