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‘Rust’ judge weighs possibility of new trial for armorer Hannah Gutierrez

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'Rust' judge weighs possibility of new trial for armorer Hannah Gutierrez

As a seasoned cinephile with decades of film industry insights and a keen eye for legal nuances, I find myself intrigued by the ongoing saga of the “Rust” shooting case. The latest development – a potential new trial for Hannah Gutierrez – is a fascinating twist in an already complex tale.

A judge in New Mexico will consider if armorer Hannah Gutierrez, from the set of “Rust”, is entitled to a retrial due to claims that the prosecution failed to disclose crucial evidence in the firearm incident case.

Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer of New Mexico’s First Judicial Circuit Court announced on Thursday that she would make a decision next week regarding whether to grant a retrial. Additionally, she will review a request from defense attorney Jason Bowles to temporarily free Gutierrez from prison while the court reviews his motion for a retrial.

In my perspective as a movie critic, I’d say: During a lengthy hearing this Thursday morning, the presiding judge, Sommer, announced that there will be two distinct rulings – one for immediate release and another for a fresh trial. This decision was made in the presence of Bowles and special prosecutor Kari Morrissey.

In March, Gutierrez was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter for the unintentional fatal shooting incident involving “Rust” cinematographer Halyna Hutchins during filming.

Initially, authorities claimed that Gutierrez had real bullets on hand and inserted them into a stage firearm carried by actor Alec Baldwin. During a practice session, this weapon went off while Baldwin was aiming it at Hutchins, causing it to fire.

Gutierrez is currently serving an 18-month sentence in prison for her role in the shooting.

However, the situation regarding the case shifted in July. Summer dropped a felony criminal charge against Baldwin after his lawyers claimed misbehavior, such as suspected collusion between the prosecutor and Santa Fe County sheriff’s deputies to hide from defense lawyers a bag of ammunition that could have served as evidence.

Days after that ruling, Gutierrez’s attorneys filed a motion to dismiss her case as well.

During last Thursday’s hearing, Bowles stated that several pieces of evidence, such as a bag of ammunition, a report from an expert in firearms hired by the special prosecutor, and an interview with the proprietor of a company which supplied guns, blanks, and some dummy rounds for “Rust,” were not previously shared with the defense. Remarkably, it was discovered that the ammo had a distinctive marking similar to the bullets used in “Rust.

During the hearing, Bowles requested that the court make a similar decision to the one it made when it threw out Mr. Baldwin’s case.

He also asked the judge to consider removing Morrissey from the trial as special prosecutor.

As a devoted cinephile, I’d rephrase it like this: I, in disagreement with Morrissey’s stance, found his claims against Bowles questionable as they seemed to fall short of the legal threshold necessary for granting a retrial. Moreover, I firmly opposed Gutierrez’s petition for an immediate release, believing that due process needed to take its course.

During the hearing, she explained that, based on the six criteria the court uses for granting a retrial, the defense will not meet those requirements. In other words, they won’t qualify or satisfy these factors.

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2024-09-26 21:31

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