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'Rust' Armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed Scores A Major Legal Win

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"Rust" armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed just scored a big legal win as she 
attempts to get a new trial.

The 27-year-old armorer and actor Alec Baldwin were charged with 
involuntary manslaughter in connection with the death of cinematographer 
Halyna Hutchins on the set of the Western film in October 2021.

Hannah Gutierrez-Reed Was Found Guilty Of Involuntary Manslaughter

In March, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed was found guilty and sentenced to the 
state maximum of 18 months behind bars. Although her legal team filed an 
appeal, Alec Baldwin's trial put a new twist on the case.

On the second day of his trial, a crime scene technician testified that 
there was evidence that law enforcement officials did not turn over to the 
defense. In a shocking twist, it turns out lead prosecutor Kari Morrissey 
also knew about the evidence and had been involved in a discussion to file 
ammunition under a different case number separate from other "Rust" 
evidence.

The admission prompted prosecutor Erlinda Johnson to resign on the third 
day of the trial. Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer concluded that the misconduct 
committed was so severe that the only remedy was to dismiss the charges 
against Baldwin with prejudice, meaning that he can no longer face 
criminal charges for his role in Halyna Hutchins' death. However, he is 
still involved in several civil lawsuits along with other "Rust" 
producers.

First Judicial District Court Will Be Allowed To Rule On Hannah Gutierrez-
Reed's 'Rust' Case

Fortunately for the incarcerated armorer, there has been a new development 
in her attempt to get her charges thrown out. After the misconduct of the 
prosecution came to light, her attorney Jason Bowles filed for the right 
to get the 27-year-old armorer a new trial. Kari Morrissey was also the 
lead prosecutor in Gutierrez-Reed's trial, although Erlinda Johnson was 
not involved.

The New Mexico Court of Appeals has decided to grant a motion allowing the 
First Judicial District Court to rule on her request for a new trial, 
according to the Santa Fe New Mexican.

The week after Baldwin's involuntary manslaughter trial was dismissed with 
prejudice, her legal team filed a motion asking the court to throw out her 
involuntary manslaughter conviction and hold a new trial, arguing that the 
misconduct by the prosecution could have led them to burying evidence in 
her case as well.

What Happened On The 'Rust' Set In October 2021?

On October 21, 2021, the cast and crew were returning from a lunch break 
on the set of the Western film and preparing to film a scene inside a 
church. When Alec Baldwin removed his gun from his holster for a scene, 
the gun went off, fatally wounding cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and 
hospitalizing director Joel Souza. Baldwin has insisted he did not pull 
the trigger.

It is still unclear how live ammunition ended up on the set of the Western 
film. During her trial, prosecutors argued that Hannah Gutierrez-Reed was 
"sloppy" in her role as an armorer and put a real bullet into the firearm 
instead of a dummy round. The defense has argued that Seth Kenney, a props 
supplier in Albuquerque, was the one who mixed live ammunition with dummy 
rounds, which led to the fatal accident. However, he was never charged.

Hannah Gutierrez-Reed's Family Wants Her Out Of Prison

As The Blast previously reported, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed's family is 
anxious to see her released from prison. Her father, veteran Hollywood 
armorer Thell Reed, 81, feels that she was used as a "scapegoat" in the 
case and that law enforcement should have done more to find out where the 
live ammunition actually came from.

Thell told The Daily Mail that it was a "good" thing that Alec Baldwin's 
case was dismissed, and now feels that "Hannah's case should also be 
dismissed" based on the misconduct discovered during the actor's trial.

"There’s a lot of evidence that hasn’t been heard at all," Thell alleged. 
"They [the prosecution] suppressed all the important evidence and I guess 
[Baldwin’s] attorneys brought it out." Thell went on to say that the 
misconduct "should" be grounds for an appeal, adding, "She didn't do 
anything wrong. They’ve absolutely made her a scapegoat."

Special Prosecutor Erlinda Johnson Explains Why She Resigned From Alec 
Baldwin's Trial

A few hours after the trial ended, Erlinda Johnson spoke to Chris Cuomo 
and explained why she decided to resign from Alec Baldwin's trial after 
the misconduct was brought to light.

"We have an obligation as prosecutors, we have an obligation not only to 
the people, but to the defendant and our obligation is to make sure that 
all the evidence is turned over," she explained during her NewsNation 
interview. "We don't get to decide what the defense is going to be. Our 
job is to ensure transparency and to ensure that the defendant has 
everything that the prosecution has gathered. What they do with it, that's 
up to them.”

It remains to be seen if Hannah Gutierrez-Reed's motion for a new trial is 
granted.

https://theblast.com/615765/rust-armorer-hannah-gutierrez-reed-major-
legal-win/

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'Rust' Armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed Scores A Major Legal Win "P. Coonan" <nospam@ix.netcom.com> - 2024-08-03 22:00 +0000

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