Rust assistant director receives suspended jail sentence after pleading no contest to negligence

Former Rust assistant director David Halls has received a suspended prison sentence for unsafe handling of a firearm on the set of Alec Baldwin’s film, where cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was shot and killed.

Halls pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor charge of negligent use of a deadly weapon and was sentenced to six months probation Friday. He also has to pay a $500 fine and complete a gun safety course.

State District Judge Mary Marlowe Somme initially sentenced Halls to a six-month prison term, but suspended it. She was also ordered to complete 24 hours of community service, “take responsibility for her actions or inactions,” not to consume alcohol or non-prescription drugs, and not to have contact with potential witnesses in the upcoming case.

Halls, who appeared via courtroom video for his plea hearing, is the first person responsible for the death of Hutchins, who was shot on October 21, 2021 during trials. She is expected to testify in upcoming criminal cases against Baldwin and stage gunsmith Hannah Gutierrez-Reed.

Baldwin, who denies pulling the trigger, was pointing a gun at Ms. Hutchins at the ranch on the film set in Santa Fe when the gun went off; a single live round killed her and wounded director Joel Souza.

Hall’s defense attorney, Lisa Torraco, said she checked the revolver’s cartridges to see if they were simulated or blank-fired with an explosive before turning it over to Baldwin.

He previously denied giving the actor the gun and said he gave it to Gutierrez-Reed.

“When he checked the firearm at the time, he was checking to see if there were any blanks or fake bullets in the firearm,” Torraco said.

‘Never in anyone’s wildest dreams or anyone’s imagination…did anyone think there could possibly be a live round in the firearm.

‘Mister. Halls does not handle firearms. His job is not to handle firearms. He doesn’t like firearms.

But special counsel Kari Morrissey, who was appointed to replace 1st Judicial District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies along with Jason Lewis this week, said Halls was guilty because he was the “last line of defense” and was responsible for checking if there were live rounds. .

‘Mister. Halls did not review each round that was in the gun to confirm that it was a dummy round and not a real round,” Morrissey said.

‘He then handed the gun to Mr. Baldwin and Mr. Baldwin began to practice his cross shot. During that action of practicing the crossfire, the gun went off.

The prosecutor also said there were two incidents in which guns were fired before Hutchins’ death and that the camera crew left the set for security reasons.

Torraco said Hall questions the idea that he was ultimately responsible for set security, adding: “He can’t control how other people handle firearms.”

But she said he agreed to plead no contest to “make things easier for the family.”

‘Everyone needs to start processing and move on. Mr. Halls is in a lot of pain and a lot of trauma.

He urged the court not to impose a prison sentence, noting that Halls was “extremely traumatized” and “shocked” with guilt.

Previous witnesses have said Halls handed the gun to Baldwin and declared it a “cold weapon” despite the presence of live ammunition in the chamber, according to a search warrant.

‘Cold Gun’ is a term used on sets to notify that live ammunition is not being used.

In a December statement to the New Mexico Office of Occupational Safety and Health, Halls denied giving the gun to Baldwin and said he gave it to Gutierrez-Reed. He also accused Gutierrez-Reed of declaring ‘cold gun’.

Halls also likened Hutchins’ death to a plane crash in that it was not the fault of any one person but rather “a system failure”.

In separate regulatory proceedings, workplace safety authorities asserted that Halls shares responsibility for identifying and correcting any dangerous conditions related to firearms safety in the production of the film.

Halls has agreed to cooperate and provide testimony in subsequent legal proceedings, a decision that has implications for Baldwin and Gutierrez-Reed.

Baldwin and film gunsmith Hannah Gutierrez-Reed have pleaded not guilty to manslaughter charges that carry a maximum penalty of 18 months in prison and fines.

The Santa Fe district attorney this week appointed special prosecutors Morrissey and Lewis.

They replaced Carmack-Altwies, who made a national name for himself when he zealously accused Baldwin of manslaughter with an enhanced sentence for using a weapon in January, more than a year after the fatal shooting.

In a statement, he said he has opted out to focus on other cases in the state.