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March 20, 2024
‘Rust’ Armourer Seeking Release From Jail Following Involuntary Manslaughter Charge
Attorneys for Hannah Gutierrez-Reed asked the judge to release the ‘Rust’ armourer from jail and requested a new trial. By: Kritchanon Tan Kian Wei.
Mexico - After a two-week trial that saw 26-year-old Gutierrez-Reed being found guilty of the involuntary manslaughter of Halyna Hutchins, the cinematographer for Rust, Gutierrez-Reed is now seeking a new trial and release from prison.
Hutchins died in October 2021 when Hollywood actor Alec Baldwin fired a live round while rehearsing with a revolver on the set of the Western movie Rust. Director Joel Souza was also injured in the process. Gutierrez-Reed was the armourer on set. Prosecutors at the trial blamed Gutierrez-Reed for failing basic gun safety protocol, with live ammunition being prohibited on the set of Rust.
Her lawyers, Jason Bowles and Monnica Barreras, said,"Gutierrez-Reed is requesting this court vacate her conviction and order a new trial. She is further requesting this court to release her pending further proceedings whether it be in this court or on appeal or writ."
They also argued that a state Supreme Court opinion that was issued on Thursday, 14 March will “almost certainly” lead to Gutierrez-Reed’s conviction being overturned.
On that day, the state Supreme Court overturned the conviction of two daycare workers in a similar case, leading Bowles and Barreras to argue that an appeals court is “virtually certain” to order a new trial for Gutierrez-Reed. Meanwhile, they also urged that Gutierrez-Reed be released from prison while the appeal is pending.
For being found guilty of involuntary manslaughter, Gutierrez-Reed, who is now detained in a Santa Fe detention facility and will be sentenced on 15 April, is currently liable for a maximum penalty of 18 months in prison and a $5,000 fine.
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