Why were 'Rust' armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed's charges not dismissed? Judge asks lawyers to 'stay the course'
SANTA FE, NEW MEXICO: 'Rust' armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed is facing two charges of involuntary manslaughter and one count of evidence tampering in connection with the fatal shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins. The shooting occurred on the set of the movie 'Rust' in October 2021.
Reed failed to get the charges dismissed by a judge on Tuesday. She had argued that the prosecutors had violated her due process rights by making biased and inflammatory statements to the media.
Why were 'Rust' armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed's charges not dismissed?
Alec Baldwin, who pulled the gun had the charges dismissed earlier this year and went on to complete the shooting of the movie which had been put to a halt. Reed was accused of hiding cocaine from investigators and being 'hung over' on the day of the incident. She as per her lawyers claimed that these statements could influence potential jurors and prevent her from having a fair trial, Deadline reported. However, Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer denied her motion to dismiss, saying that she had not shown enough evidence of actual and substantial prejudice caused by the prosecutor’s comments.
The judge also noted that the case was still in its preliminary stage and that a jury had not been selected yet. "This is at the preliminary stage,” Marlowe Sommer said. “For you to say you’ve basically tainted a jury — we’re not even there yet.”
The Judge told both parties to 'stay the course'
The Judge told both parties to “stay the course” on the charges and to avoid further public comments that could jeopardize the case. Gutierrez-Reed is accused of being negligent and reckless in handling the firearms on the set of Rust, which resulted in actor-producer Alec Baldwin firing a live round that killed Hutchins and wounded director Joel Souza. Baldwin was initially charged with involuntary manslaughter as well, but the charges were dropped in April. Gutierrez-Reed is also facing an evidence tampering charge for allegedly transferring narcotics to another person with the intent to avoid prosecution.
'This prosecution was motivated by personal interests'
Gutierrez-Reed’s defense attorneys have maintained that she is innocent and that the prosecution was motivated by personal interests rather than facts or law. They said in their motion to dismiss: “Because this prosecution was motivated by personal interests — not the facts or the law — it was shaped with the goal of prevailing in the court of public opinion, not a jury trial.” They also accused the prosecutors of cutting corners and committing ethical violations. Gutierrez-Reed’s next hearing is scheduled for August 9. If convicted, she could face up to three years in prison and $5,000 in fines for each of the felony charges.