1st conviction in ‘Rust’ shooting case, as set manager takes plea deal
- Before the incident that led to the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, assistant director Dave Halls did not make sure every round in the gun was a dummy
- Halls is the only member of the cast and crew – including Alec Baldwin, who fired the weapon – to enter a plea bargain
A Santa Fe judge on Friday accepted a plea deal, bringing the first conviction for the 2021 shooting death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins during filming of the Western movie Rust in New Mexico.
Dave Halls, first assistant director on Rust, pleaded no contest as part of an agreement with prosecutors to the misdemeanour charge of negligent use of a deadly weapon for his role in Hutchins’ death.
Santa Fe District Court Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer presided over a virtual hearing in Halls’ case Friday. She sentenced Halls, who was responsible for on-set safety, to a six-month suspended sentence with unsupervised probation, a US$500 fine, 24 hours of community service and a firearms safety class.
Hutchins was killed when actor Alec Baldwin fired a live round from a revolver while rehearsing. As first assistant director, prosecutors said Halls was responsible for set safety on Rust.
The conviction marked a step forward for state prosecutors plagued by legal setbacks since they filed charges in January.