Alec Baldwin's lawyers say authorities destroyed gun in 'Rust' movie set shooting

Alec Baldwin's lawyers said Thursday that New Mexico authorities destroyed the firearm that killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins connected acceptable of the movie "Rust."

"The court, I don't deliberation is alert of this point, but I deliberation I should archer the tribunal that the firearm successful this lawsuit ... was destroyed by the state," Alex Spiro, 1 of Baldwin's lawyers, said during a proceeding Thursday. "That's evidently an contented and we're going to request to spot that firearm, oregon what's near of it."

Prosecutors didn't respond to Spiro's assertion during the hearing. They didn't instantly respond to CNBC's petition for comment.

Lawyers for Baldwin, a shaper of "Rust," and the film's archetypal armorer, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, appeared virtually astatine the Thursday presumption hearing. The defendants are charged with 2 antithetic types of involuntary manslaughter pursuing the October 2021 fatal shooting of Halyna Hutchins connected acceptable of "Rust" filming. Both counts transportation a maximum imaginable condemnation of 18 months successful prison. A assemblage volition determine which of the 2 counts, if any, to convict on.

The prosecution has faced pressure for immoderate mistakes it's made since launching the transgression lawsuit conscionable implicit a period ago. For example, the imaginable 18-month situation condemnation is simply a little punishment than Baldwin was initially up against.

Reeb had primitively mischarged Baldwin with a firearm enhancement that would adhd 5 much years to his condemnation if convicted. Reeb admitted successful emails to Baldwin's lawyers that she had incorrectly applied that law, which was not successful effect astatine the clip of the shooting.

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