Charges against actor Alec Baldwin are being downgraded. The actor's legal team say the prosecutors had committed 'an unconstitutional and legal error by charging Mr. Baldwin under a statute that did not exist under the state of the accident.'
Changes to New Mexico's firearm enhancement law took effect in March 2022. The current version of the law calls for five additional years of prison time in cases in which a firearm was"discharged" in the commission of certain felonies.shooting took place in 2021, about six months before the changes took effect.
In a statement to NPR on Monday, Heather Brewer, a spokeswoman for the New Mexico First District Attorney, said the decision to drop the firearm enhancement was made to expedite the case. "In order to avoid further litigious distractions by Mr. Baldwin and his attorneys, the District Attorney and the special prosecutor have removed the firearm enhancement to the involuntary manslaughter charges in the death of Halyna Hutchins on the 'Rust' film set," Brewer said.
She added:"The prosecution's priority is securing justice, not securing billable hours for big-city attorneys." The same charges have also been dropped against the film's armorer, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, who faces the same involuntary manslaughter charge as Baldwin.What questions do you have about Southern California?
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