On Saturday, January 21, 2023 at 7:38:19 AM UTC-8, Tom Kunich wrote:
> On Saturday, January 21, 2023 at 6:46:42 AM UTC-8, Andre Jute wrote:
> > On Saturday, January 21, 2023 at 8:06:21 AM UTC, Ralph Barone wrote:
> > > John B. <sloc...@gmail.com> wrote:
> > > > On Sat, 21 Jan 2023 02:32:44 -0000 (UTC), Ralph Barone
> > > > <ra...@invalid.com> wrote:
> > > >
> > > >> John B. <sloc...@gmail.com> wrote:
> > > >>> On Thu, 19 Jan 2023 11:27:13 -0500, Catrike Rider
> > > >>> <sol...@drafting.not> wrote:
> > > >>>
> > > >>>>
> > > >>>> Alec Baldwin has been criminally charged in connection with the “Rust”
> > > >>>> shooting which left a cinematographer dead, prosecutors said Thursday.
> > > >>>>
> > > >>>> New Mexico prosecutors charged both Baldwin and armorer Hannah
> > > >>>> Gutierrez-Reed with two federal counts of involuntary manslaughter
> > > >>>> over the death of Halyna Hutchins on the “Rust” film set in October
> > > >>>> 2021, when a real bullet was loaded into a prop gun. Alec Baldwin has
> > > >>>> been criminally charged in connection with the “Rust” shooting which
> > > >>>> left a cinematographer dead, prosecutors said Thursday.
> > > >>>>
> > > >>>> After a thorough review of the evidence and the laws of the state of
> > > >>>> New Mexico, I have determined that there is sufficient evidence to
> > > >>>> file criminal charges against Alec Baldwin and other members of the
> > > >>>> ‘Rust’ film crew,” Carmack-Altwies said. On my watch, no one is above
> > > >>>> the law, and everyone deserves justice.”
> > > >>>>
> > > >>>> Assistant director David Halls, who handed Baldwin the loaded gun,
> > > >>>> accepted a misdemeanor charge in a plea deal.
> > > >>>>
> > > >>>> The long-awaited decision to charge the “30 Rock” star and three
> > > >>>> others came after a meticulous investigation revealed all bore
> > > >>>> responsibility for the shooting that killed married mom Halyna
> > > >>>> Hutchins, 42 and injured Joel Souza, 49.
> > > >>>>
> > > >>>> Each defendant will get a preliminary court hearing within 60 days to
> > > >>>> determine if there is probable cause to go to trial, prosecutors
> > > >>>> said.
> > > >>>>
> > > >>>> While Carmack-Altwies previously acknowledged Baldwin was responsible
> > > >>>> for firing the fatal round, she said “many individuals” on-set had
> > > >>>> handled the gun prior to the tragedy and could be criminally liable.
> > > >>>>
> > > >>>> During the initial investigation, detectives from the Santa Fe
> > > >>>> Sheriff’s Office said they found a mixture of dummy and live rounds
> > > >>>> scattered throughout the set, which is a violation of industry safety
> > > >>>> standards. At the time, Carmack-Altwies said determining how the live
> > > >>>> rounds got to the set “will be one of the most important factors going
> > > >>>> into a charging decision.”
> > > >>>>
> > > >>>> The crew member in charge of ammo and weapons on set, armorer Hannah
> > > >>>> Gutierrez-Reed, has repeatedly denied responsibility for the shooting.
> > > >>>> In January, she filed suit against the props company that supplied the
> > > >>>> rounds, alleging they sold blanks and lives mixed together.
> > > >>>>
> > > >>>> At the time of the shooting, Baldwin was sitting on a pew in a mock
> > > >>>> church at the Bonanza Creek Ranch rehearsing a cross draw as Hutchins
> > > >>>> and Souza stood behind the camera.
> > > >>>>
> > > >>>> As he rehearsed, he pulled out the gun, pointed it directly at the
> > > >>>> camera and fired a single bullet that struck both Hutchins and Souza.
> > > >>>>
> > > >>>> The Emmy winner has repeatedly denied pulling the trigger, saying the
> > > >>>> gun went off accidentally, but an FBI forensic report released in
> > > >>>> August concluded the firearm couldn’t have gone off unless someone
> > > >>>> pulled the trigger.
> > > >>>>
> > > >>>> Souza told police he recalled hearing the phrase “cold gun” while
> > > >>>> preparing for the scene, indicating the firearm wasn’t loaded and was
> > > >>>> safe for use, but he couldn’t remember if the gun had been checked
> > > >>>> before it was handed to Baldwin.
> > > >>>>
> > > >>>> More at:
> > > >>>> https://nypost.com/2023/01/19/alec-baldwin-charged-in-fatal-rust-shooting-of-halyna-hutchins/
> > > >>>>
> > > >>>>
> > > >>>> If you pick up or are handed a gun, the first thing you do is check if
> > > >>>> it's loaded. If you don't know how to check, you don't touch it, or
> > > >>>> assume that it's loaded. At any rate you always handle a gun loaded or
> > > >>>> not, as if it's loaded.
> > > >>>>
> > > >>>
> > > >>> One thing I wonder about. There is a very distinct difference between
> > > >>> "blank" cartridges and "loaded" cartridges both in appearance and in
> > > >>> weight. Sufficiently that it seems very odd that anyone could mix them
> > > >>> up.
> > > >>>
> > > >>
> > > >> Actors are typically hired for their acting skills, not for their knowledge
> > > >> of munitions. While Baldwin may have pulled the trigger, set safety should
> > > >> not rely on an actor being able to differentiate a loaded cartridge from a
> > > >> blank.
> > > >
> > > > But I thought that they were complaining that the Armorer was at
> > > > fault, which I had assumed implied that she was the one that had
> > > > missed the difference between "blank" and "live" ammunition.
> > > >
> > > > But, being an actor doesn't necessarily indicate that he was ignorant
> > > > regarding firearms.
> > > Being an actor doesn’t indicate that he was ignorant regarding firearms,
> > > but if you are JUST an actor (and not the producer, as Andrew corrected me
> > > on), then you are not obligated to be a firearms expert, in which case “I
> > > didn’t know the gun was loaded” is not a best practice, but at least a
> > > plausible defence.
> > >
> > It seems to me that Baldwin was throwing his considerable weight around when he refused to return the live cartridges to the production company which previously rented that pistol. (The other production management acted cautiously and correctly, and may thereby avoid liability.) That's already a massive liability on Baldwin, which could give the production's insurance an out. It is also proof that Baldwin knew there were live bullets on the set. And that's the prosecutor's case made. "And yet, knowing there were live bullets on set, he pointed a loaded firearm at a person? I ask you, members of the jury!"
> > >
> > Andre Jute
> > Clear thinker.
> > >
> It is astonishing to me that it took so long to charge him.

I should also add that "blanks" are not actually non-firing casings, They have to go "BANG" to seem real. This means that they have a primer and a powder load in them. Then have to have sufficient power behind them to push that "bullet" clear of the barrel, or a second shot could blow the gun up in the user's hand. This is why you DON'T point a gun at anyone blanks or not. It is astonishing to me that people that know ZERO about guns would comment on them. Blanks are dangerous. If they hit you in the chest they hurt and if they hit you in the eye they could blind you. None of the actors that played quick draw cowboys knew where they were aiming so they did not aim at the other actors, They used camera angles to make it appear that they were shooting at someone.