Santa Fe, state New Mexico: Last News

Gene Maddaus Senior Media Writer SANTA FE, N.M. — Alec Baldwin no longer faces the risk of prison in the accidental death of “Rust” cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, after a judge threw out his manslaughter case on Friday. “There are too many people who have supported me to thank just now,” Baldwin said on Instagram on Saturday morning.

Gene Maddaus Senior Media Writer SANTA FE, N.M. — In a win for Alec Baldwin, a judge has ruled that jurors at his manslaughter trial will not hear evidence of his status as a producer on “Rust.” Baldwin appeared at a pre-trial hearing on Monday, the day before jury selection is set to begin. He is accused of negligently shooting “Rust” cinematographer Halyna Hutchins in October 2021.

Alec Baldwin over an ill-fated incident on the film set of ‘Rust’ has been dismissed over “critical” bullet evidence, which the judge ruled was withheld from the court.Yesterday (July 12), New Mexico Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer stated in her ruling to dismiss the case to the court. “The state has repeatedly made representations to defense and to the court that they were compliant with all their discovery obligations,” she said, as reported by Deadline.On October 21, 2021 in Santa Fe, New Mexico, cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was fatally shot and director Joel Souza was injured on the set of the film – a live round had been discharged from a revolver that was used as a prop by Baldwin.The case has since taken sharp turns since the beginning of the trial this week (July 10), including confusion over how live rounds ended up on the set of ‘Rust’ in the guns of Baldwin and others, including actor Jansen Ackles, whose role was recast during the film’s resurrected production in 2022.The trial also did not reach a conclusion if Baldwin had pulled the trigger on the gun with the live bullet – Baldwin testified that he did not, while testimonies from an FBI representative and the propmaker of the gun otherwise disagreed.

Gene Maddaus Senior Media Writer SANTA FE, N.M. — A prosecutor told jurors Wednesday that Alec Baldwin violated the cardinal rules of gun safety while playing “make believe” on the set of “Rust,” resulting in the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins. Erlinda Ocampo Johnson, one of two special prosecutors on the case, argued in her opening statement that Baldwin repeatedly violated film industry gun protocols in the days leading up to the fatal shooting.

Gene Maddaus Senior Media Writer Alec Baldwin’s temper is the stuff of Hollywood legend. His volatile behavior on the set of “The Edge” — he refused to shave his beard — left such an impression on producer Art Linson that he made a movie about it, “What Just Happened,” with Bruce Willis caricaturing Baldwin as a tantrum-throwing star. But he is also an adept and dependable actor.

Gene Maddaus Senior Media Writer SANTA FE, N.M. — Alec Baldwin‘s lawyers have been complaining for months that prosecutors were not sharing all the evidence against him in his manslaughter case. They complained about missing forensics reports.

Gene Maddaus Senior Media Writer SANTA FE, N.M. — Alec Baldwin‘s lawyers have filed a surprise motion asking that his manslaughter case be thrown out because the state failed to turn over a batch of bullets to the defense. Attorney Luke Nikas argued that the failure was part of a broader pattern of disclosure violations by the prosecution, and said that enough is enough.

Gene Maddaus Senior Media Writer Nearly three years after accidentally shooting cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, actor Alec Baldwin gets his day in court on Wednesday, as his involuntary manslaughter trial begins in Santa Fe, N.M. Erlinda Ocampo Johnson, a defense lawyer who was appointed by the Santa Fe D.A.’s office as one of two special prosecutors in the case, will deliver an opening statement. She is expected to lay out a road map for the panel of 16 jurors, including four alternates, explaining what happened on the set of “Rust,” and why the state believes Baldwin is guilty.

Gene Maddaus Senior Media Writer Alec Baldwin‘s lawyers argued on Monday that his manslaughter case should be thrown out because investigators destroyed the key piece of evidence: his Colt .45 revolver. Baldwin is due to face a trial in two weeks in Santa Fe, N.M., on the charge that he negligently shot and killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins in October 2021. Baldwin has denied pulling the trigger, and the defense has suggested the gun had been modified so it could go off more easily.

Gene Maddaus Senior Media Writer Prosecutors in the Alec Baldwin trial intend to argue that the actor displayed a pattern of recklessness with firearms on the set of “Rust” before the fatal shooting of the film’s cinematographer. In a filing on Monday, prosecutors Kari Morrissey and Erlinda Johnson alleged that Baldwin fired a blank round at a crew member while using the crew member to establish a line of sight. The prosecutors also accuse Baldwin of engaging in “horseplay” with a revolver during training, and allege that he was “erratic and aggressive” during filming, which raised safety concerns.

Gene Maddaus Senior Media Writer A judge on Monday ruled that filmmaker Rory Kennedy does not have to turn over footage from her upcoming Alec Baldwin documentary to prosecutors in his manslaughter case. Kennedy is working on a film about Baldwin and the accidental shooting on the set of his film “Rust.” Baldwin is set to go on trial in July in Santa Fe, N.M., on a charge of involuntary manslaughter in the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins.

In a recent development, attorneys for US actor Alec Baldwin have spoken out stating "we look forward to our day in court" after their attempt to have the actor's criminal case dismissed was denied by a judge.

EXCLUSIVE: The Sundance Film Festival is looking South for a potential new home, as well as in its backyard.

Gene Maddaus Senior Media Writer Independent filmmaking is no easy task — even if you’re Steven Spielberg’s daughter. Destry Allyn Spielberg is set to make her feature directorial debut with “Please Don’t Feed the Children,” a low-budget thriller, which was filmed last year in Santa Fe, N.M. But the film has endured significant financing problems, shutting down just before production was to begin.

Lexi Carson The Sundance Institute, a mentorship program dedicated to providing a space for artists and storytellers to create media, has selected 16 fellows for this year’s Directors, Screenwriters, and Native Labs. Spanning over four decades, the Sundance Institute’s labs have provided new filmmakers a hands-on experience to create their own work with the help and guidance of creative advisers. This year’s Native Lab fellows include Don Josephus Raphael Eblahan, Ryland Walker Knight, Charine Pilar Gonzales and Lindsay McIntyre.

Sundance Institute announced today the fellows selected for the 2024 Directors, Screenwriters, and Native Labs. The Native Lab in New Mexico will support four fellows and two artists in residence, and the Directors Lab in Colorado will support the development of eight projects with nine fellows, with an additional three fellows also joining for the online Screenwriters Lab held immediately after.  

Rust has been sentenced to 18 months in prison.On October 21, 2021 in Santa Fe, New Mexico, cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was fatally shot and director Joel Souza was injured on the set of the film, when a live round was discharged from a revolver being used as a prop by Alec Baldwin.Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, 26, who had served as an armourer on the film, had been on trial charged with involuntary manslaughter, to which she pled not guilty. However, in March, the jury convicted her, but found her not guilty of tampering with evidence.

Gene Maddaus Senior Media Writer In recorded jail calls, “Rust” armorer Hannah Gutierrez Reed complained about the judge, prosecutor and jurors who served on her case and said she was “railroaded,” according to a court filing on Friday. Gutierrez Reed was convicted last month of involuntary manslaughter for loading a live bullet into Alec Baldwin’s gun, leading to the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins. She is due to be sentenced on Monday in a Santa Fe, N.M.

during a recent public outing with his wife, Betsy Arakawa, 62, on March 28.The actor has lived in Santa Fe, New Mexico, since the ‘80s. He married Arakawa, a pianist, in 1992, but is rarely seen in public with her. She’s his second wife, after Faye Maltese, who he divorced in 1986 and had three children with.

Gene Maddaus Senior Media Writer Prosecutors intend to argue that Alec Baldwin could not control his emotions on the set of “Rust,” and that he “shamelessly lied” and repeatedly changed his story after accidentally shooting the film’s cinematographer. The actor is due to go on trial in July in Santa Fe, N.M., on a charge of involuntary manslaughter for firing a prop gun and killing Halyna Hutchins. In a 32-page filing made public on Monday, prosecutor Kari Morrissey laid out the allegations against Baldwin in unprecedented detail.

Gene Maddaus Senior Media Writer Alec Baldwin‘s lawyers asked a judge on Thursday to throw out his manslaughter case, accusing prosecutors of “violating nearly every rule in the book” in the course of obtaining the indictment. The attorneys argued that prosecutors leaked information to the press, failed to present exculpatory evidence to the grand jury, and gave a faulty jury instruction on involuntary manslaughter that “stacked the deck” against Baldwin. “Enough is enough,” the lawyers wrote.