A judge on Friday denied a motion from Alec Baldwin’s attorneys to pause a lawsuit brought by the chief lighting technician for the film “Rust” against the actor and crew members. The judge also dismissed the lawsuit on two crew members.
In court documents filed with Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Maurice A. Leiter, Baldwin’s attorneys expressed their client’s desire to avoid any further criminal allegations before the civil case brought by plaintiff Serge Svetnoy moves forward.
Previously, Baldwin and the film’s armorer, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, were charged with two counts of involuntary manslaughter in the shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins. However, these charges were later dropped, but with the possibility of being refiled. The investigation into the incident is ongoing.
Despite this, Judge Leiter determined that a stay was not advisable or appropriate at this time. He noted that there are currently no pending criminal charges against Baldwin and that the defense did not provide any information about the status or timeline of the investigation.
This ruling is “without prejudice,” meaning the motion can be reconsidered if circumstances change.
In their court papers, Baldwin’s lawyers argued that if Svetnoy’s case proceeds, Baldwin will be forced to choose between potentially incriminating himself or losing the case by remaining silent to assert his constitutional rights.
Svetnoy’s original lawsuit claimed that the fatal shooting on the film set was a result of negligence by multiple defendants. In an amended complaint, he added claims of assault and intentional infliction of emotional distress against Baldwin specifically.
In his amended suit, Svetnoy alleges that Baldwin acted in willful disregard of New Mexico laws when he handled the loaded Colt revolver, causing the bullet to pass by him. He claims to have suffered physical injury and extreme emotional distress as a result of Baldwin’s actions, which he states were done with utter disregard for his safety.
Svetnoy was among the first “Rust” crew members to publicly discuss the shooting that killed Halyna Hutchins. He criticized Gutierrez-Reed and assistant director David Halls for failing to properly check the weapon before handing it to Baldwin.
Additionally, Judge Leiter quashed the summons and complaint on Gutierrez-Reed and prop master Sarah Zachry, ruling that a California court does not have jurisdiction over them since Gutierrez-Reed resides in Arizona and Zachry in New Mexico.
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