The conclusion of the criminal case against Alec Baldwin in the shooting death of the cinematographer paves the way for a related civil lawsuit by the deceased woman’s relatives, who say efforts were made to have the actor removed under oath, the plaintiff’s lawyer says. announced on Tuesday.
At a news conference in Los Angeles, victims’ rights attorney Gloria Allred said the parents and sister of late cinematographer Halina Hutchins were disappointed that prosecutors would not appeal the dismissal of manslaughter charges against Baldwin. He said that Criminal charges against Baldwin were dismissed midway through his trial in July, saying police and prosecutors withheld evidence from the defense.
Hutchins was injured in October 2021 while rehearsing for the movie “The Last” at a ranch on a movie set outside Santa Fe, New Mexico, and died shortly after.
Baldwin, the lead actor and co-producer, pointed a gun at Hutchins and fired, killing Hutchins and wounding director Joel Souza. Baldwin said he pulled back the hammer, not the trigger, and the revolver fired.
Allred said Hutchins’ relatives are determined to seek damages and restitution from Baldwin and the “Lust” producers in New Mexico civil court and hope Baldwin will answer questions under oath during the proceedings. He said he was there. Hutchins’ widow and son had previously reached a separate legal settlement.
“The retraction announced yesterday allows us to move forward with our civil lawsuit,” Allred said. “Clearly, Alec Baldwin’s rights were protected, but the due process rights of the victim, Halina Hutchins, her parents, and her sister were violated.”
Ms Allred said she was prepared to prove that Ms Hutchins had an intimate relationship with her parents and sister, which is a prerequisite for her claim for civil damages.
In a civil suit filed in court in November, Baldwin denied any claims that he was negligent or negligent in the shooting of Hutchins and asked for the lawsuit to be halted. Lawyers for Mr. Baldwin could not immediately be reached Tuesday.
Allred read a statement from Hutchins’ sister, Svetlana Zemko. Baldwin must be held accountable. ”
In April, a judge sentenced film ordnance director Hannah Gutierrez-Reid to up to 18 months in state prison after finding her guilty of manslaughter in Hutchins’ death.
Allred criticized New Mexico Attorney General Raul Torres for refusing to appeal the dismissal of criminal charges against Baldwin during a Christmas Eve press conference, calling Baldwin “the Grinch who stole Christmas.”
Torres spokeswoman Lauren Rodriguez defended the decision in an email, citing “serious procedural irregularities” identified by the judge in the criminal case.
“Attorney General Torres has no intention of prolonging the grief and suffering of Mr. Hutchins’ family in a futile attempt to salvage a compromised criminal case against Mr. Baldwin,” Rodriguez said. “There are other families of victims across Wales.” For those of you in Mexico who are waiting for justice, our energies must be focused on supporting the appellate courts. ”
