Rust armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed can be sentenced on April 15 after being convicted of involuntary manslaughter final week within the unintentional taking pictures dying of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins.
Gutierrez-Reed may face a most sentence of 18 months in jail, whereas probation and fines are additionally on the desk. The particular prosecutors overseeing the case haven’t but signaled the severity of the punishment they’ll pursue, and didn’t instantly return Rolling Stone’s request for remark.
In an announcement shared with Rolling Stone, Gutierrez-Reed’s lawyer, Jason Bowles, mentioned of the upcoming sentencing, “We’re assured that the Courtroom will take into account every part, together with all the mitigating proof, and enter a judgment that’s cheap and simply.”
Bowles additionally instructed Rolling Stone after the conviction got here in that Gutierrez-Reed would attraction the decision. She is at present being held on the Santa Fe County Grownup Detention Facility.
After a 10-day trial, it took the jury simply over two hours to return the responsible verdict, although they did acquit Gutierrez-Reed on a separate cost of tampering with proof. Choose Mary Marlow Sommer mentioned on the time, “It is a dying. It’s legal negligence, nevertheless it’s nonetheless a dying.”
Hutchins’ household issued an announcement after the decision saying they have been “happy” that the jury had discovered Gutierrez-Reed “responsible past an affordable doubt for her half within the taking of Halyna’s life.” They added: “We sit up for the justice system persevering with to make it possible for everybody else who’s answerable for Halyna’s dying is required to face the authorized penalties for his or her actions.”
Throughout closing arguments, prosecutors referred to as Gutierrez-Reed “negligent,” “careless,” and “inconsiderate,” arguing that she introduced stay ammunition to the Rust set and failed to note the bullets had blended with the inert dummy rounds she was loading into prop weapons. Prosecutor Kari Morrissey mentioned the armorer’s “total job is to be accountable,” and he or she was “not paying consideration, not taking her job significantly.”
Bowles, in the meantime, mentioned his shopper was a “scapegoat” who was compelled to juggle a number of jobs on set. He additionally appeared to attempt to forged extra of the blame on Alec Baldwin, who can be tried in a separate involuntary manslaughter case later this 12 months (he’s pleaded not responsible). Bowles claimed the deadly taking pictures was not “foreseeable” as a result of Baldwin went “off script” whereas they have been rehearsing a scene that preceded the incident. “It was not within the script for Mr. Baldwin to level the weapon,” Bowles mentioned. “[Gutierrez-Reed] didn’t know Mr. Baldwin was going to do what he did.”
Gutierrez-Reed is the second individual to be held accountable for Hutchins’ dying. The movie’s assistant director, David Halls, made an early cope with prosecutors, pleading no contest to a misdemeanor rely of negligent dealing with of a gun. He served six months of probation.
