Alec Baldwin has seen a major break in his case this week, as one of the charges against him has been dropped. The actor was facing involuntary manslaughter charges for a shooting on the set of his film Rust, but now he is only facing one charge and a lesser prison sentence.
The Santa Fe County district attorney filed paperwork on Monday that dropped a firearm enhancement charge against Baldwin. This means that instead of facing five years in prison if convicted, Baldwin now faces 18 months in prison if convicted.
Baldwin’s lawyers argued that the law passed after the shooting did not apply to him, and they were successful in getting the charge dropped. However, Baldwin and the film set’s armorer, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, still face involuntary manslaughter charges related to the shooting.
The incident occurred when Baldwin was filming Rust in New Mexico back in 2021. He allegedly fired a gun at another actor during an altercation on set and it resulted in the death of an extra on set. The prosecutors have downgraded the charges against Baldwin from first-degree murder to involuntary manslaughter due to lack of evidence.
Baldwin has since released a statement expressing his condolences for those affected by the tragedy and saying he is grateful for the decision made by prosecutors to reduce his possible sentence if convicted. He also said he will continue to cooperate with authorities as they investigate further into what happened on set that day.
This news comes as a relief for many fans who have been following Alec Baldwin’s case since it began two years ago. Although he still faces serious consequences if found guilty, this reduced sentence could mean less time behind bars for him if convicted. It is unclear how long it will take before we know more about what happens next in this case but, Alec Baldwin’s future hangs in the balance until then.
