New Mexico
Alec Baldwin's manslaughter trial set to begin in New Mexico
Nearly three years after the fatal shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the New Mexico film set of “Rust,” actor Alec Baldwin is set to stand trial.
Baldwin is charged with involuntary manslaughter for his role in the deadly incident that also injured the film’s director, Joel Souza.
Jury selection for Baldwin’s criminal trial begins Tuesday. It’s unclear if the actor will take the stand to testify.
How did we get here?
Baldwin was rehearsing with a prop gun for a scene on Oct. 21, 2021, at the Bonanza Creek Ranch in Santa Fe County, New Mexico, when the gun went off, killing Hutchins and wounding director Joel Souza.
Baldwin has maintained in multiple interviews that he did not pull the trigger and that the gun misfired a bullet. Baldwin told ABC News’ George Stephanopoulos that he was taking direction from Hutchins and pulled the hammer back as far as he could without cocking it. But in 2022, results from FBI testing of the .45-caliber Colt prop revolver stated that the gun would not have gone off without the trigger having been pulled.
Just last month, Baldwin’s attorneys asked the judge to throw out the case, saying the firearm was badly damaged during forensic testing at the FBI lab, but the motion was denied.
Twists and turns
Baldwin was initially charged with involuntary manslaughter and a firearm enhancement charge. But the firearm enhancement charge was eventually dropped. It reduced his potential prison sentence by five years.
In March 2023, special prosecutor Andrea Reed stepped down after it was determined that she could not oversee the case because, as a member of the New Mexico House of Representatives, she was disqualified under state law. But it didn’t stop there. Santa Fe District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies resigned from the case and appointed special prosecutors Kari T. Morrissey and Jason Lewis.
The following month, the charges against Baldwin were dismissed, with the prosecutors citing “new facts in the case.” “We therefore will be dismissing the involuntary manslaughter charges against Mr. Baldwin to conduct further investigation,” prosecutors said in a statement at the time. “This decision does not absolve Mr. Baldwin of criminal culpability and charges may be refiled.”
Over the course of the next several months, Morrissey and Lewis continued to examine evidence and interview witnesses. In October 2023, two sources told NBC News that Baldwin and the special prosecutors had discussed taking a plea deal but that it was rescinded, and that the prosecutors intended to bring Baldwin’s case before a grand jury. Three months later, Baldwin was indicted by a New Mexico grand jury on one count of involuntary manslaughter.
Baldwin’s attorneys Luke Nikas and Alex Spiro said in response: “We look forward to our day in court.”
Following the actor’s indictment in January, SAG-AFTRA, the union representing over 150,000 actors, issued a statement slamming the prosecutors’ decision to re-charge him.
The armorer sentenced to jail
At the time of Baldwin’s initial charges, the film’s armorer, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, who was responsible for overseeing the weapons on set, was also charged with involuntary manslaughter and tampering with evidence. She was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter in April and is currently serving an 18-month jail sentence.
Gutierrez-Reed was called upon to testify in Baldwin’s upcoming trial but she asserted her Fifth Amendment right not to answer any questions pertaining to Baldwin during her pretrial interview in May. In June, the judge ruled that Gutierrez-Reed would not have to testify.
Meanwhile, Dave Halls, the assistant director on set who pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor charge of negligent use of a deadly weapon and was sentenced to six months of unsupervised probation, is expected to take the stand. In interviews, Baldwin maintained that Halls declared the gun “cold,” meaning it had no live ammunition before it was handed to Baldwin.
But the prosecutors accused Baldwin of offering contradictory versions of events to law enforcement and in the media about whether he pulled the trigger and whether he was taking direction from Hutchins.
“In sum, every time Mr. Baldwin spoke, a different version of events emerged from his mouth,” said a court filing this spring from the special prosecutors.
Baldwin’s trial is expected to last about two weeks.
New Mexico
Eastern New Mexico volleyball falls to 0-4 in conference play after loss to Angelo State
PORTALES, N.M. (KFDA) – The Eastern New Mexico Greyhounds volleyball team was not able to get their first conference win, falling to No. 14-ranked Angelo State on Saturday in Portales on Homecoming.
The Greyhounds got some life after winning the first set (25-23), which is the first set they’ve won in their last three games.
That momentum wouldn’t hold, as the Rambelles took the last three sets (22-25, 15-25, 13-25) to end the day.
Evelyn Torres from Angelo State finished with 15 kills and 20 digs in the match.
The senior from Hereford high school, Darcy Dodd, was the only Greyhound with 10 or more kills and tied for fourth for the most digs on the team.
ENMU will be on the road in Oklahoma for their next match against Cameron on Wednesday.
Following this loss, they now sit at 3-11 on the year and are 16th in the Lone Star Conference.
Copyright 2024 KFDA. All rights reserved.
New Mexico
Curry to renegotiate events center contract
Curry County will renegotiate its contract with the company managing the Curry County Events Center. But it won’t attempt to terminate the agreement as commissioners discussed last month.
At Tuesday’s meeting, Commissioner Seth Martin said he’s still not happy the Oak View Group 360 exceeded its budget for the last fiscal year.
“If it were up to me, I would escort y’all off the property and have Curry County take over,” Martin said. He said commissioners and administrators were “led to believe” the management group was under budget until a final report was delivered on Sept. 24.
Officials said OVG 360 exceeded its budget by about $180,000. The Events Center operated at a loss of $858,000 for the year, though most of that was expected.
Martin asked County Attorney Dan Macke to look into whether OVG 360 breached its contract with the county by exceeding its budget.
“But the important thing,” said Commissioner Robert Thornton, “is we instructed (county) management to re-negotiate our contract with OVG 360.
“If we were to just end the contract we would have to give them 30 days notice, they would have 30 days to correct the problem and then we’d have to give them 90 days notice of termination. And their contract ends Jan. 1,” Thornton said.
One thing commissioners, county administrators and OVG representatives seemed to agree on: the Events Center is more an equestrian center than a concert venue.
“The Events Center was built as an equestrian deal,” Thornton said after the meeting.
Rebecca Bolton and Kevin Ortiz, administrators from OVG 360, appeared before commissioners with plans the company has to rectify the problematic financial issues. And Bolton said the company’s equestrian and rodeo events professional will be brought in to work with events center General Manager K. C. Messick.
Ortiz told commissioners, “K. C. is severely understaffed.”
Martin reiterated he was interested in cutting losses.
“I’m not trying to make this facility make money. It won’t. I would like to see us work together,” Martin said of OVG 360 and the county government.
“We are partners and stewards,” said Bolton.
Some commissioners expressed support for Messick.
“I believe K.C. was blamed for things he didn’t do,” Commissioner Dusty Leatherwood said.
“K.C. works his tail off there. And I don’t dislike OVG 360,” Commissioner Brad Bender said.
“K.C. cares about this place,” Thornton said.
“I think we can do better. I think K.C. can do better,” Leatherwood added.
Much of the Commission’s other business at Tuesday’s specially called meeting dealt with more routine matters:
n In a proclamation, commissioners declared Thursday as “Blue Day” in Curry County celebrating Zia Elementary School being named as a “National Blue Ribbon School.”
As a “Blue Day,” area residents are encouraged to wear blue that day.
• Commissioners unanimously passed a resolution of support for the General Obligation Bond 3 on the Nov. 5 ballot, which contains $2 million for Clovis Community College if voters approve the measure.
New Mexico
In New Mexico, veterans deserve access to continuing education
As the Director of New Mexico State University’s Military and Veterans Programs, I’ve worked with many veterans who have chosen to further their education. It’s been both a privilege and a challenge to hear their stories — how they’ve navigated the transition from military service to civilian life and how they’re working to build a better future for themselves and their families through higher education. I appreciate the sacrifice of everyone who has served and I am proud to work every day to honor this sacrifice and make NMSU one of the most veteran-friendly campuses in the nation.
Unfortunately, one of the most common hurdles these student veterans face is financing their education. With the rising cost of a college education, it has become more difficult for veterans to pay for books, supplies, and other essential materials.
I recently had the pleasure of discussing these challenges with Congressman Gabe Vasquez during his visit to NMSU to speak with student veterans and administrators. Congressman Vasquez has shown a deep commitment to supporting our veterans, understanding their unique needs, and advocating for meaningful change.
It was clear from our conversations that he is genuinely dedicated to uplifting New Mexico’s veterans and backing up his words with action. Recently, Congressman Vasquez introduced the Veteran Education Assistance Adjustment Act, a bill designed to ease the financial burden on veterans pursuing continued education.
Like most Americans, every dollar counts for our veterans, especially regarding education. Currently, the stipend for veterans to spend on books and other supplies is $1,000 — a figure that has not been adjusted since 2008. In today’s world, $1,000 does not stretch nearly as far as it once did. Congressman Vasquez’s bill proposes raising this stipend to $1,400, which will adjust based on inflation and provide the funding necessary so our veterans can focus on their education. The bill also ensures that this amount will continue to increase with inflation, guaranteeing that veterans have the support required each year.
During his visit, Congressman Vasquez took the time to meet with both student veterans and university leadership, including myself, in a roundtable discussion. We were able to share our experiences, challenges and hopes for the future. It was clear that Rep. Vasquez was not just there to listen — he was there to understand.
Congressman Vasquez’s proposed stipend increase reflects his understanding of veterans’ challenges. It is not just about the immediate increase but the message it sends: that he values our veterans and is committed to investing in their future. I’m grateful to Congressman Vasquez for his visit to NMSU and hope he will continue his vital work in Congress to uplift New Mexico’s nearly 140,000 veterans.
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