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On Wednesday, Alec Baldwin was joined by his wife Hilaria and brother Stephen in the courtroom for opening statements in his long-awaited “Rust” involuntary manslaughter trial.
Prosecutor Erlinda Johnson was able to present first, showing the gun that was fired that fateful day and claiming that Alec “violated the cardinal rules of firearm safety.”
Johnson told the courtroom, “When someone plays make-believe with a real gun in a real-life workplace, and while playing make-believe with that gun violates the cardinal rules of firearm safety, people’s lives are endangered and someone could be killed. The evidence will show that someone who played make-believe with a real gun and violated the cardinal rules of firearm safety is the defendant, Alexander Baldwin.”
Baldwin’s lawyer answered back, arguing the evidence will show that “real bullets are never supposed to be on movie sets.”
They said the death of Halyna Hutchins was an “unspeakable tragedy” but that Baldwin committed no crime.
The defense put the blame on the film’s armorer and the first assistant director, saying, “This was an unspeakable tragedy, but Alec Baldwin committed no crime. He was an actor, acting, playing the role of Harlan Rust. An actor playing a character can do things that are lethal. These ‘cardinal rules’ are not cardinal rules on a movie set.”
A major question is whether Baldwin will take the stand to testify.
“Extra” recently spoke with ABC News legal contributor Brian Buckmire, who said, “I don’t think it’s smart for Alec Baldwin to testify because what is he going to say to further his case? He doesn’t know how live ammunition got on the set. He doesn’t know how the bullets were put into the gun. So, what more can he add other than being cross-examined and probably being pulled apart? And so for me, the juice isn’t really worth the squeeze.”
Baldwin’s trial is expected to last nine days. If convicted, he faces 18 months in prison.
Baldwin has pleaded not guilty and insisted to George Stephanopoulos, in his only sit-down interview after the incident, “Someone is responsible for what happened and I can’t say who that is, but I know it’s not me.”