Alec Baldwin to face civil trial over ‘Rust’ shooting as legal battle continues

A Los ngeles judge has ruled that a lawsuit filed by a crew member will proceed to trial in October, allowing a jury to consider claims that Baldwin acted negligently during the on-set shooting in 2021.

The case was brought by Serge Svetnoy, a gaffer on the film, who alleges that he suffered emotional distress as a result of the incident. The lawsuit names both Baldwin and the film’s production company, arguing that safety failures contributed to the tragedy.

The ruling comes months after a separate criminal case against Baldwin was dismissed. Prosecutors had charged the actor with involuntary manslaughter in connection with the shooting, but a judge threw out the case after determining that key evidence had not been properly disclosed to the defense.

Baldwin has consistently denied wrongdoing. He has said he did not know the firearm he was handed contained live ammunition and has also maintained that he did not pull the trigger.

The fatal incident occurred on October 21, 2021, when cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was killed during a rehearsal. Director Joel Souza was also injured but later recovered.

Baldwin and the Rust team had argued that they were not responsible for the on-set shooting, but Judge Leiter was unmoved by their arguments in his decision.