Angels:

Alec Baldwin has pleaded not guilty to manslaughter charges in connection with the shooting death of a young woman on the set of a cheap western, US court documents showed on Wednesday.

Baldwin, the film’s producer and star, was charged last month with involvement in the 2021 death of Halyna Hutchins during the filming of period drama “Rust” in New Mexico.

He was holding a Colt .45 pistol that went off, killing Hutchins and injuring director Joel Souza.

Baldwin has repeatedly denied responsibility, insisting he did not pull the trigger and the gun was not supposed to be loaded with live ammunition.

The incident caused an uproar in Hollywood and sparked calls for tighter rules on guns on film sets.

But it has also led to accusations of lax management, with some industry insiders saying regulations were already strict but were not properly followed during the production of “Rust.”

Baldwin’s attorneys, Luke Nikas and Alex Spiro, have filed a request for a speedy trial to “minimize public slander and suspicion and avoid the burden of proving him that often follows long delays in prosecutions.” The dangers of innocence.”

Baldwin was scheduled to be arraigned Thursday in a New Mexico state court, but his attorneys filed a waiver that also included his not guilty plea.

The original manslaughter charge against Baldwin, 65, was dropped last April after prosecutors said “new facts” required “further investigation and forensic analysis.”

That led to the formation of a grand jury that ultimately ruled on the indictment he now faces, which could see him sentenced to up to 18 months in prison if convicted.

Baldwin faces two counts of involuntary manslaughter, one involving “negligent use of a firearm” and one involving “without due care or caution.”

The jury will decide whether to convict him of one count or the other, or neither (but not both).

The charges related to the action rather than supervision of the film, meaning he was charged as an actor rather than a producer.

Actors’ union SAG-AFTRA criticized the accusations, saying they were based on a “faulty assessment of actors’ actual responsibilities.”

“It’s not an actor’s job to be an expert on firearms or weapons,” the union said. “Firearms were used on set under the guidance of multiple professionals directly responsible for the safe and accurate handling of firearms.”

The film’s armorer, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed – the person responsible for supplying and maintaining the weapons – will go on trial later this month on charges of manslaughter and tampering with evidence.

Dave Halls, the film’s security coordinator and assistant director, handed the loaded gun to Baldwin, who agreed to a plea deal with prosecutors and was sentenced to six months probation.

Filming on “Rust” was paused due to the tragedy, but resumed last year.

The photographer’s widower, Matthew Hutchins, who serves as an executive producer on the project, has settled a wrongful death lawsuit with the Rust producers.

Director Souza was also back, saying at the time that finishing the film would be “bittersweet” but that the cast and crew were “committed to finishing what Halina and I started.”

Baldwin remains free on bail.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)