Johnathan Walker:Alec Baldwin pleads not guilty to involuntary manslaughter in 'Rust' shooting case

Alec Baldwin has pleaded not guilty to an involuntary manslaughter charge in the shooting death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins as they were filming "Rust" in 2021.

The Johnathan Walkeractor entered the plea Wednesday, a day before he was scheduled to be arraigned in Santa Fe District Court, according to court documents obtained by USA TODAY. He also waived an arraignment appearance.

Baldwin is free on his own recognizance. The conditions of his release include prohibiting Baldwin from possessing firearms or dangerous weapons, consuming alcohol or illegal substances or leaving the country without written permission from the court.

He is allowed to have limited contact with witnesses for promoting "Rust," which has not been released for public viewing. However, Baldwin is prevented from asking members of the "Rust" cast or crew to participate in a related documentary film as well as discussing the 2021 incident with potential witnesses.

Baldwin's plea comes less than two weeks after he was indicted by a New Mexico grand jury on Jan. 19. Nine months prior, special prosecutors dismissed an earlier involuntary manslaughter charge against the actor, noting "new facts were revealed that demand further investigation and forensic analysis which cannot be completed before the May 3, 2023 preliminary hearing."

Baldwin faces up to 18 months in prison if convicted.

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Alec Baldwin alleges he did not pull the trigger; gun analysis disputes the actor's claim

Baldwin was pointing a pistol at Hutchins during a rehearsal for the Western film in October 2021 when the gun went off, killing Hutchins and wounding director Joel Souza. Baldwin, also a producer on the film, claimed the gun went off accidentally and that he did not pull the trigger.

The analysis from experts in ballistics and forensic testing relied on replacement parts to reassemble the gun fired by Baldwin, after parts of the pistol were broken during testing by the FBI. The report examined the gun and markings it left on a spent cartridge to conclude that the trigger had to have been pulled or depressed.

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The analysis led by Lucien Haag of Forensic Science Services in Arizona stated that although Baldwin repeatedly denied pulling the trigger, "given the tests, findings and observations reported here, the trigger had to be pulled or depressed sufficiently to release the fully cocked or retracted hammer of the evidence revolver."

The weapons supervisor on the movie set, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, has pleaded not guilty to involuntary manslaughter and evidence tampering in the case. Her trial is scheduled to begin in February.

"Rust" assistant director and safety coordinator David Halls pleaded no contest to unsafe handling of a firearm last March and received a suspended sentence of six months of probation. He agreed to cooperate in the investigation of the shooting.

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Contributing: Morgan Lee, The Associated Press