Real Lawyer Reacts: Alec Baldwin Trial Primer + Ben Chew's Thoughts

[@hkr667]

HOLY COW a recorded police interview. Can someone explain the Massachusetts PD how to do that??

[@Treyn444]

Exactly

[@origamikiddo2625]

Nah. And also I think they totally would of it served them. I think how the one Trooper talked about Lucky Laughlin's testimony and evidence and how they disregarded it because of this reason, timelines change, confirmed car wrong questioning, and he's color blind. They knew all the things to say and use THEN as reason to not use his evidence. So they aren't incompetent, they just use the excuse of incompetence cuz no one questions them or just takes their word for it.

[@michaelcalland801]

@@origamikiddo2625 Not to mention the 3 other witnesses that insist they said or never said something to LE during an interview.

[@dollface2917]

I think he’ll struggle on the stand, he comes across as arrogant and self important. To cry on the stand, after saying on tv that he feels no guilt, would be really off putting to me if I were sat on the jury.

[@Motions.in.Lemonaid]

😂

[@KittyGonzalez-bc8ee]

Alec B is his own worst enemy! He cannot shut up!

[@cherylrevell3081]

Yep, that's why going on the stand would be plain stupid. Waste of time, it wouldn't help him.

[@KittyGonzalez-bc8ee]

@@cherylrevell3081His story changes daily!

[@johnmartyn9018]

He’s arrogant often and that would hurt if he got into it w/Prosecutor on Stand!

[@brooklynbasement]

@@cherylrevell3081 I think he should go on. He’s likable and well spoken, but mostly because he should continue to convey how this tragic accident has affected him emotionally and express empathy for the family

[@jenniferkeller9546]

​@@brooklynbasement😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@teddmented]

Baldwin denied pulling the trigger, but he had to according to experts. The Stephanopolis interview will haunt him.

[@carrollsanders9376]

@teddmented Single action triggers can stick in the pulled position that is a known fact.

[@homeskol720]

I was in the Army for 6 years and I equate "I fired the gun" the same as "I pulled the trigger"

[@jillruben8924]

That’s my thought exactly. Semantics Alec?

[@prof.mommyarty]

Yes, fired the gun. It bothers me that everyone says they shoot a gun 🙈.

[@LinaGenX]

As a kid I often went with my dad to the gun range. I have not fired a gun since I was 12, but I still remember dad's no 1 lesson: never point the gun at anyone. As I understand it actors are also not supposed to ever point the gun at anyone, they just film it from an angle, so it looks like they are aiming at people. Baldwin's gun was loaded, even if he did'nt know, and he did point his gun at a person, and according to the FBI this particular gun could not be accidentially fired

[@bosnbruce5837]

I was in the army 12 months. I hate f.. guns and all I know about em was from those 12 months. I'd still be an upgrade par excellence over their "armorer". - I reported this idiot on the shooting range who was playing with the gun, pointing it at ppl and such and my segeant told me _HAHA ur such a pu**y, ur afraid of everything_ A week or so later I couldn't sleep due to everyone snoring, so I put some paper in my ears. In the morning my ear was inflamed. I was the part of the flag raising team, and during flag raising I couldn't hear sht, I just stood there and my team mates bumped into me; twice. The captain went ape and was screaming at my sergeant, who was shaking like a leaf and despite being being 3 feet taller he was swaying back like a cornfield under tsunami. He wept like a baby. - Who the F gets the gun from another human being and takes them on their word wheter its loaded or not??

[@SmcdMcd-d2k]

@@prof.mommyartyit’s not really important… someone died

[@dbentleyto95]

It is my opinion AB will have a tough time not trying to take over the narrative. He has a strong personality and comes off as a bit of a bully at times. Also, he took on the responsibility of handling a gun on set and seemed to allow very loose interpretations of the role of armorer. Such a tragic siruation.

[@vickinielsen3810]

Peter I'm so happy you will be covering this trial .I so appreciate your ability to be objective right up to closing arguments. I often times tend to make upmy mind before all the evidence is in. And you really make me take stock of that and make me really LISTEN until the closing arguments THX. 💜 🇺🇸

[@cindycraig3164]

Baldwin should have availed himself of his right to remain silent.

[@greeneyedsoutherngirl6468]

He didn’t have the “ability” :)

[@The_10th_Man]

And with no lawyer? Very curious.

[@sandralybrand9425]

He's always had an attitude and thinks he's smarter than anyone else! He's Arrogant and that will really get you in trouble when the chips are down!

[@busterbigcat]

Peter just wanted to thank you for being there and your insight. Whenever there is breaking news or latest content to be discussed you are there. It shows how much you enjoy doing this. When you first started I thought you were bias but as time went on I saw how you try to show both sides. May you and your family have peace.

[@samariagraham4502]

SAG MEMBER OF 30+ YEARS HERE. On many sets, one or more person may yell at everyone to hurry up or for other reasons. The Armorer is charged for gun safety on set.

[@brooklynbasement]

Yeah I’m not sure why we are even here. She was responsible and now she’s in jail. He shouldn’t be on trial, imo

[@brooklynbasement]

@@easttnlife it’s political, which is annoying. They hate him due to his trolling of trump, and using this as a payback opportunity, which is so wrong and the opposite of justice

[@brooklynbasement]

@@easttnlife exactly. I have experience with it too, so it’s unfortunate to have all of these gun people chiming in as experts. A movie set doesn’t function the way they think it does. I’ve only disagree with Peter/chat majority once, and it looks like I’ll be doing it again with this trial. I just hope it’s not as vitriolic in the comments as Karen Read was, but with the political element of this trial I won’t be surprised

[@amireallythatgrumpy6508]

It's time to END the film industry if that's the case. There has not been a single film made worthy of watching in the last 10 years anyway.

[@brooklynbasement]

@@amireallythatgrumpy6508 I disagree. There have been tons of incredible movies made over the last decade. I don’t think the industry needs to cease to exist, but the dangers of having guns on sets need to be rectified

[@janicefrillmann]

Happy 4th everyone. Stay safe

[@mangos2888]

I've never had a 4th where it's rained, but here's today... it's now raining and scheduled to rain continuously until 11 pm! 😮😮😮

[@Unhyphenated]

Happy Independence Day to you my friend. 🇺🇲💥

[@Unhyphenated]

​@@mangos2888Oh No. That sucks.

[@cristineconnell7803]

You also!

[@cristineconnell7803]

​@@mangos2888Have had that happen where it cleared up for fireworks time! Then rained after we got the mess cleaned up! No fires! Plus plus!

[@michelemccowan5924]

I will be at the Trial and watching LYK and EDB on the side. I was at both Rust sets and have friends who are Witnesses. Thanks for covering this, Peter!

[@cristineconnell7803]

He is the only 1 who was holding, pointing & pulling the trigger PERIOD!

[@johnmartyn9018]

Everyone in heart of hearts knows a gun don’t fire on its own

[@JJMarie3509]

Ben Chu said something there that I think explains a lot, regardless of whether you think Baldwin should go to prison. He said he’s seen people unable to accept the reality of what happened because it’s devastating. I think this explains the less pleasant behavior of both Baldwin and Sarah Boone. When the Rust shooting happened, NPR did a story on the impact of killing someone by accident and how it can have long term effects on them.

[@lauriemoll2918]

He said he pulled the hammer back and that he definitely didn’t pull the trigger in one of his stories

[@colleenhanna5383]

Peter ..I have mixed feelings on one hand the Armourers job is making sure the gun is safe and in that job you double triple check that's solely your job and when you hire someone to do a job shouldn't one expect the job is done right ! On the other hand when dealing with guns and ammunition weather it be a fake gun or in this case a real gun the shooter should expect that the Armourer has doubled checked and done the job there hired to do ...or should the gun holder check to make absolutely sure this is a safe firearm !! Personally I would check and as mother and grandmother and just someone who believes that you should always error on the side of caution ...Baldwin cut corners he was overbearing and rude bottom line this was his baby as such the buck stops ✋️ with him

[@BlueDauntless]

@@lauriemoll2918The gun doesn’t fire without the trigger being pulled.

[@SmcdMcd-d2k]

Why should he go to prison ?

[@BlueDauntless]

@@SmcdMcd-d2kWhy shouldn’t he? He killed someone. If it were just us peons, we would have been charged a long time ago. Heck, our sentence would almost be up with how long this has been dragged out.

[@suefischer9576]

That is the issue, you never point a gun at a person, loaded or unloaded period. I believe he stated that he IS aware of that, and has stated himself. Thats where the problem is for him.

[@carrollsanders9376]

Yet he was not intending to fire the gun and was told the gun had no energetic charge.

[@pauljohansen8043]

@@carrollsanders9376 makes no difference what he was told! Rules 1-100 is you always treat a gun as if it is loaded! He pulled the trigger, he killed someone. Unintentional homicide.

[@carrollsanders9376]

@@pauljohansen8043 You can prove he pulled the trigger? None of the Procecution's experts can.

[@John_McJohnson]

"I shot the gun" That's proof he pulled the trigger. It also don't matter, he's not charged with intentional murder.

[@pauljohansen8043]

@@carrollsanders9376 Yup. He said he did in an interview. Guns do not go off by themselves, contrary to the opinion of people who know nothing about them. This will be a learning experience for a lot of people. Anyway, rule #1 is you NEVER point a gun at someone. Ever.

[@Sparky-3595]

I saw program with a professional on set production and he said there are 3 people responsible for checking the bullets in the gun being used on a set and the actor using the gun is one of them. I believe that is why Alex is saying that he did not pull the trigger because had the responsibility to inspect the bullets.

[@cosplayshop]

I don't know which set professional you saw. I work an armorer for over 14 years. Actors aren't allowed to check anything because if they handle that firearms themselves without supervision and hurt themselves, that's a major no-no for ANY set insurance, if the insurance company got wind of this (which they will), they will terminate your contract and that mean it shut down your production. If the actor wants to make sure the weapon is safe, he/she had to call the armourer and check it in front of them. Now I don't know if he should have asked the armourer to check it, but then Baldwin was not the one that on set, that weapon misfire and killed 1 and wounded 1. So Baldwin is not alone on this, there were at least 3 other people on the same set and none of them asked to check the weapon.

[@brooklynbasement]

@@Sparky-3595 that doesn’t make sense though. How can the actor check for something he doesn’t know exists? The armorer is the one who is trained, not the actor who wouldn’t know what they were looking at even if they did check

[@1daful675]

Happy 4th Peter and fam!

[@litrealred6840]

Everyone enjoy your 4 of July weekend! Thanks Peter and Mods! 🤗🥰🧨🎇

[@cababyboomerq6012]

I would have loved to be a fly on the wall when that suitcase killer lady found out she has to represent herself……8-)

[@Unhyphenated]

That would have been great. 💥 You know she's bound to have rants most everyday even before this newest little inconvenience. 😁

[@cristineconnell7803]

😂

[@mariee.5912]

I bet she's delighted. She likes attention. She called out her fans to donate for her defense. So far, she has $5

[@jacksgl777]

I bet she begs to have one of the previous attorneys to represent her. I don’t think she is really that stupid (although stubborn) to represent herself. She is just pushing it off and pushing for the very best perfect representation she can get. Unfortunately for her, it wasn’t possible to find a public defender that’s as good as Alan Jackson

[@tianna1116]

@@jacksgl777but what will begging do? The judge has made his ruling. He looked through the previous court records and made his decision, he should stick with it. She played around too much, now there’s a consequence. Court isn’t like regular life, decisions and rulings have to mean something don’t they?

[@OuiOui-H]

Love LYK! Part of the rewatch crew! I Love the coverage and objective analysis. This will be an interesting trial to watch unfold!

[@michellec9170]

Peter, please have Ian Runkle or Andrew Branca on as a guest to discuss this trial. Both have been following the pre-trial motions and have a good understanding of the facts, and both have legal specialties that are adjacent to this topic. Either of them could provide a deeper understanding of this case for your followers.

[@BlueDauntless]

I like Branca’s coverage. He even did an interview with Adam Baldwin (not related) on what it’s like on sets with firearms.

[@amireallythatgrumpy6508]

Both seem to be doing a good job with coverage so far.

[@jerrimichael7561]

The state attorney is a feisty lady so this case will be interesting to follow.

[@KittyGonzalez-bc8ee]

@@jerrimichael7561 feisty ...but i would hesitate to describe her as a "lady*"

[@naynay3710]

He gives SO MUCH information in the interrogations and interviews about how a gun is handled on set and all the ins and outs of ammunition that I find it impossible to give him grace for not bothering to know what was in his hand when he shot the cinematographer. He didn't even bother to check the gun himself. Didn't even bother.

[@cherylrevell3081]

Santa Fe will not have too much trouble seating a jury. But keep in mind the jury for Hannah had plenty blue collar workers and business professionals who collectively take safety very seriously and found her guilty of negligence.

[@shannoncliff2371]

He lied when he said he didn't pull the trigger or point it at someone he should take responsibility for the death of halina hutchens

[@RNBarbaraP]

Alec's FATHER taught RIFLE class at the local high school when he was growing up....

[@pauljohansen8043]

Even more, actors need to take gun training before handling firearms!

[@SussexSandra]

Hannah’s father was an extremely good armorer. Didn’t mean Hannah was any good. Same with Alex. His father was a teacher and very skilled. Doesn’t mean Alex is just as good and has the same respect for fire arms. We’ll see in the trial.

[@BlueDauntless]

@@pauljohansen8043in thirty years of acting, I’m sure he has.

[@brooklynbasement]

@@RNBarbaraP but Alex Baldwin didn’t

[@gracesprocket7340]

Baldwin wanted to make an action western to cement his legacy. He wrote/co-wrote a gun heavy script in which he was the action hero. He secured the minimal amount of funding to take a shot at making his hero movie... but it was barely enough and corners were being cut everywhere. He went ahead with the shooting even though they couldn't secure a competent, experienced armourer. His incompetent armourer was hired at the last minute, along with the props lead, with far less lead time than is normal alleged by the two of them. The armourer was not competent or diligent. This cannot have escaped the attention of Baldwin, because she was lax and he clearly thought she was not up to par. But he didn't care to fix it. Baldwin was required to participate in a gun safety briefing, but he didn't care to do so, and instead goofed off with guns and a cellphone video for his own record. There were numerous improper loads of full-power blanks near horses and the minor actor, but Baldwin and his production didn't care to fix this. There were two negligent discharges - one an extra left with a prepared shotgun by Hannah, the other the props master flubbing the loading of a lever action. Baldwin doesn't appear to care. Baldwin is seen frequently directing people using the muzzle of his very real gun - he doesn't care about not pointing guns directly at people. Baldwin is seen to discharge his firearm after a 'cut' is called on at least one scene. Baldwin doesn't care about trigger discipline and critical safety. Because no one is requiring thorough and end-end safety - including the very experienced Baldwin, Hannah is skimping on safety checks because she can get away with it. Baldwin doesn't care, it speeds things up which suits him. There are live rounds in the gun belts and in some firearms which are in circulation as 'dummies' for nearly two weeks and Hannah was permitted to not perform checks often enough or thoroughly enough because of the safety climate. No one called her on it. Baldwin didn't care. Baldwin was given a real firearm. He didn't care to have Hannah or Halls actually clear it and demonstrate the really actually dummy rounds condition of the firearm... or indeed since this was a 'blocking in' only, request that the gun be empty for safety. He didn't care enough to make safety more probable. He didn't care that you never point a firearm at another person, because safety is everyone's responsibility. He didn't care that you keep your finger off the trigger unless and until you mean to fire it at a 'suitable' target and in a safe direction. Because of his consistent lack of care for safety and the critical importance of it in a scenario with many guns, and the substantial risk of death or serious injury that comes from the mishandling of firearms he pointed an 'unloaded gun' at a person and shot them dead. This is clearly negligence and recklessness and an absence of caring about safety from start to end. While there are aspects which are more directly the fault of Hannah, Baldwin was responsible for all of his own actions, from the inception of the lowest budget gun-action-movie to irresponsible behaviour on set and a failure to have a safety culture... all the way to the intentional manipulation of the fire control group of a real gun which was pointed right at the heart of a person in extremely close proximity which resulted in a death from an unsafe loading condition. I cannot see any justifiable finding of anything other than guilty. He knew or should have known his behaviour was inappropriate and dangerous. It allowed the substantial risk of death to be realised - had he not had the world's worst armourer on set there may not have been an improper loading condition. Had he not pointed the muzzle of the firearm directly at his cinematographer's heart there may not have been injury or death from the negligent discharge (and thus no trial for an unlawful death), if he had not unnecessarily fired the weapon then there would have been no death from a negligent discharge, even though he had the muzzle pointed directly at her. Baldwin was directly or indirectly but causally linked to all three failings. A person died because of his irresponsibility.

[@JJMarie3509]

Thank you. You make an excellent case.

[@AstariaDayne]

Grace, I didn't watch the HG trial. If everything you say is correct, and comes in at trial-- then yes, I would vote guilty. I made a comment above indicating NG, but if this is all true, I change my opinion.

[@julieloucalcote1368]

Very well said.

[@charlottealbanese136]

Thank you for laying it all out there. I think you hit everything. Well done.

[@davidrussell6826]

Wow. If these things are true, you have completely changed my mind. I have disliked Baldwin for years for his "better than thou" attitude, his arrogance and his political views but in spite of that thought to myself that he should not be tried in court for an obvious accident. Having read your description, I need to verify your facts and, if verified, I would certainly vote GUILTY.

[@charlotteh2699]

Thank you for covering this, Peter. We know you always keep an open mind and stay objective, and we learn so much about the law. Best channel on youtube!

[@RoxyGirl1958]

Replay… I’ve never heard him say he pulled the trigger. Like you said, “I fired the gun” it’s like his heart knows he was holding the gun that shot a live round and killed his friend.

[@jacksgl777]

When you fire a gun, you ARE pulling the trigger

[@KittyGonzalez-bc8ee]

@@jacksgl777 he has zero "common sense" and a mouth that has no brain to engage with!

[@brooklynbasement]

@@RoxyGirl1958 this is how I interpreted it as well

[@MudPieYummy]

Doesn’t want to be a public person anymore?? Just signed up with his wife and kids to be on an upcoming reality show! 😮

[@julieloucalcote1368]

I forgot about that!!!

[@BlueDauntless]

It’s a ploy to deflect responsibility.

[@cosplayshop]

Sharing my thoughts on this as a theatrics armorer, worked both in the US and Australia for over 14 years 1.) Actor NEVER checks the weapon, in fact, a lot of set I worked at forbid them from doing so, EVERY firearm related interaction has to go thru the armourer, actor usually aren't allow to do stuff to the firearm unsupervised, because that usually lead to breaching of the insurance contract as those aren't acceptable risk, actor don't necessary know how to clear or unjam firearms, imagine an actor is checking the weapon by himself, and then accidentally goes off and wounding/killing another actor? If an actor wants to make sure the firearms is safe, he/she calls cuts and call the armourer on set to come over and check it in front of them. Now I don't know (Or rather I have no opinion) whether or not Baldwin should have asked to check it, but then Baldwin was not the only one on set, at least 3 other people are on set and they didn't ask too, and judging from the fact that the weapon was pointing at their general direction of them instead of Baldwin, I would say, risk-wise Souza or Hutchin probably would be the one that ask for the weapon to be check if they are unsure. But then since live round have no business on a film set, I am pretty sure all of them wouldn't be thinking of "Hey I should check if there is a live round pointing at someone" if they are some distant away with each other. 2.) That particular weapon can be fired without pulling the trigger, anyone fired six shooter knows the hammer don't lock if your finger is impeding the trigger. I am pretty sure a lot of western shooters will tell you the same thing. I think Dutch Merrick did a demonstration on Court TV some days ago. 3.) You are supposed to point the weapon toward people when you shoot. Yes, in a perfect world if you have just 2 actors on set, you will try to avoid that by adjusting the camera angle so it wouldn't point directly at people and camera, but if you have more than 1 (a lot of scene on Rust shows 6 or 7) then you can't simply adjust the camera angle because it simply crossed path, you have 3 actors point their weapon at 4 other and vice versa, you tell me which angle you can "adjust" to not point the weapon on at least 1 of them, this is easier to say than when you have to do it. You also have close up shot that you can't simply show a miss and you have to point the weapon on someone body or head. That's why you hire professional armourer and not just actor bring their own firearms to work. Because the armourer makes sure the set was safe, and that's why you replicate all the maiming and killing on screen. That's what I thought about this case in the production armorer stand point.

[@ChanceNP]

Worked as set medic in the 1990’s and what you described is 100% my observational experience. If an actor handled a weapon in anyway contrary to what the armorer had instructed, he would yell stop through a megaphone and chew out the actor. I saw a couple get fired with a second violation.

[@michaelcalland801]

Great post = !

[@cosplayshop]

@@ChanceNP A lot of people here keep saying "he should have done check it" or "he should have never point it at people" don't really know film is not exactly real world, in real world, we don't pick up a chainsaw and cut people in half normally, you do that if you are on the set of Texas Chainsaw Massacre. You can do that because everything was made safe by professional, actors are like any normal people, and you can't expect actors to be familiar with how firearms works. I trained a lot of actors on their first round on firearms, most of them have no clue how one works. As a general rules, you shouldn't let anyone play with your firearms without your supervision, I mean you wouldn't let the guy next lane in your shooting range touches your weapon without asking you. You wouldn't let actor touches your firearms unless it is necessary, and you watch them like a hawk, if things F up, that's your fault because you are the professional, they are an amateur when we are talking about firearms, I mean I wouldn't go inside a shot and tell an actor how to act, they shouldn't use my weapon when they are unsupervised.

[@kathyprime5430]

They should hire you as their expert witness. Watching the previous trial, the professional armourer said the same about the actors not being allowed to open the gun etc.

[@KairiPrime]

@@cosplayshop All of that is great...however when the shooting occurred, there was not a scene being filmed, it was a camera test. There was absolutely zero reason for a real gun to have even been anywhere near the set, it was Baldwin that wanted the gun there and didn't even bother to wait for the armorer, he was handed the gun by an AD who had managed to get into where the real firearms were stored, and didn't bother to follow the basic gun safety rules. Baldwin has bragged many times that he grew up with guns, and knew all about them, there are videos of him waving the gun around and being 100% reckless with the firearm after cut was called and even while there were no cameras rolling, pointing it at people and even firing off blanks near camera operators, and the armorer, who had very little experience herself, did absolutely nothing to stop his reckless and dangerous behavior. That is why both Baldwin and the armorer have been charged, she has already been found guilty so now it's his turn.

[@MarcyBlitz]

Peter- this was discussed at a recent hearing. 1 day for jury selection (which i think may be on the 8th). 8 days for trial. judge split it 5 & 3 but may change it to 6 & 2 later. AB's lawyer said they only need 1-2 days so I doubt he's testifying.

[@charliefoxtrot5001]

Spot on!

[@BlueDauntless]

He shouldn’t testify. I think unless he has a ton of trial prep or can keep a lid on his temper, he needs to stay off the stand.

[@michele0317]

I predict Alec Baldwin trial is going to be spicy, have a lot of sidebars and possibly have a circus-like atmosphere. I watched entirety of Hannah’s trial. Now I’m invested in Alec’s.🍿

[@BOSTON1999]

Prosecutor rocks

[@Unhyphenated]

No doubt it will be a show but I'm not sure how much "Spicy" could get drug in unless the prosecutor has some sort of evidence that they had an affair. 🤔

[@Floridafanatic28]

Spicy? I doubt it.

[@michele0317]

@@Floridafanatic28 I meant spicy between attorneys and judge 🙂

[@michele0317]

@@Unhyphenated I meant spicy between attorneys and judge

[@Seldarius]

I think what will kill his defense are the videos that were taken of him playing with guns and also his many, many interviews (with conflicting information). I‘m curious to see if he will take the stand. I‘d wager that his lawyers will advise against it, but I’m not sure he will listen.

[@terryarmstrong8598]

💯

[@gangrel138]

I've been shooting and handling guns for 30 years to include duties as a range safety in the Army. My two cents here... Alec Baldwin the actor is less culpable than Alec Baldwin the producer who failed in his responsibility to keep the film safe as they already had employees walk off set because of an issue with a live round being fired out of a prop gun a week prior. In the movies we'd call that foreshadowing. The instant that happened the correct action as THE PRODUCER would be to stop all filming with firearms and scour all of the blanks and dummy rounds for any live rounds mixed in but they didn't do that.

[@andremichau2455]

Peter, PLEASE do a segment where you go throught the SAG guidelines and applicable NM gun law.

[@conniethomas8466]

I want to know why would there EVER be real bullets on the Set?

[@delta3244]

Everyone does, and it looks like we'll never get a satisfying answer.

[@fortylovestyle2789]

The armorer was incompetent

[@brooklynbasement]

@@conniethomas8466 the person who makes the dummies and sells them to movie sets also makes real bullets. He made real bullets out of dummy bullet casings, and then those bullets got mixed in with real dummy bullets while at a shooting range with multiple people. Those mixed bullet boxes were brought to set by the armorer

[@conniethomas8466]

@@brooklynbasement Oh Wow, thanks for responding. That's so tragic 😭

[@deborahpoole9710]

Yes always wondered that!

[@angelawatkins2637]

I have a reservation in Sante Fe on July 11, didn't realize the trial would be starting!

[@terryarmstrong8598]

Dilemma. I love Santa Fe. Change plans or stay with original plans?

[@SquallLionhart409]

It is absolutely fact that Baldwin pointed a gun at another person. It is disputed, but I fully believe, that the firearm would not fire without Baldwin manipulating it in some way. I believe he had his finger on the trigger, not intentionally pulling it but to rest it there, and pulled the hammer back, based on interviews, testing of the gun, and the nature of the gun itself. Being so careless with his trigger finger AND cocking the hammer puts it in reckless to my eyes. Adding his blasé attitude regarding gun safety, and the training AND his status as a producer make this pretty clear to me. Maybe his defense will get me back to the other side of reasonable doubt, but I doubt it.

[@Treyn444]

Yeah he said to “spin the chamber..” I don’t remember where I heard that

[@cc-hk5ih]

Happy 4th July from Ireland. Love your coverage and balanced views.!

[@North_West1]

IMO, every tween, teen & adult should take gun safety courses. If you like or hate weapons gun safety is a critical life skill in the US. A safety course should have a hands on component (actual firing not required). Guns have mystic and mystery for Children/teens. When safety courses are taken the mystic goes away along with some of the desire to”play” with a weapon when they encounter one.

[@amireallythatgrumpy6508]

Living in the USA in asinine. This is one of the many reasons why.

[@ArtandGrace]

I’ve been listening while working but am definitely going to follow this one closely as I did Hanna’s. I thought from the beginning it seemed like it was a low budget, cut corners operation and for that alone he’s responsible!

[@karynmolder6055]

Why are there live rounds on set? A friend of mine works in BC as a special effects specialist on movies. He says they can’t have live rounds on set.

[@charliefoxtrot5001]

We will never know why there live rounds on set. It also doesn't matter for Alec Baldwin's trial.

[@brooklynbasement]

@@charliefoxtrot5001 I think it matters a lot for his trial. Live rounds weren’t supposed to be on set, hence why he never thought it was possible. This disproves intent and negligence

[@charliefoxtrot5001]

@@brooklynbasement It absolutely does not matter for Alec Baldwin's trial. The idea that Alec Baldwin somehow thought that is was impossible for live rounds to be on set on utterly nonsensical. The Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) Safety Bulletin is the industry safety standard and says the following: "Treat all weapons as though they are loaded and/or ready to use. Do not play with weapons and never point one at anyone, including yourself."

[@brooklynbasement]

@@charliefoxtrot5001 huh? There has literally never once been a report of live rounds being on a film set, ever. He’s been in over a dozen movies wherein he handled firearms. Why in the world would he or anyone else for that matter think it possible for live rounds to be there? Everyone there were sitting ducks, including Baldwin and his 8 year old daughter. Stop

[@charliefoxtrot5001]

@@brooklynbasement You can ignore the obvious all you want, but the SAG-AFTRA simply did not. The SAG-AFTRA safety rules regarding on set handling of firearms have prevented the use of live rounds on set for decades, just as they have prevented a repeat of the Brandon Lee accident for decades. It took 3 people to violate the SAG-AFTRA safety rules to kill Halyna Hutchins. Sorry, but you don't get to argue that there was no expectation of danger when handling a firearm on a movie set, when the SAG-AFTRA safety rules say exactly the opposite and REQUIRE a safety training for EVERY person handling a firearm on set, exactly because of that danger. That safety training is teaching EVERY PARTICIPANT about the dangers of real firearms on set. The SAG-AFTRASafety Bulletin is the industry safety standard. It is a publicly available document. You can easily download it in PDF format. It says the following, among other things: - "Treat all weapons as though they are loaded and/or ready to use. Do not play with weapons and never point one at anyone, including yourself." - "Remember that any object at which you point a firearm could be destroyed." - "NEVER POINT a firearm at anyone, including yourself.” - "NEVER PLACE your finger on the trigger until you are ready to shoot. Keep your finger alongside the firearm and off the trigger." - "All local, state and federal laws and regulations are applicable and can override these guidelines if they are more stringent." Alec Baldwin violated ALL of these safety rules, and others. He knew it was a real firearm capable of firing live rounds, assumed the gun was loaded with dummies, pointed it at Halyna Hutchins, cocked the hammer, touched the trigger, and killed Halyna Hutchins. This is the very definition of involuntary manslaughter through negligent handling of a firearm. The applicable state laws are NM Stat § 30-7-4 and § 30-2-3.

[@anitagendler3812]

Happy 4th Peter! Enjoy the holiday with your family! 🎉❤

[@ImAlxxy]

I can't think of any excuse for breaking ALL FOUR of the fundamental rules of firearm safety. Its not something you can pawn off on someone else. Even personally, i've been places and horsed around with firearms with friends, we still respected those rules even with magazines removed and chambers cleared. Its mindblowing that anyone could claim to be above or excluded from those rules. Especially when the result of his rule breaking was the loss of life. At minimum, even if all his BS denial somehow works on a jury, he deserves to be prohibited from ever being legally allowed to hold, operate, or possess a firearm.

[@charlottealbanese136]

Oh, absolutely!

[@Dani3e]

Absolutely agree with you

[@DrawingRoomDraftingBoard]

Holy crap I just nearly the same thing in a comment above. Sorry if I stole any of your thunder. Yeah, my dad discouraged me from getting even a cap gun as a kid: "look, you don't need any gun toys, you've got the real things, right here. You start playing with toy guns and you'll form bad habits." And it IS mindblowing that anyone could be so arrogant as to think themselves above the "three" (as there were at the time my dad taught me) rules of super basic, elementary gun safety.

[@samariagraham4502]

@@ImAlxxy two words: UNION RULES

[@videoettaceo8900]

Greetings from Chicago ❤happy 4th of July in the 🇺🇸

[@MamaPinks]

Him blaming Helena for being in a different position is BS, the assistant director was seated behind her and stationery, in the same spot as always, and he too was shot.

[@North_West1]

Agree, not like him blaming others. AB didn’t know Haylna passed until the end of the interview.

[@MamaPinks]

@@North_West1 exactly, no of it is his fault. 🙄🤬

[@amireallythatgrumpy6508]

@@MamaPinks False. He still had no right to point a gun at anyone else.

[@MamaPinks]

@@amireallythatgrumpy6508 Okay.

[@brooklynbasement]

@@amireallythatgrumpy6508 except it’s in the script

[@starofairdrie]

Amityville, Long Island being called 'the 'hood' --- that's an interesting take

[@ninastanek3388]

Today‘s our 10 years wedding anniversary 🎉

[@videoettaceo8900]

Happy Anniversary 🎉🎉Congratulations ❤

[@lollnr3447]

Happy Anniversary 🥂🎆

[@BigMacOrange]

Ummm, ok.

[@Bevaboo]

🎉🎉

[@kristimccoy6573]

Happy Anniversary ❤

[@JackieChabot]

Happy 4th to all.

[@MamaPinks]

He pulled the hammer back. Period. It could have easily "gone off" because his funger was ON the trigger. 3 basic rules of gun handling: ALWAYS keep it pointed in a safe direction. ALWAYS keep your finger OFF the trigger until ready to fire . ALWAYS keep it unloaded until ready to shoot.

[@charliefoxtrot5001]

You got the wrong rules there, especially the last one. Unloaded guns are the most dangerous out there. Here are Jeff Cooper's rules for firearm safety: 1. Treat every weapon as if it were loaded. 2. Keep your finger straight and off the trigger until you’re ready to fire. 3. Never point a weapon at anything you do not intend to shoot. 4. Be sure of your target and what is in front and behind it.

[@pamdsp47]

Hi Mama Pinks. Happy 4th. Was this live???

[@delta3244]

"It could have easily 'gone off' because his finger was on the trigger," especially because that gun apparently has a pretty light pull weight, at least according to Ian (who bought a gun of the same model for testing). Add to that how our fingers are connected and 'want to' move together, and holding the trigger while pulling the hammer back with the same hand seems very likely to result in negligent discharges.

[@MamaPinks]

@@pamdsp47 It was prerecorded yesterday, so that Peter could have a full day off today!

[@MamaPinks]

@@charliefoxtrot5001 I like those as well, but the ones I listed are direct from the NRA training guides. It is what is taught in every class in every state.

[@North_West1]

The “not pulling trigger” is a red herring. At a minimum he pointed the weapon at another person.

[@Tinmann_77]

He also said he fire the gun, can't fire that revolver without pulling the trigger.

[@lsedlacek5445]

Happy 4th🇺🇸

[@Nikkers8]

Ian Runkle did a vid back when AB was originally charged, with the model. of gun. He said he HAD to have pulled the trigger. There is no other way for that gun to go off.

[@mistahsusan2650]

the FBI ended up testing the original revolver to destruction to see if the hammer could be activated anyother way than a trigger pull. they couldn't get it to discharge before it completely broke.

[@utmastuh]

The only question here is who is to blame for injury or death on a set. There's clearly rules and roles in place for safety. If someone, or multiple people, fails at following those then it's on them

[@andremichau2455]

Correct. And those rules are VERY clear that in the final analysis, the person holding, pointing, and firing a weapon is RESPONSIBLE.

[@CBD0000]

Good morning from Washington state. It’s early!

[@leletoo]

It blows my mind that no one is talking about that fact that Alec does have firearm experience and exposure to firearms. His father was ex military fire arms expert, who taught gun safety for a living . His explanation of being ignorant to safety procedures is a lie

[@brooklynbasement]

@@leletoo his father was, but he wasn’t. He doesn’t have experience with firearms

[@leletoo]

@@brooklynbasement so his father raised boys and never once discussed gun safety with guns in the home ? His ex military father was that irresponsible ? Ok-……

[@brooklynbasement]

@@leletoo who knows, but unlikely. Baldwin has long been speaking out for stricter gun laws. He’s not a gun guy. Movie sets are very different from real life. Actors point and shoot guns at each other all the time on set. Tons of things are done on movie sets that would be illegal if you or I did them in real life. Think about scenes where someone is driving 100 miles per hour or when something is blown up with explosives. You think cops are giving out tickets and arresting them? No, because they have film making protocols, procedures, and permits that allow them to do illegal things to make the movie. In the history of film making, this type of freak accident has only happened 3x. That’s incredible stats, which tells me firearms on film sets are safe. This was an unfortunate and tragic freak accident. If anyone is criminally responsible here it is the person/s who mixed live with dummy rounds and brought them to a film set. That could have easily been Baldwin or his 8 year old who got shot. He is not to blame

[@Whitney357_9]

One of my fav actors

[@rozfisher2182]

Didn't want the glare of publicity so signed for a reality TV show - makes perfect sense

[@deborahpoole9710]

Right?! I think his wife loves attention and limelight.

[@Treyn444]

At one point I thought Baldwin said he held the hammer back (trigger) to spin the chamber. Does anyone remember that?

[@judyperea-maes5354]

He lied. He pulled the trigger!!No way the bullet would discharge itself

[@brooklynbasement]

@@judyperea-maes5354 many gun specialists and armorers have said otherwise

[@judyperea-maes5354]

@@brooklynbasement Please do your own research. Also it is a FACT the person holding the gun has the ultimate and final responsibility…..hard stop !

[@brooklynbasement]

@@judyperea-maes5354 always someone saying “do your own research” who has clearly not done any research 🤣

[@jondonnelly]

Alec better hope the jury is full of people with no understanding of firearms. Anyone with actual gun knowledge knows they don't ever fire themselves. ✌

[@melodyhatfield1601]

I can’t like Alec Baldwin. I don’t know why. I think he’s just not relatable for the masses. I feel he should be held responsible for his actions and inactions that led to this death.

[@SpaceFrawg]

Your bias is clear, thanks for playing.

[@Dazistgud]

It could have happened to anyone. Not a fan of Baldwin but I really can't agree that he needs to be criminally liable for this.

[@saraha7006]

@@DazistgudI agree with you 💯

[@jacksgl777]

@@Dazistgud. He may not be criminally liable but he is liable. He was responsible for the safety of the workplace. He hired the unqualified employee and knew live ammo had been used during breaks. A very sloppy atmosphere

[@BlueDauntless]

@@DazistgudThen people who drive drunk and kill someone also shouldn’t be criminally liable. It’s the same charge. They were negligent with dangerous weapons.

[@dontgetbrazenwithme6733]

My biggest problem with this, is people are calling him an A-list actor. No, no he's not 😅😅😅

[@Unhyphenated]

Yes, Baldwin being an actor gains this case more notice but to suggest that he's unfairly in the light considering that Baldwin himself tried to use media to spin his story, really does take away the nosey fans line. Baldwin is one of those who believes that somehow being a successful actors means they are arbiters of truth and he has proven himself, outside of this, a self-serving narcissist and from his own mouth, believes half the country should be imprisoned/silenced for simply not politically aligning with his views.

[@DrawingRoomDraftingBoard]

Well, most of my political views DO align with his--except especially second amendment issues--and I am stunned that he broke all three rules of handgun safety my dad taught me as a kid (he had others, but every gun owner will recognize these three for sure--in no particular order: 1. Never point any gun at anything you do not wish to destroy. 2. Always assume any gun is loaded until you, personally, have inspected the chamber and magazine. 3. Keep your hands off of the trigger until you are ready to fire. The man broke all three rules, and he has the nerve to not take a basic gun safety class before handling a gun??? WTF??? This is a GUN he's playing with, not a toy (that was one of my dad's other rules: he discouraged me from buying a cap gun because they LOOK like guns but don't have many repercussions if you point it at people and fire). Did you see any video from the set where he was firing that gun, he didn't like the take, so right there, while on the ground stil, he started barking out orders non-stop for everyone to get reloaded and get back to their places. I remember him saying that they don't have time to do safety checks each time the gun is fired. Well, the dude doesn't have time to use guns in his scene either, then. Democrat here (but 2A-supporting one): the man belongs in jail, and let that experience be a lesson to others who so carelessly use guns as props without having the basic training associated therewith. Jeeze!

[@texasterri2002]

Really? I never heard he wanted you imprisoned. Where did you hear that?

[@trippinggauntlet4520]

Baldwin......I wish I could just disappear and be an ordinary person Also Baldwin..... signs up to star with his wife and children in a reality television series 🙄🙄🙄

[@piercedsnowflake]

​@@DrawingRoomDraftingBoard Whoa, watch out with that awesome, logical statement. People will accuse you of being far-right. 😏😂

[@MoonDragon1]

I believe Hannah is number #1 at fault! It was her job! Dave halls 2nd and he got a deal. Baldwin should have civil suits against him but not criminal. He’s an actor on a movie set given a “cold gun” I don’t know how they are going with the same charges as Hannah in this.

[@dvrijmens581]

If ever there was a case I needed to hear impartial comments, it is this one. Following from the Netherlands, I just know he's a famous actor and somebody died by a shot during the making of a movie. I'm goïng to watch how this will play out.

[@Julie-gt7dr]

He doesn’t want to be a public figure yet he and his family are doing a reality show? Sure!

[@deborahpoole9710]

Gotta make big bucks somehow with all those kids to support!

[@shaverlocal]

Look up "Jeff Coopers" four rules of gun safety. Mr Cooper used to run the Gunsite training academy...

[@charliefoxtrot5001]

FYI: Hannah Gutierrez-Reed's step-father is Thell Reed, a very well-known exhibition shooter, stuntman, armorer, and movie consultant. Thell Reed's career started with Jeff Cooper's Big Bear "Leatherslaps" shooting competitions, where he was 1 of only 6 Combat Masters and had the quickest draws.

[@brooklynbasement]

@@shaverlocal on a movie set, this expertise is the responsibility of the armorer, not the actor/crew. That is why they’re hired

[@ImUrHuckleberry33]

In the scenario of an emergency room surgeon …if his nurse or anesthesiologist injects the wrong medication into a patient is the surgeon ultimately responsible? An actor who has a prop person…loads a prop gun with live ammo and he accidentally shoots someone while performing as an actor with a prop gun in a movie scene…he did his job but is he responsible for what the armourer loaded in the prop gun?

[@AstariaDayne]

@@ImUrHuckleberry33 This is exactly how I was looking at it, coming from a medical background. But there's a post in these comments in which how much responsibility was actually on his head as the producer. Very enlightening post if true.

[@jacksgl777]

The difference is Baldwin hired the employee, was responsible for hiring a quality employee, was responsible for the behavior (his included) which appears to be a rushed atmosphere, knew live ammo was being used during off times, etc. and I think a lot depends on what normal protocol is on other filming sets. Does the actor normally check the firearm and normally point it directly at someone?

[@ImUrHuckleberry33]

@@AstariaDayne but even as a producer…wouldn’t his job be to hire the best prop person/armorer for the job..if I’m not mistaken she has a supervisor she works under in her position who oversees her work. In his role at the point of pulling the trigger he is an actor who can’t possibly oversee everyone else’s job..imo he is being prosecuted for who he is and the notoriety it will bring to the prosecution..there is no way one person can monitor everyone to make sure they are doing their job right.

[@charliefoxtrot5001]

These kinds of analogies ALWAYS fail! For starters, It was a real firearm, capable of firing real bullets and killing people. Calling it a prop does not make it less dangerous. The safe handling of a firearm is not a "job" of an “armorer”. Every single adult in this country has a legal duty to not act with a willful disregard for the safety of others. Actors are not exempt from the law. The safe handling of a firearm is an individual legal requirement for anyone handling a firearm, while a job is a civil contract that is not allowed to change criminal liability. Alec Baldwin knew it was a real firearm capable of firing live rounds, assumed the gun was loaded with dummies, pointed it at Halyna Hutchins, cocked the hammer, touched the trigger, and killed Halyna Hutchins. This is the very definition of involuntary manslaughter through negligent handling of a firearm. The applicable state laws are NM Stat § 30-7-4 and § 30-2-3. A movie armorer is no different than a gun range safety officer. They are there as an extra safety to prevent people from being negligent. That, however, does not absolve anyone from criminal liability when they are negligent. The Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) Safety Bulletin is the industry safety standard and says the following: - "Treat all weapons as though they are loaded and/or ready to use. Do not play with weapons and never point one at anyone, including yourself." - "Remember that any object at which you point a firearm could be destroyed." - "NEVER POINT a firearm at anyone, including yourself.” - "NEVER PLACE your finger on the trigger until you are ready to shoot. Keep your finger alongside the firearm and off the trigger." - "All local, state and federal laws and regulations are applicable and can override these guidelines if they are more stringent." Alec Baldwin violated those rules, willfully, and despite having been trained on the use of firearms on movie sets for over 30 years.

[@ImUrHuckleberry33]

@@jacksgl777 there was never any mention of live ammo being used on this particular set..the armorer had live rounds in her kit..and she had a supervisor who oversaw her work.

[@billiemathews9941]

Santa Fe is actually not hard to get to. It has an airport and is about 50 miles from ABQ International Airport

[@terryarmstrong8598]

And quick drive up I-25. I lived in ABQ and went to Santa Fe often. Pleasant and quick trip.

[@BOSTON1999]

This is gonna be a great trial. I love Kari Morrisey

[@SissouLoveVideo]

A lot of people hated her but I actually appreciated her too !

[@BOSTON1999]

@@SissouLoveVideo she's ballsy

[@SissouLoveVideo]

@@BOSTON1999 Yeah exactly ahah ! And people complain about her moves with her glasses but I personnally loved it ahah

[@BlueDauntless]

I like that she’s tough.

[@MilkySandwich]

I have a confession, I am not even in the Law domain, I am in Medicine, but I've started to watch this content because I've never seen such a beautiful man like Mr. Tragos and I love his energy xDD Well I soaked up some lawyer wisdom through the hours of watching, definitely more than I imagined I will ever in my life ! :)

[@BlueDauntless]

That beautiful man is someone else’s husband. Show some respect.

[@MilkySandwich]

@@BlueDauntless On the advice of counsel, I invoke my fifth amendment privilege and respectfully decline to further engage in any stupid comment that comes in my way.

[@selmamartin8737]

Yep, Depp is humble and Baldwin is not.

[@Igotnothin_]

Brooooo!! C’mon?!Nobody really knows that man huh?! Finding out one of your fave actors is tapped is a wild ride tho!

[@selmamartin8737]

⁠ neither are my favorite. Musicians, some are favorites. Actors, none are favorites.

[@origamikiddo2625]

I'm interested to see how Morrissey does with different defense lawyers who are not going to let her get away with things she did last trial, like leaving most of her direct for redirect like Bowles did. I wonder if it will change her style from the beginning. I thought she was very good on cross. Now I have a few trials I've watched and seen really good attorneys and then Poot, I'm always interested in seeing different styles and how it works. We really got spoiled with Judge A and Newman having such amazing judges, then the other end with questions about bias and the different level of control and involvement with Canone. And spoiled with the attorneys from Depp v. Heard even Rottenborn quick with those objections. Then Murdaugh I was like why is there no objecting??? Very interesting to see the differences.

[@Greenfields-w2p]

Pls he doesn’t want to be a public person anymore… he & his wife just signed a contract for a family reality show . … good grief

[@MaPrajna1]

Thanks for this review. Well done as always, Peter.

[@pj3341]

Honestly. It was an accident. A horrible accident. Where Hannah was careless and could be held responsible , I can’t see convicting him

[@delta3244]

He didn't treat the gun as if it was loaded, pointed it at something-someONE he didn't want to destroy, and pulled the trigger through carelessness.* You might well be right that he won't be convicted, but the New Mexico case law on negligent deaths through reckless use of firearms states that ordinary recklessness is all it takes - i.e., it suffices that Alec did not take precautions that an ordinary person would have. *(in dispute, but I'm very sure I'm correct about this, and expect to get past reasonable doubt in the trial)

[@truecrimecurator9874]

Thank you for this great video! An excellent primer for sure. Looking forward to your coverage on the trial 🙏

[@caity613]

I think what's tough here is that industry standard says actors 100% do not do safety checks on their own props (guns). That is done by the armorer, and overseen by the 1st AD. I remember even when Jensen Ackles was interviewed by police about the Rust shooting, he talked in length about always doing his own safety checks every time (by shooting the gun into the ground to make sure they were all dummies, even after being shown they were)-- and the reaction from every armorer worldwide was: if they saw him do that, he would not be allowed to handle a gun on their set. So you have the common sense of your average people saying that the actors *should* check the gun, versus industry standard. So that's tough. I think in actuality, his biggest issue is 1. According to Hannah, he was pushy and didn't let her do checks (and there's some footage that seems to back that up). Now, again, every armorer would say- doesn't matter if he's head of the studio, on set, the armorer has absolute authority over those weapons, and it was her job to MAKE him wait for the safety checks. If she couldn't do that, she shouldn't have taken the job. That's that argument there. 2. He absolutely should not have pointed the gun at the camera. However, the argument here might be that everyone in the room believed the gun had dummy rounds, and Joel & Halyna told him to point it there to prepare for the shot (camera shot). That's a possible argument there. So yeah... this is a tough one! I think what makes it especially difficult is that the prosecutor is seemingly arguing opposite things in Hannah's case versus Alec's. Tbf, she did point out in Hannah's that Alec was pushy and bossing Hannah around-- but then she brought in an expert (armorer) who said what I wrote above-- that if Hannah couldn't assert her authority over the guns, she shouldn't have held the position. I think, as a producer, he holds more responsibility for the lack of safety that was apparent on set. That is interesting, and maybe he can be held accountable for that. There isn't a strong precedent for that-- nobody from the Twilight Zone movie was held accountable (the absolute worst atrocity on a film set), nobody was held accountable for what happened on the set of The Crow, and for the horrorshow that was Midnight Rider, there was a bit of accountability, but very minimal. Also, Hannah was ultimately convicted for introducing live rounds to set and not doing the safety check that day. But Dave Hall (the 1st AD who pled no contest) said Hannah always did the checks, Jensen Ackles said Hannah always did the checks, and Alec said it in his questioning. That goes against what the prop master said, and possibly a couple others on set. But you have very differing opinions/narratives about that clashing here.

[@julieloucalcote1368]

Very good points. Thank you for that. I had not thought about how other tragedies on movie sets could play into this trial.

[@delta3244]

Isn't it the case that those standards were changed from actors having responsibility in gun safety checks to not having them after this incident? Or am I thinking of something else? I know some entity changed some standards along those lines. In any case, law trumps standards, and my understanding is that if this is reckless, it is reckless by pure law with the standards having zero legal or factual effect. One thing to bear in mind with the prosecution's "inconsistent" position is that, while it's true that Hannah shouldn't have had her position if she couldn't control the guns, it's also true that Alec shouldn't have failed at basic gun safety regardless of the armorer's competence. The prosecution isn't being inconsistent here. Hannah and Alec are responsible for different parts of the sum of the negligence that lead to this death. For that reason, I believe the expert will be able to dismantle the argument that his position is inconsistant between cases, and I'm fairly sure that's the only point on which Alec's defense will be able to set the apparent inconsistancy before the jury - attempted impeachement of that expert, who I believe is set to testify in this case. I could be wrong about any or all of the claims at the end of this paragraph, but I'm reasonably confident about each of them.

[@BlueDauntless]

Sorry but Andrew Branca has pulled up a different set of standards that says you don’t point the firearm at anyone. Period. That was the standard at the time.

[@caity613]

@@BlueDauntless I agree, the standard is that you don't point a firearm at anyone. That is both common sense, and the industry standard. I was saying that he could try to argue that Joel and Halyna were having him point it toward the camera, "knowing" it was a cold gun, to see what it would look like in the shot, etc etc. This is a bad argument, because even if you are told to do something, that doesn't mean you should do it. Also, I believe Joel may have said Alec was only supposed to reveal the gun in the rehearsal shot, not point it. But anyway, yes. While filming, if they ever even slightly point anywhere near a camera, there is supposed to be a ton of safety gear up, like protective shields, and they are supposed to be a certain distance away. And also the safety check on the gun should've been seen by Alec, which it wasn't, so that also makes much of this moot. He shouldn't have touched it without the safety check.

[@caity613]

@@delta3244 @delta3244 The industry standard has ALWAYS been that actors do not do the safety checks. The armorer and 1st AD are responsible for the safety checks. However, they must do the check in front of the actor before the actor can touch the firearm. I doubt that this incident will change the standard to actors doing their own safety checks, because, simply put, that would likely cause a lot MORE on-set accidents. Most actors are not proficient at handling guns, which is why there is an armorer on set to ensure the safety. As for Alec not going to the safety classes-- absolutely. But I was not referring to that. I think the prosecutor is being slightly inconsistent on certain things. But she has plenty of other stuff to go after him for.

[@reneearnett8761]

You are right . He just said I fired the trigger. Which I was thinking the same thing about that

[@Morticia1313]

I just don't think Alex will do any time for this. I'm not saying he wasn't irresponsible, but I do think they have gotten Hannah & the blame is on her. It was her job. But I've been wrong before ( OJ, Casey Anthony, Karen Read) so I guess we'll have to wait & see. I do think that Baldwin shouldn't have done that interview. It made him look bad. He's a good actor. He could have at least acted sad & shed some fake tears instead of making it all about him. I think this new family reality show is in poor taste. Love Ben Chew! Happy 4th🎉🇺🇸

[@pauljohansen8043]

He had the gun. He pulled the trigger. Involuntary manslaughter.

[@Morticia1313]

@@pauljohansen8043 we shall see

[@charliefoxtrot5001]

The safe handling of a firearm is not a "job" of an “armorer”. Every single adult in this country has a legal duty to not act with a willful disregard for the safety of others. Actors are not exempt from the law. The safe handling of a firearm is an individual legal requirement for anyone handling a firearm, while a job is a civil contract that is not allowed to change criminal liability. Alec Baldwin knew it was a real firearm capable of firing live rounds, assumed the gun was loaded with dummies, pointed it at Halyna Hutchins, cocked the hammer, touched the trigger, and killed Halyna Hutchins. This is the very definition of involuntary manslaughter through negligent handling of a firearm. The applicable state laws are NM Stat § 30-7-4 and § 30-2-3. A movie armorer is no different than a gun range safety officer. They are there as an extra safety to prevent people from being negligent. That, however, does not absolve anyone from criminal liability when they are negligent.

[@jacksgl777]

My question is: what IS the protocol for actors during film making? Do they normally pull the trigger? Do they normally point it towards a person? Do they normally check the gun themselves for live rounds? If they normally do all these, then yes, he’s guilty. But there’s also the question in my mind of if they normally don’t check these things, wouldn’t Baldwin still be guilty due to being responsible for who he hires, how he leads his employees, how responsible he is for the quality and safety of equipment?

[@jenniferhorner459]

I am asking the same thing. He was hired to pull the trigger, it was a western. He never expected a live round. A real live round! But not sure what union rules state about whether actors are liable to double check as well.

[@jacksgl777]

@@jenniferhorner459 I’m seeing different arguments on the protocol on film sets. Some say actors should inspect first because federal laws still override whatever anyone else tells you, basically. Others say as an actor, they are told not to because that in itself (no idea how) could cause an accident and they would (even if no accident) lose their insurance. That it is only the armorer’s job. So I guess we will know one way or another after trial starts.

[@brooklynbasement]

@@jacksgl777 actors aren’t allowed to check firearms

[@jacksgl777]

@@brooklynbasement well, then, you should head to the court and let the judge know so it saves them time, money and anguish

[@brooklynbasement]

@@jacksgl777 they’re about to find out, if they aren’t already aware

[@karleet]

Alec wanted out of the limelight so much that he gets a reality show with his family🙄

[@darkangel4288]

Not Peter not knowing how to say Stephanopoulos 🤣🤣🤣 as a greek origin myself, Peter you should know that 🤣 you have to know that 🤣

[@andreadaniel4291]

Whomever hired the child, Hanna Guiteriez, should be held accountable

[@citrusbloom7504]

Baldwin because he wanted to go the cheap route.

[@brooklynbasement]

@@andreadaniel4291 younger people shouldn’t be hired? Also, she’s 27. That’s not a child

[@melstiller8561]

It was his reaction and attitude post-incident that really made Alec Baldwin sound arrogant and cold. Had he shown remorse, not been on the defensive or made excuses, and stayed away from the media, I think he wouldn't have been so ferociously attacked. If I were to assign degrees of responsibility, I believe the armorer is ultimately the person responsible for the weapons used on the Rust film set.

[@julieloucalcote1368]

Agreed

[@BlueDauntless]

He pulled the trigger while pointing it at a person. That goes against not only gun safety but industry standards. Everything else can happen as it did and she’d still be alive. She’s not because he pulled the trigger while pointing it at her!

[@melstiller8561]

@@BlueDauntless -- In that case, Alec Baldwin will have to "pay the piper" for his role in the death of Halina Hutchins. And I don't mean a monetary settlement -- which, by the way, he already paid to Halina's husband. It makes no sense to me that this transaction was finalized before the criminal trial happened.

[@BlueDauntless]

@@melstiller8561These charges took forever to actually stick. That’s probably why the civil side was handled quickly. I don’t think he expected the state to continue to pursue the case.

[@araehquinlan5134]

HAPPY FOURTH 🎉EVERYONE 😊😊😊😊😊😊

[@KayKayLaLa.]

25:42 I agree with you, he’s saying don’t be the tough guy, show your true emotions.

[@jerrimichael7561]

They sure didn’t use KR demeanor against her even as bad as it was. Alex may be different.

[@js3401]

Love Ben Chew!!!

[@barbkonrad6232]

The lawyer just said that Baldwin grew up in "the hood" . I grew up in the same town as Baldwin, Massapequa, NY, and it is so far removed from "the hood". It's 99% white and privileged, and still is. Wiki shows the long long list of famous people from there.

[@pauljohansen8043]

@@barbkonrad6232 I am privileged too. I live in America…

[@Shines-On]

I heard Billy Baldwin was in a class with Rex Heuermann (alleged Long Island serial killer). Did you ever know or see Rex?

[@fortylovestyle2789]

It’s actually 88% white now lol. But it’s definitely not the hood. He must be thinking of Freeport.

[@aprilhungary4421]

Good interview..

[@kpeugh2011]

If he’s found guilty it’s going to be the numerous interviews and the scientific evidence that convict him. Because that’s what sells me on it.

[@JMcCarthyworld]

After 40 years, i do not blame him not wanting to be in the public eye anymore.

[@eriksmith2514]

The state must prove that Baldwin consciously disregarded a SUBSTANTIAL risk that harm WOULD result from his conduct. State v. Henley, 237 P.3d 103, Par. 16. Baldwin's honest belief in the armorer's and AD's assurances that the gun was cold made him unaware of the true level of risk. The state's theories about negligent hiring of the armorer and other general circumstances did not make Baldwin aware of the actual risk. The involuntary manslaughter charge should be dismissed.

[@delta3244]

Not quite. Where firearms are concerned, State v. Grubbs, 1973-NMCA-096, 85 N.M. 365, 512 P.2d 693 is controlling for the proposition that only ordinary negligence is required.

[@brooklynbasement]

Agree 100%

[@eriksmith2514]

@@delta3244 "Where firearms are concerned, State v. Grubbs, 1973-NMCA-096, 85 N.M. 365, 512 P.2d 693 is controlling for the proposition that only ordinary negligence is required." Grubbs was overruled by the New Mexico Supreme Court in State v. Yarborough, 905 P.2d 209 (1995), par. 19, citing Santillanes v. State: "Consequently, we interpret Santillanes as implicitly overruling Grubbs. To the extent that Judge Bivins ... interprets Santillanes as requiring a showing of only civil negligence for involuntary manslaughter by negligent use of a firearm ... we disagree and hold otherwise."

[@delta3244]

@@eriksmith2514 From my research, Grubbs is overruled on grounds _other than_ its proposition that ordinary negligance is required, and that proposition stands. That's why I was so specific. Current commentary on those laws says exactly the same thing, as far as I can tell - they cite Grubbs for that proposition and say "(overruled on other grounds)" afterwards.

[@delta3244]

@@eriksmith2514 I went back and checked, and those sources cite Santillanes v State and State v Yarborough for the same proposition. I'm going to look into this further, but I'm pretty sure my original language was correct.

[@johnmartyn9018]

PS, Thanks for all you do LYK!👏

[@D64nz]

Ben Chew is back? I mean after the JD/AH case. Looking forward to this case even more now.

[@americanprincess851]

Yes and I think that he talked about the young thug Rico trial down in Atlanta Georgia too recently.

[@AstariaDayne]

Ben is NOT representing Alec Baldwin. This is just an interview wherein he is asked to give his opinions on the defense strategy.

[@amireallythatgrumpy6508]

Ben has been interviewed a few times for his thoughts on cases. He seems to be a regular correspondent on - is it Court TV or Law and Crime?

[@marymcnabb7149]

Bruce River's, Attorney, went to the gun range and proved with the same weapon that it can't be "accidentally" discharged the way Alex claimed.

[@hollykeller1545]

I believe Alec is going to have the same judge as Hannah and that judge told Hannah “The responsibility is yours and yours alone.”

[@charliefoxtrot5001]

Yes, it is the same judge. Pre-trial hearings have been going on for a month. The judge has denied every single motion to dismiss the trial by Alec Baldwin's defense. And you are purposely mis-phrasing the statement by the judge. The judge said: “You single-handedly turned a safe weapon into a deadly weapon. If not for you, Ms. Halyna Hutchins would be alive. A husband would be reunited with his wife and a little boy with his mother.” The judge NEVER said that Halyna Hutchins' death was the SOLE responsibility of Hannah Gutierrez-Reed. After all, David halls, the assistant director, had already plead guilty. Yes, two people have already been convicted. Baldwin will be the third. Yes, multiple people can be negligent and cause the death of a human being. Each person is responsible for their OWN acts of criminal negligence.

[@gracesprocket7340]

For her responsibilities. Baldwin is a unique and different person and is also uniquely responsible for his own personal actions, inactions and failings. He can also be responsible at the same unique degree without any inconsistency. Particularly since he pointed a Dangerous weapon, a Firearm, Loaded or Unloaded directly at the heart of a person in close proximity before manipulating the fire control group. Thus killing a woman with yet another 'unloaded weapon'. This is the very definition of an unlawful death by negligent discharge. No one has laid a criminal charge that Baldwin placed the live round in the firearm - that was Hannah, and Hannah alone.

[@dianespears6057]

With thanks to you and the team.