Defense Wants Charges Against Alec Baldwin Dismissed in ‘Rust’ Case

Alec Baldwin’s team is fighting to have the charges against him dismissed, “Extra” has learned.

While several media outlets are speculating about a plea deal, Alec’s legal team is arguing to have the case dismissed after the prosecution allegedly withheld key evidence.

In the meantime, jurors were sent home until Monday.

Baldwin’s trial began this week, as he faces a felony involuntary manslaughter charge in the 2021 shooting death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of “Rust” in New Mexico.

If convicted, Alec could be facing 18 months in prison.

As the trial got underway, lawyers presented their opening arguments on Wednesday. Prosecutor Erlinda Johnson was able to present first, showing the gun that was fired that fateful day and claiming that Alec “violated the cardinal rules of firearm safety.”

Johnson told the courtroom, “When someone plays make-believe with a real gun in a real-life workplace, and while playing make-believe with that gun violates the cardinal rules of firearm safety, people’s lives are endangered and someone could be killed. The evidence will show that someone who played make-believe with a real gun and violated the cardinal rules of firearm safety is the defendant, Alexander Baldwin.”

Baldwin’s lawyer answered back, arguing the evidence will show that “real bullets are never supposed to be on movie sets.”

They said the death of Hutchins was an “unspeakable tragedy” but that Baldwin committed no crime.

The defense put the blame on the film’s armorer and the first assistant director, saying, “This was an unspeakable tragedy, but Alec Baldwin committed no crime. He was an actor, acting, playing the role of Harlan Rust. An actor playing a character can do things that are lethal. These ‘cardinal rules’ are not cardinal rules on a movie set.”

Baldwin, who entered a not guilty plea, previously told George Stephanopoulos, in his only sit-down interview, “Someone is responsible for what happened and I can’t say who that is, but I know it’s not me.”

In March, “Rust” armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter in the death of Hutchins.