Not sure if you heard, but it looks like Alec Baldwin will be charged in the fatal shooting that occurred on the set of his low-budget B-Movie “Rust.” This information set the internet ablaze yesterday, but it was anybody’s guess what type of charges he might be facing. Well, we now have a clearer picture of what Alec may face, and it sounds like he could be in some very big trouble.
The Los Angeles Times is reporting that the district attorney said that her office is considering charges including homicide as well as gun violations, the Santa Fe New Mexican reported.“One of the possible defendants is well-known movie actor Alec Baldwin,” the district attorney wrote in a letter dated Aug. 30 and viewed by The Times. She did not identify other individuals who might be charged.
“If charges are warranted, the [1st Judicial District attorney] anticipates prosecuting up to four individuals. My expenses for the ‘Rust’ [case] will begin immediately and will be costly,” she wrote.
The emergency request for funding could not wait until the next legislative session because “the evidence has just been returned, the state is ready to make charging decisions in the ‘Rust’ case,” she wrote.
Carmack-Altwies requested $635,500 for what she described as potentially four separate jury trials and to hire a special investigator, a media spokesperson and experts.
The state gave the district attorney’s office $317,000 for the appointment of a special prosecutor to oversee the case, according to the state office’s website.
The D.A. appointed Andrea Reeb as a special prosecutor.
Baldwin’s phone, one of the outstanding pieces of evidence in the case, has been handed over to prosecutors, ABC News reported.
Baldwin’s attorney Luke Nikas of Quinn Emanuel warned against assuming his client will be charged.
“The DA has made clear that she has not received the sheriff’s report or made any decisions about who, if anyone, might be charged in this case,” Nikas said. “And during my communications with the DA’s office just a few weeks ago, after the August 30 funding request was submitted, I was told that it would be premature to discuss the case because they had not yet reviewed the file or deliberated about their charging decision.”
Baldwin has repeatedly denied that he pulled the trigger. He’s gone on record several times during interviews claiming he did not pull the trigger and basically tried to wash his hands clean of any responsibility at all for his cinematographer’s death.
Baldwin previously told ABC’s Goerge Stephanopoulus “the trigger wasn’t pulled. I didn’t pull the trigger.” Baldwin also said he believed he was handling a “cold gun” — meaning one without any live ammunition.
With the hammer in full cock position, the FBI report stated the gun could not be made to fire without pulling the trigger while the working internal components were intact and functional.
During the testing of the gun by the FBI, authorities said, portions of the gun’s trigger sear and cylinder stop fractured while the hammer was struck. That allowed the hammer to fall and the firing pin to detonate the primer.
“This was the only successful discharge during this testing and it was attributed to the fracture of internal components, not the failure of the firearm or safety mechanisms,” the report stated.
So, clearly, they claim Alec absolutely pulled the trigger. Alec has said time and time again, that he knows for a fact that he will not be charged in the case.
For the longest while, Alec claimed he had an “insider” official in Santa Fe who was assuring him he would not be charged. He actually said this publicly, several times, which could have been one of his dumbest moves yet, besides pulling that trigger. His comments infuriated the public and I would imagine they pissed off the DA as well. The last thing anyone wants is another rich, elitist celeb getting away with literally shooting and killing someone.
Because let me tell you, if you or I did something like this, we’d already have had our butts planted in a prison cell.
Another thing I find very interesting is Alec’s cell phone. They claim that it’s “key evidence,” so clearly they found something worthwhile on it.
I will say this much, if there’s justice in this world, Alec Baldwin will be charged with something.
This post originally appeared on WayneDupree.com.