Santa Fe prosecutors DROP key ‘gun enhancement’ charge against Alec Baldwin in ‘Rust’ shooting

Prosecutors have dropped key charges against Alec Baldwin that would have landed him in jail for five years after he fatally shot ‘Rust’ cinematographer Halyna Hutchins.

The Santa Fe County District Attorney’s office has dropped a gun enhancement charge against the actor, which means that even if he is convicted of the manslaughter charge, he cannot spend any time behind bars.

An attorney on behalf of Baldwin filed a motion criticizing prosecutors for going after the actor with a law that did not apply to him last week.

Initially, the weapon enhancement charge was added to his manslaughter charges, but the Santa Fe district attorney’s office confirmed to DailyMail.com that it was dropped on Friday.

The charge requires that the person who used the weapon ‘soft’ it, meaning that the weapon was displayed with the intent to intimidate or injure a person.

At the time of the shooting, Baldwin was on set filming “Rust,” meaning the charge is unlikely to comply with New Mexico law.

However, a new amendment to the law means brandishing is no longer required, a change that occurred seven months after the fatal incident.

The Santa Fe district attorney said in a statement: “To prevent further litigious distractions by Mr. Baldwin and his attorneys, the district attorney and special counsel have removed the firearm enhancement to manslaughter charges. in the death of Halyna Hutchins on the Set of the film ‘Rust’.

“The prosecution’s priority is to ensure justice, not to ensure billable hours for lawyers in big cities.”