Daytime Soap Operas: The Doctors

BEST ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES
Caitriona Balfe – Outlander (Starz)
Kathy Bates – Matlock (CBS)
Shanola Hampton – Found (NBC)
Keira Knightley – Black Doves (Netflix)
Keri Russell – The Diplomat (Netflix)
Anna Sawai – Shogun (FX / Hulu)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES
Moeka Hoshi – Shogun (FX / Hulu)
Allison Janney – The Diplomat (Netflix)
Nicole Kidman – Special Ops: Lioness (Paramount+)
Skye P. Marshall – Matlock (CBS)
Anna Sawai – Pachinko (Apple TV+)
Fiona Shaw – Bad Sisters (Apple TV+)

BEST ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES
Kristen Bell – Nobody Wants This (Netflix)
Quinta Brunson – Abbott Elementary (ABC)
Natasia Demetriou – What We Do in the Shadows (FX)
Bridget Everett – Somebody Somewhere (HBO | Max)
Jean Smart – Hacks (HBO | Max)
Kristen Wiig – Palm Royale (Apple TV+).

Ted Danson To Receive Carol Burnett Award At 2025 Golden Globes

Danson, an Emmy and Golden Globe winner, will receive the award, along with 2025 Cecil B. DeMille Award winner, Viola Davis, at a gala dinner on Friday, Jan. 3 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel, marking the first time that the Golden Globes will host a special evening dedicated to the two awards.

Danson will also be recognized during the Jan. 5 Globes awards ceremony. Nominations will be announced on Dec. 9.

“Ted Danson has entertained audiences for decades with his iconic performances that will forever be ingrained in television history,” said Helen Hoehne, President of the Golden Globes. “His renowned career is a testament to his remarkable talent and versatility as an actor and bears resemblance to the award’s legendary namesake. It is an honor to present him with the 2025 Carol Burnett Award to celebrate the tremendous impact he has made and continues to make in television.”

Danson is a three-time Golden Globe nominee and three-time winner, earning Golden Globes for Best Performance by an Actor in a Limited Series, Anthology Series, or a Motion Picture Made for Television in the film, Something About Amelia, in 1985, and Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series – Musical or Comedy in the hit sitcom Cheers, in 1990 and 1991.

Danson is known for his role of Boston bartender Sam Malone on NBC’s Cheers, which ran for 11 seasons and won four Emmys as Best Comedy Series. More recently, Danson can be seen playing himself in the HBO comedy Curb Your Enthusiasm, which just concluded its 12th and final season. Danson also starred NBC comedy The Good Place, for which he was nominated for his 14th Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor.

Danson currently stars in Mike Schur’s Netflix series A Man on the Inside, based on the 2020 documentary feature The Mole Agent. His other TV credits include Mr. Mayor, Fargo, Curb Your Enthusiasm and CSI, and on film he was seen in Hearts Beat Loud, Three Men and a Baby and its sequel, and Saving Private Ryan, among others.

The Carol Burnett Award was created in 2019, with Burnett herself as the first recipient. It’s given based on the recipient’s body of work and the lasting impact of their television career achievements on both the industry and audiences. Past recipients include Norman Lear, Ryan Murphy and Ellen DeGeneres.

Alec Baldwin Could Be Back In Court Soon Over Fatal ‘Rust’ Shooting Thanks To New Appeal Effort By Prosecutor

“The State of New Mexico, by and through Special Prosecutor, Kari T. Morrissey, appeals to the New Mexico Court of Appeals from the Court’s Order Granting Defendant Alec Baldwin’s Expedited Motion for Dismissal and Sanctions …filed on July 31, 2024 and from the Court’s Order Denying State’s Amended Motion to Reconsider Dismissal with Prejudice filed on October 24, 2024, copies of which are attached hereto,” declares a one-page notice from Morrissey filed on November 21 and made public this morning.

While this may be another Hail Mary by Morrissey after repeated rebuffs by Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer since dismissing the involuntary manslaughter case against the 30 Rock star just a few days into his July trial because of evidence suppression, it also once again finds Baldwin under a judicial Sword of Damocles.

Hutchins was killed, and director Souza was injured, on October 21, 2021 after the Colt .45 Baldwin was pointing at the cinematographer fired off a live round during a rehearsal on Rust. In cases and tragic circumstances that had more twists and turns than the Rust script itself, both Baldwin and still incarcerated Rust armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed were charged with involuntary manslaughter.

In Baldwin’s case, he saw the initial 2023 charges dropped under clouds of incompetence from local DA Mary Carmack-Altwies’s office. The case was refiled in early 2024 as Morrissey and her then co-Special Prosecutor took control of the matter.

Set to star in a TLC reality series of his own with his wife Hilaria and seven young children, Baldwin has always insisted he did not pull the trigger and the gun discharged on its own, had faced up to 18 months in state prison if found guilty. The FBI, an independent analysis and the man who actually made the gun all disagreed with Baldwin’s assertion.

Now, even as an eventually finished Rust made its debut at Poland’s Camerimage Film Festival last week, Baldwin still faces nearly a dozen civil suits over the Rust shooting and Hutchins’ death.

Oddly, with the appeal notice lodged last week, Baldwin has been talking to press at some length about the case, the trial and the resurrection of the Joel Souza-directed film with what can be assumed, the knowledge he may find himself in legal jeopardy once again over what went down over three years ago at the Bonanza Creek Ranch set of Rust.

Potentially compounding that is the not very well disguised mocking of Morrissey that Baldwin and his NYC defense team have engaged in over the distinguished and dogged Albuquerque, New Mexico lawyer before the actor’s trial and over the various legal machinations in the months since it was tossed out by a clearly annoyed Judge Sommer.

Representatives for Baldwin’s team had no comment on this latest appeal effort when contacted by Deadline. If they do have something to say, this post will be updated.

With that, having batted away several attempts by Morrissey to resurrect the case, Baldwin’s Alex Spiro and Luke Nikas-led defense will likely do the same here.

The often-surgical NYC-based attorneys will likely cite Judge Sommer’s past rulings as recently as last month on the shortcomings of renewed deliberations and shutting down refiling moves by the Special Prosecutor. Morrissey, for her part, will need to file more substantial paperwork with the New Mexico Court of Appeal laying out the grounds for said appeal and issues to be both addressed and resolved.

Never less than respectful of Judge Sommer, Morrissey has made it pretty clear the past several months that she thinks the defense played a fast one on the judge with the suppressed evidence claims. Not having proved a winning strategy so far for Morrissey, she may still be trying to make that argument with this new appeal.

Still trying to get her own case dismissed or reassessed, Gutierrez-Reed was sentenced to 18 months in a state prison in April after being found guilty in her own jury trial before Judge Sommer.

Over the years since Hutchins’ death, a range of theories from sabotage to stray ammunition coming from her father and seasoned Hollywood gun coach Thell Reed have been suggested by defense lawyers, various prosecutors, district attorneys and more. Yet, despite the trials, the investigations and more, there’s never really been a full and solid explanation for how several live rounds got onto the already troubled Rust set nor how one of those rounds got in the gun Baldwin was holding.

Talk Show Appearance

Tuesday, Nov. 19 – TED DANSON sits down with Kelly and Mark to talk about his series “A Man on the Inside”

Julia Duffy & Ryan Hansen Return in ‘Night Court’ Season 3 Premiere Photos

The photos also reveal that Julia Duffy will return as Susan in the first episode, reprising her role from the Season 2 finale (she was one of the many guest stars at Roz’s courtroom wedding). Duffy and Rauch are pictured above. In the image, Abby is visiting Susan in a hospital room, flowers in hand. Below, Malick is looking mischievous in Abby’s office and Dan looks none too pleased.

Night Court Season 3 Episode is titled “The Judge’s Boyfriend’s Dad.” Could that title, plus the photos of Abby standing close with former fling Jake, mean that they’ve officially become a couple in the new episodes?

The Night Court reboot stars Rauch as the Manhattan night court judge, a position her father — Night Court OG Judge Harry Stone (played by the late Harry Anderson) — once held. She convinced Dan to return as a defense lawyer in her courtroom after the death of his wife, and Malick’s Julianne has recurred as a spicy love interest for Dan since Season 2. Now, Malick has been bumped up to series regular for the third season, and she’ll be an adversary for Abby and Dan as the replacement prosecutor for India de Beaufort‘s Olivia (de Beaufort won’t be back this season).

“They both must contend with Julianne Walters (Wendie Malick), a reformed convict and former love interest of Dan, who is the new prosecutor,” the Season 3 description reads. “A sophisticated, savvy woman and accomplished attorney who also knows how to make a shank out of a spoon, she’ll keep everyone in the courthouse on their toes.”

Lacretta returns as the lovable and sharp-witted bailiff, Donna “Gurgs” Gurganous, a woman who takes her job very seriously and is fiercely protective of her night court colleagues. Nyambi Nyambi will also be back as Wyatt Shaw, the court’s clerk. He’s a jack of all trades and devoted single dad trying to make it all work as a law student at the same time.

Both versions of Night Court adopted a revolving door policy for its guest stars, which means that any guest appearances from any episode could always come back again (unless, of course, the character was killed off, but that hasn’t happened in the reboot so far). That means series OG Marsha Warfield, Melissa Fumero, Kunal Nayyar, Rhys Darby, Richard Kind, Faith Ford, and more could all be back in future episodes. For now, see the stars of Night Court in the new photos from Season 3.

Nicholas Pryor Dies: Soap Veteran & ‘Risky Business’ Actor Who Recurred On ‘Beverly Hills, 90210’ Was 89

Fellow actor Jon Lindstrom announced the news on social media, saying in part: “Nick was an Actor’s actor, and an exceptional friend. … He was a mentor, a sounding board, a trusted confidant, and even a father-figure beyond, yes, playing my own father on #GH and #PortCharles.” See his full post below.

Pryor racked up nearly 175 screen credits and half-dozen more on Broadway. After getting his screen start guesting on such 1950s and early ’60s TV series as Alfred Hitchcock Presents and The Doctors, he played Tom Baxter in more than 75 episodes of the NBC daytime drama Another World. That led to a starring role on The Nurses, a 1965-67 continuation of CBS’ The Nurses, which had ended in 1965.

He then was cast in a starring role on the first season of CBS sudser Love Is a Many Splendored Thing and later had guest shots daytime soaps All My Children and The Edge of Night.

Pryor did some big-screen work in the mid-1970s including car-race romp The Gumball Rally along with TV miniseries at the height of their heyday, including The Adams Chronicles and Washington: Behind Closed Doors. He had a small but memorable role in the 1980 comedy classic Airplane! as Mr. Hammen, a soon-repentant eater of the fish plate, complete with airsickness bag and amplified hurling sound effect.

By the early ’80s, Pryor was a regular TV guest star, appearing on such popular shows as M*A*S*H, Eight Is Enough, Little House on the Prairie, Silver Spoons, Falcon Crest, St. Elsewhere, Knight Rider Moonlighting and Who’s the Boss?

His first regular TV role came in NBC’s drama The Bronx Zoo, starring as a decent but often insufferable high school vice principal opposite his boss, Ed Asner, whose job he coveted. It lasted one season in 1987-88.

During that decade, Pryor continued to land film roles, including as Cruise’s dad in the future A-lister’s breakout 1983 pic Risky Business and in The Falcon and the Snowman, starring Timothy Hutton and Sean Penn.

Pryor continued to work steadily in film and TV during the 1990s, landing a recurring role as Chancellor Milton Arnold on Fox’s primetime hit Beverly Hills, 90210. He appeared in more than two dozen episodes from 1994-97. He also guested on many hit shows that decade, including Growing Pains; L.A. Law; Matlock; Chicago Hope; Doctor Quinn, Medicine Woman; The Practice; Silk Stalkings; Diagnosis Murder; Party of Five; and Murder, She Wrote, among others.

In 1997, he was cast as Victor Collins on ABC’s General Hospital spinoff Port Charles — a role he would play in nearly 350 episodes through 2002.

After the turn of the century, Pryor appeared in guest roles on series such as NYPD Blue, That’s Life, Strong Medicine, Without a Trace, October Road, Hart of Dixie and Nashville. His final screen roles came in 2021, with Marvel’s Disney+ series The Falcon and the Winter Soldier and the big-screen sequel Halloween Kills.

Pryor also appeared in several Broadway productions, including 1950s plays The Egghead, Love Me Little, The Highest Tree and Howie and later the ’70s shows That Championship Season and Thieves.

Alec Baldwin Western ‘Rust’ To Debut At Poland’s Camerimage Film Festival

Alongside a debut screening, Camerimage will also hold a panel discussion with the film’s director Joel Souza, cinematographer Bianca Cline, and Hutchins’ longtime mentor Stephen Lighthill.

The panel will follow the screening. Festival organizers have said the filmmakers will discuss events surrounding the film and how the continued production with Cline after Hutchins’ death. Organizers have said the group will also discuss the role of women in cinematography and safety on film sets.

A native of neighboring Ukraine, Hutchins is said to have lobbied Souza early during the film’s production to screen the project in Poland at Camerimage — a festival that honors international cinematographers. The festival’s 2021 edition fell just weeks after Hutchins’ death.

“During the festival, we honored Halyna’s memory with a moment of silence and a panel of cinematographers discussed safety on set,” Camerimage festival director Marek Zydowicz said in a statement this morning. “Now, once again, together with cinematographers and film enthusiasts, we will have this special opportunity to remember her.”

It’s currently unclear if Baldwin will attend the debut screening. The actor was cleared of involuntary manslaughter in August after a court ruled that key evidence was mishandled. The film’s armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed is currently serving an 18-month prison sentence for involuntary manslaughter.

Hutchins was killed and Souza was injured on October 21, 2021 after the Colt .45 gun Baldwin was pointing at the cinematographer fired off a live round during a rehearsal at the Bonanza Creek Ranch near Santa Fe, New Mexico, where the indie Western was filming. Baldwin, who always insisted he did not pull the trigger and the gun discharged on its own, had faced up to 18 months in state prison if found guilty. The shooting and it’s fallout remain a hot button topic among cinematographers and other below-the-line industry workers.

The film tells the story of a 13-year-old boy who, left to fend for himself and his younger brother following their parents’ deaths in 1880s Wyoming, goes on the run with his long-estranged grandfather after he’s sentenced to hang for the accidental killing of a local rancher.

Kathy Bates debuts as Matlock 10/17/24

Kathy Bates Says She Will Retire After CBS’ ‘Matlock’: “This Is My Last Dance”

“This is my last dance,” she told the New York Times simply in a new interview published Sunday.

In fact, Bates revealed that she was ready to retire earlier, after a film shoot had soured for her (she did not specify the production) late last year. However, in January 2024, her agents sent her the script for the procedural, the premise of which — a reimagining on the classic legal TV drama, featuring a septuagenarian righting wrongs — intrigued the actress as a person who has faced injustice earlier in her career, she said.

“Everything I’ve prayed for, worked for, clawed my way up for, I am suddenly able to be asked to use all of it,” she said of the series. “And it’s exhausting.”

Bates is most known for her Academy Award-winning role as Annie Wilkes in 1990’s Misery, about a violent hermit who kidnaps a famous novelist. Later on, she had arcs on television shows like Six Feet Under, The Office, Two and a Half Men and American Horror Story: Coven. She won Emmys for Outstanding Guest Actress and Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or Movie for the latter two projects. She also starred in Netflix’s two-season-long 2017 sitcom Disjointed, which follows a medical dispensary’s owner. Her latest turns were in Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret and Netflix’s A Family Affair, opposite Nicole Kidman.

With an 18-episode order, Matlock is anything but restful. The remake of the late ’80s original (which starred Andy Griffith) follows a brilliant attorney’s return to a prestigious law firm after having achieved success in her younger years. It will also feature Jason Ritter, Skye P. Marshall and Beau Bridges. It hails from showrunner Jennie Snyder Urman.

“It becomes my life,” Bates said of the all-consuming nature of acting. “Sometimes I get jealous of having this talent. Because I can’t hold it back, and I just want my life.”

‘Rust’ Judge Rips Prosecutors After Alec Baldwin Case Dismissal, Cites “Fundamental Unfairness” & “Misconduct”

In a ruling Wednesday, District Court Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer noted a number of missteps in the state’s case against Rust star and producer Alec Baldwin and earlier the film’s armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed over the October 2021 on-set shooting death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and wounding of director Joel Souza. Sommer’s 21-page ruling said dismissal was her only option because anything else “would not cure the fundamental unfairness that the State’s misconduct, and its reverberations in trial, had infused into the proceeding.”

Erlinda Johnson and Kari Morrisey were the special prosecutors assigned to the Rust case.

Sommer dismissed the voluntary manslaughter case against Baldwin on July 12 — three days after the closely watched trial began — but Gutierrez-Reed remains incarcerated after her conviction in March. She now plans to appeal the voluntary manslaughter conviction and 18-month prison sentence. Gutierrez-Reed was found not guilty of a jury-tampering charge.

On October 21, 2021, a customized Colt .45 was handed to Baldwin inside the church set on Bonanza Creek Ranch just outside Santa Fe by Rust assistant director David Halls. Halls allegedly declared the weapon was a “cold gun,” aka checked to be safe. Halls later testified he had not checked it properly after taking it off Gutierrez-Reed, who was outside the location. The handing off of the gun was 12 days into filming on the low-budget film based on a story conceived by director Joel Souza and Baldwin, who was both the star and a co-producer on the movie.

In a shootout-scene rehearsal, Baldwin was pointing the 1880s-era gun at the camera when it suddenly fired. A live round discharged from the gun, going through Hutchins and injuring Souza. He recovered in a fairly short time, but the Ukraine-born Hutchins was pronounced dead several hours later. She was 42.

Then-District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies took three months to charge Baldwin and Gutierrez-Reed in January 2023. The Baldwin case quickly fell apart due to incompetence, unconstitutional charges and a politically compromised special prosecutor, and new special prosecutors were brought aboard and the DA moved off the case.

Morrisey and then-fellow special prosecutor Jason Lewis dropped the charges against Baldwin in the spring of 2023 but made it clear they would probably be recharging him. Amid a number of civil cases in California and New Mexico filed against Baldwin and Rust producers, a new grand jury was empaneled in New Mexico in late 2023, and a new indictment was handed down against Baldwin on January 19, 2024..

Alec Baldwin Gives First Statement On ‘Rust’ Case Dismissal

“There are too many people who have supported me to thank just now,” the actor wrote around 12:30 p.m. alongside a photo of himself in the Santa Fe courtroom.

“To all of you, you will never know how much I appreciate your kindness toward my family,” he added.

Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer ruled on Friday that the charges against Baldwin related to Halyna Hutchins’ death should be dropped.

The court also determined that Baldwin could not be recharged in the case, ending the criminal proceedings against him.

Responses to the Baldwin post came from former CNN host Don Lemon, comedian Amy Sedaris, and Oscar-winner Anthony Hopkins.

‘As the World Turns’ Star Elizabeth Hubbard’s Connecticut Home Has Hit the Market for $1.45 Million

Built in 1969, the Emmy award-winning actress purchased the home in 1990 and lived there until her death in April 2023 at the age of 89. After she passed, the home was left to her son, Jeremy Bennett, who has decided to sell it.

Bennett is fond of house as he spent a lot of time with his mother there, but now feels it’s time to sell, said listing agent Jill Sloane of Brown Harris Stevens. Bennett was not available for comment.

Sitting on 2.1 acres, the 4,572 square-foot home includes four bedrooms, three bathrooms, a sauna, a large deck, an infinity pool, a large recreational room with access to the pool and a detached two-car garage. The home was listed on Monday.

Hubbard was a big gardener. The landscape of the property includes Hubbard’s beloved gardens which were featured in Litchfield County garden tours, according to Sloane.

The property also includes a studio designed by Haver and Skolnick Architects in 2005 that works as a multifunctional space to host, practice yoga or pilates or turn into a craft or art space.

The studio was previously a detached two-car garage, which they transformed, adding a new two-car garage onto the property in 2005.

Hubbard carried out a number of other renovations. She added the sauna, the entire lower level, added a custom fireplace and more, according to Sloane. All of those renovations are still intact.

“The living room has a fireplace that was custom made by Elizabeth MacDonald, a local Connecticut artist,” Sloane said. “When you walk in it’s like an art piece.”

In the gourmet kitchen, the floor tiles were imported from Spain. “They are definitely a little different, very funky and cool,” said Sloane.

Adding a lot of character to the home, custom bookshelves line the living room walls and the staircase leading to the lower level.

The primary bathroom includes green and white tiled floors, a soaking tub and multiple windows overlooking the greenery outdoors.

The home is located in central Roxbury and within walking distance to the center of town, including the bank, post office, market, library, hiking trails and tennis courts, according to Brown Harris Stevens.

Born in New York City, Hubbard starred on the hit Soap Opera “As the World Turns,” in 1984 until the show’s last episode on September 17, 2010. Hubbard is also known for her work on the NBC show “The Doctors,” movies such as “I Never Sang for My Father,” and appeared in multiple Broadway shows.>

Halyna Hutchins’ Widower Vows To Take Alec Baldwin Back To Court Over Fatal Shooting Of ‘Rust’ Cinematographer

Almost two years after Baldwin and Rust producers reached a settlement with the Hutchins estate and her grieving husband to end a wrongful-death suit, the lawyer for Matthew Hutchins on Friday made it clear that circumstances have changed.

“We respect the court’s decision,” Brian J. Parish told Deadline of the criminal case tossed out earlier today in New Mexico. “We look forward to presenting all the evidence to a jury and holding Mr. Baldwin accountable for his actions in the senseless death of Halyna Hutchins,” the Panish | Shea | Ravipudi LLP attorney added of the civil matter he is working on, again.

Whether that court appearance will be a continuation of the initial wrongful-death action filed in February 2022 or a breach of agreement suit is unclear right now, I hear.

Hutchins was killed and Rust director Joel Souza was injured on October 21, 2021 after the Colt .45 Baldwin was pointing at the cinematographer shot off a live round during a rehearsal for a scene of the indie Western at the Bonanza Creek Ranch near Santa Fe. Re-charged with involuntary manslaughter in January — exactly a year after he was charged the first time and after a plea deal fell apart — Baldwin entered a not guilty plea in the weeks afterward.

Looking at up to 18 months in state prison if found guilty, Baldwin has always insisted that while he cocked the hammer, he did not pull the trigger and the gun somehow went off on its own. The FBI and others disagreed, but that may be moot now: Three days into his criminal trial, Baldwin saw all the charges dismissed with prejudice by New Mexico Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer over critical evidence that had been supposedly concealed.

Still, with agreed-upon funds due to the Hutchins estate having not been paid by the Rust team as scheduled, and now months and months behind, this could get messy for Baldwin again, sources tell me. As it is, the original 2022 wrongful death suit is actually still open in the New Mexico courts as various defendants and insurance companies continue to bicker in the docket.

Two and a half years ago, as Santa Fe law enforcement was in the early stages of what ended up being a pretty bungled investigation, Parish’s suit for Matthew Hutchins and the couple’s young son was strictly focused on the corners seemingly cut and the risks taken on the $7 million indie Western.

“Defendant Baldwin, the Producers, and the Rust Production Companies were aware of firearms safety issues that had occurred on the set of Rust and did not take action to correct the situation and ensure that basic gun safety rules were followed on October 21, 2021,” the filing in New Mexico state court said. “Had Defendant Baldwin, the Producers, and the Rust Production Companies taken adequate precautions to ensure firearm safety on the set of Rust or if basic firearm safety rules had been followed on the set of Rust on October 21, 2021, Halyna Hutchins would be alive and well, hugging her husband and nine-year old son.”

At the time, Albuquerque-based attorney and co-counsel Randi McGinn estimate a trial for unnamed compensation wouldn’t occur for another “year and a half.” Actually it all seemed to be solved within a few months as the parties announced a settlement in October 2022.

That deal would see money paid to the estate, a documentary on Hutchins, and the restart of production on Rust, with Matthew Hutchins’ blessing. Under the settlement, the Hutchins’ now 11-year-old son would see a portion of the payouts made available to him in installments between his 18th and 22nd birthdays, court documents detailed.

“I have no interest in engaging in recriminations or attribution of blame (to the producers or Mr. Baldwin),” Hutchins said in a statement at the time. “All of us believe Halyna’s death was a terrible accident. I am grateful that the producers and the entertainment community have come together to pay tribute to Halyna’s final work.”

The idea was the wrongful-death suit would be dismissed once the settlement was approved by a Land of Enchantment judge; that approval was formally done on June 1 last year.

However, the Hutchinses never received the money they were supposed to in a timely fashion soon afterwards. That seems to be part due to disputes Rust Movie Productions has with the insurance company Chubb. The lack of payments for the past year to the Hutchins estate is also connected to the nearly $1.6 million in New Mexico tax incentives Rust was awarded.

Unsurprisingly, with all the bad press and unwelcomed spotlight the Rust shooting put New Mexico and its burgeoning film industry, the state recently pulled the plug on tax credits. Those credits were supposed to be some of the funds earmarked ro the Hutchins settlement.

“The denial of the tax credit has disrupted those financial arrangements,” Rust producers’ attorney Melina Spadone told the Associated Press earlier this month.

Resurrected in early 2023 and finished filming in Montana, the now-completed Rust, with Matthew Hutchins as an executive producer, has not yet found a buyer.

Alec Baldwin Breaks Down As Judge Dismisses His Manslaughter Case Live On TV

As Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer spoke the words, “The motion to dismiss with prejudice is granted,” the obviously-relieved actor removed his glasses, hung his head and broke down in tears. It was all caught live on CourtTV.

Also in the courtroom were Baldwin’s wife, Hilaria, who wept as she gave the Emmy-winner a hug, and his brother, Stephen, and sister sister Elizabeth Keuchler, who listened intently throughout the judge’s announcement.

Judge Sommer unveiled her ruling on the defense motion to dismiss based on “concealed” evidence that Baldwin’s lawyer filed late Thursday. With the constant chorus of local police missteps, blatant professional incompetence, DA stumbles and eccentrics that have played out in this matter since that terrible day almost three years ago, the dismissal of the case today was simultaneously shocking and not that unexpected.

Hutchens’ widower, however, is not satisfied. The lawyer for Matthew Hutchins today made it very clear that they will still pursue action against Baldwin.

“We respect the court’s decision,” Brian J. Parish told Deadline. “We look forward to presenting all the evidence to a jury and holding Mr. Baldwin accountable for his actions in the senseless death of Halyna Hutchins,” the Panish | Shea | Ravipudi LLP attorney added.

Whether that case will be a continuation of the initial wrongful death action filed in February 2022 or a breach of agreement suit is unclear right now.

Alec Baldwin’s ‘Rust’ Trial Tossed Out Over “Critical” Bullet Evidence; Incarcerated Armorer Could Be Released Too

“The state has repeatedly made representations to defense and to the court that they were compliant with all their discovery obligations,” New Mexico Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer said in her ruling from the bench just now. “Despite their repeated representations, they have continued to fail to disclose critical evidence to the defendant.”

“The state is highly culpable for its failure to provide discovery to the defendant,” Sommer added in a measured tone. “Dismissal with prejudice is warranted,” she concluded.

Breaking down in tears at the defense table, the multi-Emmy-winning actor was in the courtroom when Sommer announced her ruling on the defense motion to dismiss based on concealed evidence that Baldwin’s lawyer filed late Thursday, relating to ammunition brought to police by an ex-cop.

The decision by Sommer on Friday, at the end of an evidentiary hearing over a defense motion to dismiss over bullets dropped off to Santa Fe police in recent weeks by ex-Arizona cop Troy Teske, could also mean the release of incarcerated Rust armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed from New Mexico state prison.

With the constant chorus of local police missteps, blatant professional incompetence, DA stumbles and eccentrics that has been center stage in this matter since that terrible day almost three years ago, the dismissal of the case was simultaneously shocking and not that unexpected.

Hutchins was fatally shot, and Rust director Joel Souza was injured, on October 21, 2021 after the Colt .45 Baldwin was pointing at the cinematographer fired off a live round during a rehearsal at the Bonanza Creek Ranch near Santa Fe where the indie Western was filming. Facing up to 18 months in state prison if found guilty, Baldwin has always insisted that while he cocked the hammer, he did not pull the trigger and the gun somehow went off on its own. The FBI, an independent analysis and, yesterday in court the man who actual made the gun all disagreed with Baldwin’s contention — which we will likely never know definitively now.

After nervous Rust ammunition supplier Seth Kenney and a series of Santa Fe Sheriff’s Office members gave testimony Friday, including bodycam footage of Teske bringing the ammunition to the cop shop, an exasperated special prosecutor Kari Morrissey decided to roll the dice and take the stand herself.

Although Rust armorer Gutierrez-Reed was sentenced to 18 months in a state prison after being found guilty of involuntary manslaughter, no full explanation has ever been given for how a live round got on the Rust set.

Gutierrez-Reed’s lawyers plan to file a motion for her release ASAP, I hear; Sommer was also the judge in the armorer’s trial. Gutierrez-Reed had been brought to Santa Fe earlier this week from prison, where she is serving her sentence, in the assumption she would be a witness in Baldwin’s trial as soon as today.

Just three days into what was supposed to be a nearly two-week trial, Erlinda Johnson, one of the special prosecutors in the case, resigned. The sudden move came because Johnson, who only joined the case a couple of months ago, didn’t agree with there being a public hearing on the move by Baldwin’s Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan to see the matter tossed to the legal curb.

“I could see it was not at all similar to the live rounds on the set of Rust so I made the decision not to collect the rounds since they had never left Arizona,” Morrissey told the court on the record, as she and police officials had stated before of the ammunition brought in by Teske.

A close friend of Thell Reed, the iconic Hollywood gun coach and father of Gutierrez-Reed, Teske was never called as a witness in the armorer’s trial this spring and the defendant’s own lawyer Jason Bowles said he didn’t want them, according to Morrissey Not long afterwards, Teske took the ammunition to the police – something the defense claims it was just informed of despite requiring all the evidence in the case.

Over the months since Baldwin was recharged earlier this year, the defense had quibbled over and over about evidence, discovery and tactics with what has sometimes seen like a battle of locals versus city slickers. In that context, New York City-based defense lawyer Alex Spiro today accused Morrissey of not liking Baldwin personally. Almost spitting out the words, Spiro claimed Morrissey has called Baldwin “an arrogant prick” and a “c*cksucker” in the past.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Morrissey replied, insisting that she likes a number of Baldwin’s movies, SNL appearances and “his politics.” The special prosecutor also tried to state on the record that she offered Baldwin, a longtime Democrat, a plea deal early this year.

Before Morrissey could get far down that route, she was shut down by both Spiro and Sommer. “I never said to witnesses that I would teach him a lesson,” Morrissey added to further claims by Spiro. “Absolutely not.”

There was talk about a new possible plea deal today, sources tell me, but that never came together. On the other hand, with a TLC reality show in the works likely to pay some of those sizable legal bills and a couple of documentaries on the Rust calamity in production, Baldwin’s freedom from criminal prosecution could see the well-respected actor back on the big and small screen in scripted roles as a big draw for the first time in years.

As the march towards this trial and that of Gutierrez-Reed moved slowly forward, the one time Jensen Ackles co-starring film was brought back last year without the young armorer or the Supernatural actor. Rust 2.0 completed production in Montana in early 2023 with Souza was as director, and Baldwin as star and producer. The now-finished Rust hasn’t secured a buyer nor distributor. Some sources have said that was always the plan until Baldwin’s legal woes were over. Others have told Deadline that the film has been actively shopped at film markets to no success. That might change in short order now that Baldwin’s criminal trial is old news.

Having left the courtroom and likely Santa Fe in a hurry Friday after Sommer’s ruling, Baldwin hasn’t quite left his Rust legal troubles in the dust. The actor is up against several civil cases in California and New Mexico courts related to the film he conjured up with Souza and the terrible shooting on the movie’s set.l..

Alec Baldwin Wasn't Only 'Rust' Actor With Live Ammo On Set

The bombshell news was just dropped in court today as part of crime scene technician Marissa Poppell's testimony in Alec's ongoing manslaughter trial down in New Mexico.

Poppell told the jury actor Jensen Ackles also had a live bullet on set ... the ammo was in his bandolier ... and he was on set the day cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was fatally shot.

Remember ... Alec's defense team, led by Alex Spiro, says it wasn't his job as an actor to make sure there was no live ammo in his gun. Alec's also said the gun went off without him squeezing the trigger.

Images of live ammo found on the "Rust" set were also shown in court Thursday ... and the bullets look strikingly similar to dummy rounds.

The only slight difference is live bullets have a silver center as seen from the bottom and the dummy rounds have a gold center.

So, even if Alec checked the revolver it doesn't seem likely he would be able to tell the difference between dummy rounds and live ammo.

Spiro asked Poppell if she had any reason to think Jensen knew there was a live round in his gun holster and she said no ... the implication being Alec would not have known about a live round in his gun either.

In addition to a live bullet in Alec's gun and one in Jensen's gun holster, live ammo was also found in a prop cart and a box of ammo.

Worth noting ... armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed has already been found guilty of manslaughter and sentenced to 18 months in prison based on her failure to ensure Alec's gun didn't have any live ammo. She's expected to testify Friday.

Alec Baldwin “Pulled The Trigger,” Cop Tells ‘Rust’ Manslaughter Trial A Crew Member Told Him; Lawyers Clash In Opening Statements

The first witness of the day was Officer Nicholas LeFleur of the Santa Fe County Police Department, and he had a lot to say about whether the Baldwin, the indie Western’s star and producer, actually and literally pulled the trigger.

Hutchins was killed and Rust director Joel Souza was injured on October 21, 2021 after the Colt .45 Baldwin was pointing at the cinematographer shot off a live round during a rehearsal at the Bonanza Creek Ranch near Santa Fe. Baldwin has always insisted that while he cocked the hammer, he never pulled the trigger — a statement that his lead defense lawyer Alex Spiro reiterated today, with a bit of wiggle room.

Under questioning from Special Prosecutor Kari Morrissey, LeFleur went through his experience as a member of the sheriff’s department at the time, arriving on scene at the Bonanza Creek Ranch location in the immediate aftermath of the shooting as medical aid was being given to Hutchins and Souza.

LeFleur walked the jury and courtroom through his 10 hours at the location, aka crime scene, and in particular described his interactions with Baldwin, who was on his phone initially, and his own attempts to stop crew members and others from discussing the incident among themselves.

In the latter, LeFleur acknowledged he was mostly unsuccessful – as lapel camera footage played during his testimony made clear.

“I believe he told me he was holding the gun,” LeFleur told Morrissey about his conversation with Baldwin upon first speaking with him at the scene. The interaction was captured on LeFleur’s lapel camera — footage the courtroom saw.

“One of the guys told me Baldwin pulled the trigger,” the cop added of a crew member who was supposedly in the church location where the shooting occurred.

Clearly what the prosecution were looking for, LeFluer’s statement was in direct reference to the actor’s ongoing insistence that the 1880s Colt .45 replica went off in his hand. Having lost the ability earlier this week to bring Baldwin’s role as a co-producer on Rust too deeply into the case, the actor’s truthfulness about pulling the trigger or not could be the figurative smoking gun for special prosecutors Morrissey and Erlinda Johnson.

Recharged with involuntary manslaughter in January, exactly a year after he was charged the first time, Baldwin could get up to 18 months in a New Mexico state prison and hefty fines if found guilty.

Under sometimes sharp questioning from defense lawyer Spiro, as Baldwin looked on from just a few feet away, LeFluer was asked if a “pale” Baldwin seemed like “an actor out of character.”

The question, which follows terminology and a tone New York-based Spiro used in his opening statement Wednesday, caused some confusion and actually led to an objection from prosecutors. After consultation with Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer, the question was posed again and LeFluer responded in a perplexed voice: “Yes.”

Building his client’s case in an odd fashion, Spiro then asked LeFluer whether he recalled crew members and others coming up to Baldwin and shaking his hand in the hours following the shooting. “Have you ever seen that before?” he asked with a rhetorical flourish about LeFluer’s career in law enforcement and a potential homicide scene. “No,” the officer replied.

LeFluer will continue his testimony once the court returns from lunch in about an hour.

PREVIOUSLY, 9:18 AM: Alec Baldwin “violated … set safety rules,” the prosecution declared this morning in the Rust star’s involuntary manslaughter trial for the 2021 fatal shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins.

“After the shooting the defendant began to claim he did not pull the trigger,” said special prosecutor Erlinda Johnson in opening statements in Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer’s Sante Fe County courtroom. “The evidence will show ladies and gentlemen, that’s not possible,” Johnson added poignantly to the jury, as Baldwin himself sat a few feet away.

Setting the tone and temperament for the trial, the prosecution and the defense went at each other’s cases with harsh accusations of going to “the edge of truth and beyond” and “gaps in the evidence.”

“That gun the defendant had asked to be assigned, worked perfectly fine, as it was designed,” special prosecutor Johnson said near the end of her relatively brief but pointed remarks Wednesday. “One of the main problems that afternoon of October 21 was that the defendant didn’t do a gun safety check with that inexperienced armorer,” Johnson went on to say, in reference to the now-incarcerated Hannah Gutierrez-Reed.

“He pointed the gun at another human being, cocked the hammer and pulled that trigger with reckless disregard for Ms. Hutchins’ safety,” Johnson steely stated of Baldwin.

Hutchins was killed and Rust director Joel Souza was injured on October 21, 2021 after the Colt .45 Baldwin was pointing at the cinematographer shot off a live round during a rehearsal at the Bonanza Creek Ranch near Santa Fe. Recharged with involuntary manslaughter in January, exactly a year after he was charged the first time, Baldwin entered a not guilty plea in the weeks afterwards.

Set to be in court every day for the week and half trial, Baldwin faces up to 18 months behind bars himself and hefty fines if found guilty

Taking to the court podium after Johnson, Baldwin’s lead lawyer Alex Spiro wasted no time seeking to flip the script, even on his own client’s insistence he didn’t pull the trigger on the gun “Even if he did intentionally pull the trigger …that doesn’t make him guilty of homicide.”

“The most critical issue in this case is how a real bullet got on a movie set,” Spiro exclaimed with a mention of Gutierrez-Reed and slagging the prosecution in advance for likely showing “emotionally charged” video in the aftermath of Hutchins’ death “The evidence will show that real bullets are never supposed to be on movie sets,’ he added, showing footage of Baldwin on set.

“They were try to get Alec,” Spiro claimed of the police and prosecutors in a clear plea hoping for a distrust of authority among the jury. “How far they would go for the shiny object.”

“This was an unspeakable tragedy …Alec Baldwin committed no crime,” the Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan partner told the jury as his client looked on with a stare. “None of it had anything to do with Alec Baldwin,” Spiro said, going on to detail to the court the “magic” of movies, how actors concentrate on their roles not what’s going on around them, and how guns are part of the culture of cinema.

Oddly, neither the prosecution nor the defense made much mention of the troubles on the Rust set like several previous unintended firearm discharges and most of the camera crew resigning just before the fatal shooting because of safety and financial concerns.

Spiro took the first of many swipes at the Santa Fe Sheriff’s department for making “lot of mistakes” like “no securing the prop cart” which contained the Colt .45 in question. After the court was given a glimpse of some police lapel footage of the Rust scene, the prosecutors demanded a quick chat with the judge, clearly upset. “People point guns on movie set …no one saw him pull the trigger,” Spiro went on. “It as an actor handling a prop.”

“The SAG guidelines don’t tell actors to check the gun,” the New York attorney said bringing up support the guild has offered longtime member Baldwin early on in this case. “

Found guilty of involuntary manslaughter in her own trial, Gutierrez-Reed was sentence to 18 months behind bars in April. She is appealing the verdict that another jury reached in less than three hours in March.

“You will hear that this workplace was on a tight budget,” prosecutor Johnson noted earlier of the $7 million indie Western that Baldwin was a producer on as well as the star and story co-author. “There are people who act in a reckless manner and place other individuals in danger. That, you will hear, was the defendant Alexander Baldwin.”

The condemnations of the very opposing opening statements aside, the day actually started a little late Wednesday with WIFI difficulties, and once again the heat and faulty A/C in the Land of Enchantment courtroom.

Once things got settled, Judge Sommer began things by giving the jurors and alternates an overview of court protocol and procedures – which included telling them no Googling but it was okay to say “hello” to officials and lawyers in the hallway. Throughout the judge’s instructions, Baldwin was writing away at the defense table, seemingly striking out something on a yellow legal pad. The 30 Rock star’s wife Hilaria, plus his brother Stephen Baldwin were just behind him in the court room Wednesday, along with other supporters.

Now that the opening statements are over, the trial is on a break. The first witnesses are scheduled to testify later today in what is already looking like a brisk moving case.

Jury Selected For Alec Baldwin’s Involuntary Manslaughter ‘Rust’ Trial; Opening Statements Set For Wednesday Morning

The selection of the dozen jurors and four alternates (11 women and five men) today now means that opening statements by prosecutors and the 30 Rock vet’s s Quinn Emanuel attorneys will begin Wednesday in Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer’s Santa Fe County courtroom. The trial is expected to go until July 19 before the jurors retire to deliberate on a verdict.

Hutchins was killed and Rust director Joel Souza was injured on October 21, 2021 after the Colt .45 Baldwin was pointing at the cinematographer shot off a live round during a rehearsal at the Bonanza Creek Ranch near Santa Fe. Though Rust armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed was sentenced to 18 months in a state prison on April 15, after being found guilty of involuntary manslaughter on March 6, no full explanation has been given yet for how a live round got on the set of the indie Western.

Recharged with involuntary manslaughter in January, exactly a year after he was charged the first time, Baldwin entered a not guilty plea in the weeks afterwards. Regardless of the outcome of this trial, Baldwin is also up against several civil cases in California and New Mexico courts related to Rust and the terrible shooting on the movie’s set.

Facing up to 18 months behind bars himself and hefty fines if found guilty, Baldwin was in the courtroom today as the lawyers whittled down the pool of nearly 80 potential jurors. Scoring some major wins against the state’s case, the Emmy winning actor was also in court on Monday for a pre-trial motions hearing.

With attitudes on guns, Hollywood and Baldwin himself in the fore, special prosecutor Kari Morrissey and defense attorneys Luke Nikas and Alex Spiro tried Tuesday to select jurors that came without too many preconceptions. To that, after a slight delay due to malfunctioning air conditioning in the sweltering courthouse, Judge Sommer started out the day by asking the question that said it all: “How many of you have not seen or heard anything about this case from any source whatsoever?”

Rust the movie was resurrected early last year and completed filming in Montana with Baldwin and Souza returning as star/producer and director respectively. Finished for months and having been shopped around at the likes of the Cannes film market in mid-2023, the movie has not been picked up by any buyers so far. A new push for the film is being held off until Baldwin’s trial is over, I hear.

Alec Baldwin Trial Triggers More Courthouse Security

Denise Womack-Avila, spokeswoman for the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office, tells TMZ ... due to the actor being so high-profile, and the amount of media interest in the case, additional deputies will be working the courthouse and the surrounding area to maintain peace and safety.

She did not go into specifics about what that might look like as far as numbers -- that's a typical precaution for law enforcement, so as not to tip its hand to the media ... but it's clear AB's presence raises the stakes.

Alec's had plenty of contentious interactions with photographers and ordinary citizens attempting to troll him -- so, crowd control outside the courthouse, as he enters each day, will be critical.

Womack-Avila also told us media and normies looking to get a spot in the courtroom are not allowed to camp out at the courthouse. They have to follow the daily protocol to be admitted in the morning.

As TMZ previously reported, Alec is already in Santa Fe ... the actor was present Monday for a pretrial hearing, sporting a suit and tie with thick black glasses.

AB is charged with involuntary manslaughter in the shooting death of "Rust" cinematographer Halyna Hutchins in October 2021.

Alec has pled not guilty ... "Rust" armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed has already been convicted of manslaughter for her role in the incident ... though she is appealing her sentence.

The trial kicks off with jury selection -- but even before that, cops will be focused on security in and outside the courthouse.

Alec Baldwin Wins Huge Victory Day Before 'Rust' Manslaughter Trial Begins

The judge ruled prosecutors cannot introduce evidence of Baldwin's role as a producer in the film ... something that was a critical part of the State's argument that Baldwin's alleged recklessness led to the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins.

Baldwin was an Executive Producer on the film, but there were other EPs as well who had much more of a hands-on role.

Prosecutors argued Baldwin shirked his duties as a producer by allowing lax safety practices on set that led to Hutchins' death.

The judge said, "I'm having real difficulty with the state's position that they want to show that as a producer, he didn't follow guidelines, and therefore, as an actor, Mr. Baldwin did all these things wrong resulting in the death of Halyna Hutchins because as a producer, he allowed this all to happen."

The judge made it clear -- the decision-making on the set among producers went far beyond Baldwin, and ruled "The probative value is not substantially outweighed by unfair prejudice and certainly confusion [for the jury]."

So now, prosecutors can only argue Baldwin was reckless as an actor by pointing the gun in the direction of Hutchins and that he didn't check the chamber before firing. The problem with that argument -- the armorer, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, has already been found guilty of manslaughter because she was responsible for ensuring the gun didn't have live ammo.

Alec Baldwin’s ‘Rust’ Criminal Trial Will Go Ahead Next Month, Judge Says

Keeping her promise of earlier this week to issue a ruling by today, Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer rejected the latest attempt by the Emmy winning actor’s Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan LLP defense team to get the case dismissed. In this instance, Baldwin’s primary lawyers Luke Nikas and Alex Spiro struck out after arguing in a filing earlier this month that “the law is clear: the government may not knowingly deprive the defense of potentially useful evidence by destroying it.”

“Ultimately …the Court finds and concludes that Defendant fails to establish that the State acted in bad faith when destroying certain internal components of the firearm in the course of the accidental discharge testing,” she wrote in fairly dense 18-page order released this afternoon.

The New York attorneys, along Albuquerque-based defense lawyer Heath Leblanc, unsuccessfully argued the evidence motion, as well as another failed dismissal move, with Special Prosecutors Kari Morrissey and Erlinda Johnson in a virtual hearing with Judge Sommer on June 21 and 24.

Judge Sommer’s decision today shouldn’t be much of a surprise. The New Mexico state judge has repeatedly rebuffed dismissal attempts by the defense. Also, she did warn the all lawyers on June 24 that while they should expect her ruling on June 28, they should also continue to prepare for trial.

With the clocking ticking and the prosecution already putting their witness list in the court docket, Baldwin is set to go to trial on July 9. The State v. Alexander Rae Baldwin trial is expected to last about two weeks, with the indie Western star/producer in attendance.

Within weeks after the tragedy, Baldwin began to insist that while he was holding the gun, he never pulled the trigger. That assertion has been challenged by the FBI and independent analysis. However, in the seed of the defense’s now failed motion to toss the indictment with prejudice over the state’s destruction of evidence, the Italian-made weapon was smashed up to varying degrees during its numerous examinations.

Recharged with involuntary manslaughter in late January and having entered a not guilty plea quickly afterwards, Baldwin is also up against several civil cases in California and New Mexico courts related to Rust and the terrible shooting on the movie’s set.

On April 15, Rust armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed was sentenced to 18 months in a Land of Enchantment state prison after being found guilty of involuntary manslaughter on March 6. Blamed for the live round that ended up on the already troubled Rust set, the 27-year-old daughter of legendary movie gunman Thell Reed is appealing her sentence. Gutierrez-Reed is also trying to get early release based on allegations that the prosecution withheld evidence related to gun Baldwin had that could have proved beneficial to her. Judge Sommer has not ruled on that yet.

Yet, despite Gutierrez-Reed’s constant evocation of her 5th Amendment rights during a pre-trial interview for the Baldwin case, the imprisoned armorer is on the prosecution’s more that 40-person long witness list for the trial.-

‘Rust’ Armorer Doesn’t Have To Testify At Alec Baldwin’s Involuntary Manslaughter Trial, Judge Rules; Actor Fails Again To Get Case Dismissed

In a sometimes-heated virtual hearing this morning on another failed move by the defense to get the case dismissed, Sommer rejected the prosecution’s motion to have the Rust armorer be a witness with immunity in the trial, which is scheduled to begin July 9.

“I haven’t heard of anything that she might testify to that someone else could not testify to,” Sommer said today after hearing arguments from Special Prosecutor Kari Morrissey, defense lawyer Heath Leblanc and Gutierrez-Reed’s main attorney Jason Bowles. “I’m not going to do a mini trial within a trial,” the judge added of the prosecution’s contention that they could hold the currently incarcerated Gutierrez-Reed in contempt if she refused to answer questions on the stand.

Gutierrez-Reed was sentenced to 18 months in a New Mexico state prison in April after being found guilty of involuntary manslaughter. The State v. Alexander Rae Baldwin trial is expected to last about two weeks, with the defendant in attendance.

“The jury should hear all of the information Ms. Gutierrez has regarding Mr. Baldwin, both exculpatory and inculpatory,” special prosecutors Morrissey and Erlinda Johnson had stated in filings on the issue. “Counsel for both sides should be permitted to fully cross-examine Ms. Gutierrez.”

“[Gutierrez-Reed] doesn’t want to be cooperative in this case … she does not want to answer the questions,” Bowles told the virtual hearing. It came up today that during a pre-trial interview, Gutierrez-Reed repeatedly asserted her Fifth Amendment privilege at the urging of Bowles. Also facing additional gun charges plus appealing her Rust conviction, Gutierrez-Reed’s reluctancy to participate in the Baldwin trial may be to avoid potential self-incrimination.

After the ruling, Bowles told Deadline: “I believe this judge made a very sound decision to avoid mini trials within a trial and denied the State’s motion.” There does exist a possibility the prosecution will call Gutierrez-Reed and question her on matters not covered by Fifth Amendment privileges. In truth, that wouldn’t really be much in this case besides a sideshow at this point.

After a brief break this morning, the hearing resumed with defense lawyer John Bash unsuccessfully pitching that the January 2024 indictment against Baldwin should be tossed for failure to state a criminal offense.

“Under New Mexico law, the state must establish the defendant’s subjective awareness of a substantial risk that his or her actions could cause harm to another person,” Bash told the court. “It’s a subjective standard. The state, and I think we will show this has abjured any ability to show that Mr. Baldwin had a subjective awareness of a risk that the firearm in this case is loaded with live ammunition. Without that essential piece, the state cannot establish the element of the offense.”

“As an actor he is not supposed to be pointing a gun at someone,” she told Bash and the others joining in on today’s hearing, citing SAG-AFTRA rules.

“He pulled the trigger when he was pointing a gun that he didn’t need to point,” the judge noted.

“What Mr. Bash is telling the court which is absolutely false – unless this gun has a live round in it it is complexly harmless,” Morrissey said in her own response. “This gun can only kill someone if it’s got live ammunition in it,” she added, citing the 1993 on-set death of Brandon Lee on The Crow. “Absolutory false, and Mr. Baldwin knew that was false.”

“We have an extraordinary amount of circumstantial evidence that goes directly to this point,” Morrissey added, noting Baldwin was aware that other actors on Rust fired their guns into the ground to make sure that they were safe after other so-called “accidental discharges” occurred during production in October 2021.

Moving briskly through a packed day on the Baldwin case docket, Sommer ruled to deny the defense’s motion that the state’s indictment had not stated an actual criminal offense.

“The court finds that first of all, there does exist disputed facts before the court that are not capable of dismissal as a matter of law,” she told the assembled lawyers. “The disputed facts are probably before the jury,” the judge added, telling the defense that they had not “met your burden.”

The court will return later this afternoon to address other defense motions to have the case dismissed and the trial pulled off the calendar.

In a mixed-bag session, Sommer earlier Friday had denied the defense’s motion to exclude certain witnesses in the matter. The day-long hearing is also looking at further motions by Baldwin’s defense team, such as destruction of evidence, to yet again try have to case dismissed.

Recharged with involuntary manslaughter in late January and having entered a not guilty plea soon after, Baldwin is fighting about half a dozen civil cases in California and New Mexico courts related to Rust and the deadly shooting on the set of the indie Western.

A finished version of Rust, resurrected in early 2023 and completed with filming in Montana, has yet to find a buyer.

Tony Lo Bianco Dies: Prolific Actor Who Played Sal Boca In ‘The French Connection’ Was 87

Lo Bianco got his start guesting on 1960s TV series including The Doctors, Get Smart! and N.Y.P.D. before landing a big-screen star turn in 1970’s The Honeymoon Killers. That led to his signature role as Salvatore “Sal” Buco in William Friedkin’s seminal New York crime drama The French Connection the following year. His character is at the center of a drug deal followed by NYPD Detective Jimmy “Popeye” Doyle (Gene Hackman). The film won five Oscars including Best Picture and Lead Actor for Hackman.

Born on October 19, 1936, in Brooklyn, Lo Bianco’s final credit was in Ray Romano’s 2022 feature directing debut, Somewhere in Queens.

In between, Lo Bianco appeared in dozens of films including a big role opposite his French Connection co-star Roy Scheider in 1973’s The Seven Ups, which was directed by French Connection producer Philip D’Antoni. He toplined the 1976 crime drama God Told Me To and appeared in 1978’s F.I.S.T. alongside Sylvester Stallone in his first post-Rocky role.

Lo Bianco’s other silver-screen credits include City Heat (1984), City of Hope (1991), Boiling Point (1993) and opposite Anthony Hopkins in Nixon (1995).

He also starred or appeared in a number of TV movies, including as boxing legend Rocky Marciano in the 1979 telefilm Marciano, and played Quintillus in the 1977 miniseries Jesus of Nazareth. Other miniseries roles included The Maharaja’s Daughter (1994), La romana (1988) and Marco Polo (1982).

Lo Bianco was a regular on a pair of short-lived TV series. He co-starred with Lindsay Wagner in the 1984 cop drama Jessie and co-starred in 1991 CBS crime dramedy Palace Guard. He had an arc as Detective Mitch Richmond on Homicide: Life on the Street, playing the ex-partner of Ned Bolander, who is badly shot in the first of Lo Bianco’s three episodes in 1995.

He also guested on such popular TV series as Police Story, The Streets of San Francisco, The Paper Chase, Walker, Texas Ranger, Law & Order and Murder, She Wrote.

Along with his acting career, Lo Bianco was a candidate for the pre-merger SAG New York Division Board in 2009.

Alec and Hilaria Baldwin Announce TLC Reality Show Featuring All 7 of Their Kids

The 30 Rock vet and his wife, Hilaria Baldwin, are set to star in TLC‘s The Baldwins, a new reality show focused on their family of nine. The marrieds made the announcement on Instagram — after assuring their followers that they’re done having children.

According to TLC, The Baldwins will see Alec and Hilaria invite viewers into the home they share with their seven growing kids: Ilaria Catalina Irena, 19 months; María Lucía Victoria, 3; Eduardo “Edu” Pao Lucas, 3; Romeo Alejandro David, 5; Leonardo Ángel Charles, 7; Rafael Thomas, 8; and Carmen Gabriela, 10. “For the first time, they’re opening up their family lives and bringing everyone in to join in the non-stop love, laughter and drama,” according to the official logline.

This marks Alec’s first foray into reality television. The three-time Emmy winner is most commonly associated with his roles as fictitious NBC prez Jack Donaghy on the aforementioned 30 Rock, and President Donald Trump on Saturday Night Live.

The Baldwins will debut in 2025. An exact premiere date has not yet been determined.

Alec Baldwin Will Still Stand Trial For Fatal 2021 ‘Rust’ Shooting, New Mexico Judge Rules

“It is ordered that defendant Alec Baldwin’s Motion to dismiss the indictment is hereby denied,” said Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer in her just released ruling Friday. Baldwin’s trial is set to start in Santa Fe on July 9. The State v. Alexander Rae Baldwin trial is expected to last about two weeks.

Evaluating a number of issues the defense had with the way the most recent indictment against Baldwin was constructed and the manner in which it was presented to a Grand Jury, Judge Sommer rejected all of the claims against the prosecution.

“After review of transcripts from the January 18, 2024 and January 19, 2024 grand jury presentations, the Court does not find that the ‘prosecuting attorney assisting the grand jury’ engaged in ‘intentional misconduct’ reflecting ‘dishonesty of belief, purpose, or motive’ in the course of the attorney’s ‘presentation of evidence to the grand jury,'” she wrote in the 25-page order (read it here).

The move to confirm that the Rust star and producer will face involuntary manslaughter charges, and a possible 18 months behind bars if found guilty, comes a week after a contentious virtual hearing on the defense motion to toss the case out.

Hutchins was killed and Rust director Joel Souza was injured on October 21, 2021 after the Colt .45 Baldwin was pointing at the cinematographer fired off a live round during a rehearsal at the Bonanza Creek Ranch near Sante Fe. The multi-Emmy winner insists he never pulled the trigger on the gun. A claim the FBI and independent analysis have adamantly disagreed with. On April 15, Rust armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed was sentenced to 18 months in a Land of Enchantment state prison after being found guilty of involuntary manslaughter on March 6. Blamed for the live round getting on the Rust set, the 27-year-old daughter of legendary movie gunman Thell Reed is appealing her sentence.

Of course, as Baldwin’s NYC legal team has made obvious since the on-set tragedy occurred over two and a half years ago, their now failed effort to get the matter dismissed is but one of many attempts for their client Just this week, Special Prosecutors Kari Morrisey and Erlinda Johnson replied to motions to dismiss for failure to allege a criminal offense and for destruction of evidence.

“To further illustrate the fallacy in the defendant’s claim that the revolver had been altered or damaged prior to October 21, 2021, Messrs. Luke and Michael Haag conducted specific testing on the firing pin impression on the primer on the cartridge of the fired bullet that killed Ms. Hutchins,” they said in a May 21 filing (read it here) asking for the defense motion itself to thrown in the judicial trash. “Based on their testing, the hammer had to have been in the full cock position at the time the gun was fired, killing Halyna Hutchins.”

Recharged with involuntary manslaughter in late January and having entered a not guilty plea not long afterward, Baldwin is fighting about half a dozen civil cases in California and New Mexico courts related to Rust and the deadly shooting on the troubled set of the indie Western.

Resurrected in early 2023 and finished by filming in Montana, the now completed Rust has still yet to find a buyer.

Guiding Light star Kim Zimmer reveals she's undergoing treatment for breast cancer: 'Get your mammograms'

"I was diagnosed with breast cancer on Nov. 6," she revealed on the special Daytime Stands Up: A Benefit for Stand Up To Cancer - We All Have a Story, that streamed live Thursday.

Zimmer explained that she had undergone a mastectomy and expected to have her last chemotherapy infusion on May 21.

Visibly emotional, Zimmer said that her family and friends have been supportive and that she "would have fallen apart," if not for them.

Since 1981, Zimmer has been married to actor A.C. Weary, and they share three adult children, including actor Jake Weary. She said her children call her every day.

She reminded people that they should do themselves a favor and go to the doctor for screenings.

"I'm here to say early detection, early detection, early detection, early detection," she said. "Get your mammograms, get them soon."

Zimmer, 69, has also worked on One Life to Live and Santa Barbara. In the '80s and '90s, she guest-starred on Seinfeld, Designing Women, and MacGyver.

When she was asked about the biggest challenge of portraying her character during the breast cancer storyline, Zimmer said that it was that the character chose not to share her diagnosis with loved ones. She couldn't relate.

"I can't imagine getting a diagnosis like that and not wanting the person that you love most in the world to be there standing next to you," she said. "The fans reacted to that too... It made for great drama."

No Crime, No Gun: Alec Baldwin Wants ‘Rust’ Involuntary Manslaughter Charges Tossed Before Trial Starts

“Because the State does not even allege that Baldwin was aware of any level of risk (let alone a substantial risk) that the gun was loaded with live ammunition, he is innocent as a matter of law,” says one of two filings that Baldwin’s defense team of NYC-based Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan lawyers and Albuquerque firm LeBlanc Law put in the Santa Fe County courts this week.

“The State has not alleged facts that constitute a crime,” Baldwin’s attorneys declare in their 22-page motion to dismiss the indictment for failure to allege a criminal crime (read it here). “Even taking every allegation that the State has presented as true solely for the purposes of this motion, defendant Alec Baldwin could not have been aware of a substantial risk that his alleged actions could cause the death of Halyna Hutchins because he had no reason to believe that the firearm contained live ammunition.”

A footnote in the filing may offer a strong hint of where the defense will lay their emphasis in the upcoming hearing and trial.

“The State may assert that Baldwin acted with criminal negligence because he did not inspect the firearm after the designated safety professionals had already done so,” the lack of a crime motion states. “Putting aside the fact that the State already took the opposite position at Gutierrez-Reed’s trial and that, regardless, this argument doesn’t change the absence of Baldwin’s subjective awareness of a substantial risk to human life on the set, the State’s own adm

Having always maintained his innocence and insisting that he never pulled the trigger on the Colt .45 that killed Hutchins and wounded Rust director Joel Souza, Baldwin will see his dismissal move assessed in a May 17 hearing, the courts announced today. The session before Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer comes less than two months before the trial of the recharged Baldwin is set to start on July 9 in Santa Fe.

Like currently incarcerated Rust armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, Baldwin could be sentenced to 18 months behind bars and thousands in fines if found guilty. Gutierrez-Reed was successfully convicted of involuntary manslaughter by a Land of Enchantment jury in just a few hours on March 6. Already taken into custody after the verdit came down, the 27-year-old Gutierrez-Reed was sentenced on April 14

Having tried time and time again to get this case thrown out since their client had charges re-filed against him back in January, Baldwin’s lawyers have brought back an old complaint in their May 6 Destruction of Evidence filing (read it here) from the first time the actor was charged in early 2023 – the primary evidence is in pieces.

The government took the most critical evidence in this case-the firearm-and destroyed it by repeatedly and pointlessly striking it with a mallet. Government agents knew that the firearm would not survive their clumsy “tests” intact. They said so explicitly in emails. But at the insistence of prosecutors eager to prove a celebrity’s guilt, they nevertheless blundered ahead without preserving the original state of the firearm through photographs, video, or other means; without informing Baldwin or his counsel they were conducting destructive testing; and without any realistic prospect that bludgeoning the gun would reveal whether Baldwin had pulled the trigger on the day of the accident.

Under time-honored principles of due process, the charges must be dismissed. The law is clear: the government may not knowingly deprive the defense of potentially useful evidence by destroying it. Indeed, even where the government acts with mere negligence-let alone the intentional ineptitude on display here-the destruction of apparently exculpatory evidence violates due process. It is difficult to find a reported decision with a more egregious constellation of facts: premeditated destruction of the key evidence by government agents for no justifiable reason, at the insistence of prosecutors determined to prove Baldwin’s guilt, and without even the most rudimentary efforts to document the original condition of that evidence.

Prosecutors have asserted that the gun was not destroyed in FBI testing and claims to the contrary are posturing by the defense.

A month ago, the special prosecutors said that Baldwin and his lawyers have engaged in relentless “misleading statements” and “false” claims in the case. Citing material supposedly leaked to the media, a plea deal gone South, and a strong arming of documentary subjects, the prosectors keep coming back what they call Baldwin’s “complete lack of concern for the safety of those around him” on the deeply troubled Rust set.

Recharged with involuntary manslaughter over four months ago and having entered a not guilty plea not long afterward, Baldwin is also up against around half a dozen civil cases in California and New Mexico courts related to Rust and the horrible shooting .

As all the filings and hearings have gone on, Rust was resurrected in early 2023 to see filming completed in Montana with Baldwin and Souza returning as star/producer and director respectively. Finished for months, Rust has not been picked up by any buyers so far.

The State v. Alexander Rae Baldwin trial is expected to last about two weeks, if it goes ahead this summer at all.

Daytime Stands Up: A Benefit for Stand Up To Cancer - We All Have a Story

Tune-in live on Thursday, May 16th from 8 p.m-11 p.m ET / 5 p.m - 8 p.m. PT. as favorites from As the World Turns, The Bold and the Beautiful, Days of our Lives, General Hospital, Guiding Light, One Life to Live, The Young and the Restless and more, come together for this worthy cause. Hear inspiring stories of courage, resilience, and hope as guests share their personal connections to cancer, or the impact they have made portraying characters battling the disease. Watch moving tributes to beloved daytime favorites we lost: Andrea Evans, Jackie Zeman, Kamar de Los Reyes, Jerry verDorn, Elizabeth Hubbard and more. In addition, look for special musical performances and segments during this one-night only virtual event. The show will stream simultaneously across Michael and Alan's YouTube channels, as well as the Stand Up To Cancer website.

Featuring: Eddie and Kristen Alderson, Brandon Barash, Carson Boatman, Eric Braeden, Jeremy Bennett (Elizabeth Hubbard's son), Elia Cantu, Sharon Case, Eileen Davidson, Kassie DePaiva, Don Diamont, Michael Easton, Linsey Godfrey, Lacey Gorden (Jackie Zeman's daughter), Leo Howard, Lesli Kay, Liz Keifer, Wally Kurth, Cassidy Macleod (Jackie Zeman's daughter), Cameron Mathison, Eric Martsolf, Eden McCoy, Stephen G. Rodriguez and Kylie Rodriguez (Andrea Evan's husband and daughter), Kin Shriner, Erika Slezak, Tina Sloan, Michelle Stafford, Trevor St. John, Beth verDorn (Jerry's wife), Colleen Zenk and Kim Zimmer.

M. Emmet Walsh Dies: Prolific Actor In ‘Blade Runner’, ‘Ordinary People’, Coen Brothers Pics & Hundreds More Was 88

Manager Sandy Joseph told Deadline that Walsh died of cardiac arrest at Kerbs Memorial Hospital in St. Albans, VT.

His most recent roles included Knives Out, The Righteous Gemstones and Sneaky Pete.

Knives Out writer-director Rian Johnson remembered the actor on social media today, writing: “Emmet came to set with 2 things: a copy of his credits, which was a small-type single-spaced double column list of modern classics that filled a whole page, & two-dollar bills which he passed out to the entire crew. ‘Don’t spend it and you’ll never be broke.’ Absolute legend.”

Walsh himself is quoted as saying: “I approach each job thinking it might be my last, so it better be the best work possible. I want to be remembered as a working actor. I’m being paid for what I’d do for nothing.”

Born on March 22, 1935, in Ogdensburg, NY, Walsh was raised in rural Vermont. He began his screen career guesting on late-1960s TV series before landing bit parts in films including Alice’s Restaurant, Little Big Man and Escape from the Planet of the Apes. He continued to guest-star in episodes of popular 1960s and ’70s series including Bonanza, All in the Family, Ironside, The Bob Newhart Show, McMillan & Wife, The Rockford Files, The Waltons, Starsky and Hutch, James at 16, Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman and many more.

He also appeared on the big screen in such ’70s hits as Serpico, The Jerk, They Might Be Giants, Straight Time, What’s Up, Doc? and Slap Shot, in which he played sportswriter Dickie Dunn, who was “Just trying to capture the spirit of the thing.”

He continued to work regularly into the 1980s up to the 2020s, appearing in popular pics including the Coen brothers’ 1984 debut Blood Simple, for which won the inaugural Independent Spirit Award, and their sophomore feature Raising Arizona (1987). He also appeared in the Robert Redford prison drama Brubaker (1980), Academy Award winner Ordinary People (1980), Best Picture Oscar nominee Reds (1981), Ridley Scott’s sci-fi classic Blade Runner (1982), Chevy Chase comedy Fletch (1985), horror pic Critters (1986) and more.

His 1990s films included A Time to Kill (1996), My Best Friend’s Wedding (1996), Romeo + Juliet (1996) and Wild West West (1999).

All the while, Walsh continued to land guest spots on top-rated TV shows including Little House on the Prairie, Frasier, Home Improvement, The X-Files, NYPD Blue, Tracey Takes On…, Gideon’s Crossing, Army Wives, The Mind of the Married Man and Damages.

He also had voice roles on such films and series The Iron Robot, Adventure Time, Big Guy and Rusty the Robot, Pound Puppies and The Wild Thornberrys, along with narrating multiple characters in Ken Burns’ epic 1990 miniseries The Civil War and the documentarian’s 1994 PBS series Baseball.

Walsh also appeared in a pair of Broadway shows — Does a Tiger Wear a Necktie (1969), opposite Al Pacino and Hal Holbrook, and That Championship Season (1973) — and a slew of region theater productions.

In 1979, he established the Blarney Fund Education Trust, which provides scholarships to Vermont students.

He is survived by his niece Meagan Walsh; nephew Kevin Walsh (Renee); and grandnephews Emmet and Elliot.n

Alec Baldwin Was Offered Lenient Plea Deal, Before Prosecutors Withdrew It

But before he could decide whether to accept the terms, prosecutors withdrew the offer and told his lawyers they would seek to indict him, the filing states.

Baldwin was indicted in January on a felony charge of involuntary manslaughter in the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, and now faces up to 18 months in prison if convicted at trial in July.

The latest revelation about the retracted plea offer was included among hundreds of pages of material made public Friday as part of Baldwin’s effort to throw out the case.

According to the documents, special prosecutor Kari Morrissey offered “a plea deal identical to the petty misdemeanor deal accepted by Dave Halls.”

Halls, the first assistant director on “Rust,” did not serve prison time after pleading last year to a count of negligent handling of a deadly weapon. Instead, he was given six months of unsupervised probation, a $500 fine, 24 hours of community service, and an order to take a firearm safety class.

The filing states that the offer was made on Oct. 5, and Baldwin was given until Oct. 27 to decide whether to accept it. However, on Oct. 17, prosecutors informed Baldwin’s lawyer that the deal was off and they were proceeding to the grand jury, according to the filing.

Baldwin’s lawyers have accused the New Mexico prosecutors of a litany of abuses, and are seeking to have the case dismissed.

Among the allegations is a claim that Morrissey, the lead prosecutor on the case, repeatedly leaked confidential information about the grand jury proceedings to an NBC News reporter.

In November, Baldwin’s attorney Luke Nikas filed a motion for sanctions over that issue, seeking to have Morrissey and her co-counsel Jason Lewis removed from the case, and asking the court to impose monetary penalties against Morrissey.

In the motion, made public on Friday, Nikas alleged that Morrissey prejudiced the grand jury process by telling the New York Times in October that she would bring Baldwin’s case to the grand jury on Nov. 16. That led at least one sitting grand juror to ask if he could participate in the Baldwin case, according to the filing.

At a confidential hearing on Nov. 15, the judge overseeing the case admonished the parties not to disclose anything about the grand jury proceedings to the media, citing the risk that it could taint the case, according to the filing.

The judge also postponed the grand jury proceeding from November to Jan. 18, to give more time to review the material the defense wished to be presented to the grand jury.

Nikas alleges that within an hour of the hearing, Morrissey called the NBC News reporter to relay the scheduling update. The same day, NBC News reported that the grand jury proceeding had been postponed. The outlet also cited an “unnamed source” as saying that prosecutors hoped a trial would “humble” Baldwin and serve as a “teachable moment.”

In response, Nikas filed the confidential sanctions motion on Nov. 20, alleging that Morrissey had clearly violated the judge’s secrecy order. Hours after submitting it, he received a call from the NBC reporter, who was seeking comment about it.

According to Nikas, the reporter stated that Morrissey had called her and read her substantial portions of the motion, and “yelled at her for publishing Morrissey’s statements disclosing the grand jury information and motivations for prosecuting this case, and threatened to serve her with subpoenas.”

Nikas thanked the reporter for the information and declined to comment, according to his affidavit.

Morrissey filed an opposition to Baldwin’s sanctions motion, which was not made public as part of the motion to dismiss. Baldwin’s filing also does not reveal the outcome of the motion, though Morrissey and Lewis remain on the case.

The filing does include Baldwin’s reply to Morrissey’s opposition, which quotes Morrissey as accusing Baldwin of having “an impressive level of arrogance.” According to the filing, Morrissey also referenced an infamous 2007 voicemail, in which Baldwin called his daughter a “rude, thoughtless little pig.”

Nikas wrote that those remarks underscore “the illicit motivations behind this prosecution.”

The reply also indicates that Morrissey asserted she told grand jury witnesses about the outcome of the Nov. 15 hearing, but not the media.

Morrissey declined to comment about the motion to dismiss the case in an email on Thursday evening.

“We will only respond in court pleadings and have 14 days from tomorrow to file our response,” she wrote.

“Enough Is Enough!” Alec Baldwin Wants ‘Rust’ Involuntary Manslaughter Indictment Tossed As Trial Looms

“The State prosecutors have engaged in this misconduct—and publicly dragged Baldwin through the cesspool created by their improprieties—without any regard for the fact that serious criminal charges have been hanging over his head for two and a half years,” proclaims a motion to dismiss filed today in New Mexico court.

Recharged in January and facing up to 18 months behind bars if found guilty, the multiple Emmy winner’s criminal trial is scheduled to start in Santa Fe on July 9.

Having plead not guilty, Baldwin earlier this week saw some restrictions placed on when he could be deposed in various civil cases connected to the killing of Hutchins over two and half years ago.

Today, with the clock running down fast, his NYC-based Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan lawyers and Albuquerque firm LeBlanc Law slammed Special Prosecutors Kerry Morrissey and Jason Lewis, and basically everyone ever connected to the investigation of what really happened that tragic day on the Bonanza Creek Ranch set.

“This is an abuse of the system, and an abuse of an innocent person whose rights have been trampled to the extreme,” says the deep dive 52-page motion signed by attorney Luke Nikas. “If the State had conducted the grand jury process consistent with New Mexico law, the outcome should and almost certainly would have been different. In short, the State concealed substantial exculpatory and favorable evidence from the grand jury. The Court should therefore dismiss the indictment.”

Special Prosecutors Lewis and Morrissey did not respond to request for a comment on the latest Baldwin filing. If and when they do, this post will be updated.

Among the various claims the duo will have to respond to in the court docket is the claim by Baldwin’s defense that reports the Colt .45 could not have fired without someone pulling the trigger may not be some clear cut. Citing the appearance of “Michael Haag, one of the State’s purported firearms experts” before the Grand Jury, today’s motion says his testimony “omitted several essential facts regarding that testing, including that the FBI testing established that the gun did fire without a trigger pull when the firearm was fully loaded with six rounds, as it was on the day of the incident.”

From his primetime interview with ABC George Stephanopoulos mere weeks after the October 21, 2021 shooting that killed Hutchins and wounded Rust director Joel Souza until today , Baldwin has always insisted he did not pull the trigger. Reports from the FBI and others have disagreed with him, but the information in Thursday’s motion may throw all that up in the air.

Still fighting civil suits in California and New Mexico over the Rust shooting, Baldwin’s move today comes just over a week after the Indie Western’s armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter by a Santa Fe jury.

Taken into custody immediately on March 6, Gutierrez-Reed will be sentenced on April 15 by Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer. Declared innocent by the jurors of the evidence tampering charge the Special Prosecutors slapped on her late last year, Gutierrez-Reed could get a maximum of 18 months in a state prison and be forced to pay thousands in fines.

As all these suits, trials and sentencing move through various courts, Rust was brought back and completed in mid-2023 after further filming in Montana. Souza returned as director, and Baldwin returned as star and producer. Gutierrez-Reed was not asked to re-join to the production.

Alec Baldwin’s Involuntary Manslaughter Trial To Start In July; ‘Rust’ Actor/Producer Faces 18 Months Behind Bars If Found Guilty

As promised last week, Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer today set a date for the start of the multiple Emmy winner’s trial in the Land of Enchantment. Baldwin faces a prison sentence of 18 months to three years and around $5,000 in fines if found guilty.

“Jury selection is scheduled for July 9, 2024” wrote Judge Sommer in an order made public Monday morning (read the Baldwin trial scheduling order here). With Baldwin present in the Santa Fe courtroom, the trial is expected to run from July 10 to July 19, 2024.

Aways denying he pulled the trigger, Baldwin shot Hutchins on October 21, 2021 on Rust‘s Bonanza Creek Ranch set just outside Santa Fe after a gun he was holding during a rehearsal discharged a live round. The actor/producer wounded Rust director Joel Souza in the shooting too, but the filmmaker recovered soon afterwards.

While Baldwin asserts he never pulled the trigger on the prop gun he was pointing at Hutchins in rehearsal that terrible day, forensic examiners at the FBI and others have issued reports that strongly disagree.

Initially charged in January 2022 along with ex-Rust armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, Baldwin saw the claims against him trimmed back and then dropped altogether in April that year. In what was a widely expected Grand Jury indictment one year to the day of the first charges, Baldwin was charged anew on January 19 of this year.

Last month, Baldwin’s Quinn Emanuel attorneys said they would seek a “speedy trial.” On January 31, Baldwin pushed the process along by entering a not guilty plea at a virtual hearing. Today, reps for Baldwin had no comment on the trial date being set.

On February 20, Baldwin lawyer Alex Spiro and Special Prosecutor Kerri Morrissey bickered over when the trial should begin. Promising to get portions of the case against his client tossed out even before the jury is selected, the defense attorney was looking for June or as soon as possible. Morrissey indicated that her responsibilities on other trials prevented her from being available until later in the year. At the end of the virtual hearing, Judge Sommer announced she would look at everyone’s calendars and come up with a date by today.

Baldwin is also facing a number of Rust civil cases in both California and New Mexico. As all these suits are ongoing in various courts, Rust was brought back and completed last year after further filming in Montana. Souza was back as director, and Baldwin returned as star and producer. Gutierrez-Reed was not asked to return to the production. The finished Rust is currently looking for a buyer.

The scheduling order in Baldwin’s case dropped Monday during a break in the fourth day of Gutierrez-Reed’s criminal trial in front of Judge Sommer.

Charged with involuntary manslaughter and evidence tampering, the ex-Rust armorer could go to state prison for up to three years if found guilty.

Having pleaded not guilty like Baldwin, Gutierrez-Reed also refused a deal offered by the state late last year. The agreement was dependent on the defendant providing more information on how live rounds got on the set of Rust. Gutierrez-Reed and her lawyer Jason Bowles insisted they had no direct knowledge of how the live rounds tragically got on the set. Consequently, the special prosecutors began to further tighten the screws and added the evidence tampering charge as they now say Gutierrez-Reed was abusing drugs and drink while working on Rust. An accusation her lawyers reject.

Set to be with the jury by March 8, Gutierrez-Reed’s trial is currently on break for lunch.

Alec Baldwin’s ‘Rust’ Fatal Shooting Trial Likely To Start This Summer; Actor/Producer Facing Involuntary Manslaughter Charges, Jail Time

“So, what I’m going to do is I’m going to look at my schedule, and check the jury selection. I’m going to get going to see if we can’t compromise between the July trial dates and the June trial dates,” declared Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer today at a virtual hearing for the involuntary manslaughter case. “I’ll put that order out to you …Monday,” the New Mexico official added of a February 26 date.

Baldwin shot Hutchins on October 21, 2021 on the Indie Western’s Bonanza Creek Ranch set just outside Santa Fe after a gun he was holding during a rehearsal discharged a live round. Rust director Joel Souza was wounded in the shooting, but recovered soon afterwards.

Facing a series of civil suits as well as for a while charges in an earlier and then dismissed version of this case, Baldwin has insisted from almost Day One that he did not pull the trigger on the 1880s gun that killed Hutchins. Baldwin says the gun went off in his hand. Following a botched investigation by the Santa Fe Sheriff’s Office, the FBI and more recently independent weapons examiners brought aboard by the special prosecutors have taken a different point of view.

In separate reports, the bureau and the examiners say the gun could only have shot Hutchins and Souza if the trigger was pulled by Baldwin. Additionally, in violation of standard set safely procedures, Baldwin was pointing the gun right at the unshielded Hutchins when it fired during the rehearsal on the already troubled low budget film.

As of yet, no one, no lawyer, no suspect, has been able to provide a solid answer as to how live rounds got on the set of Rust.

First charged in January 2022 along with ex-Rust armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, Baldwin saw the claims against him trimmed back and then dropped altogether in April that year. In what was a widely expected Grand Jury indictment and no small amount of timing drama Baldwin was charged anew on January 19 of this year.

At that time, Baldwin’s Quinn Emanuel attorney said they would seek a “speedy trial.” On January 31, Baldwin pushed the process along by entering a “not guilty’ plea at a virtual hearing. Baldwin is up against a prison sentence of 18 months to three years and around $5,000 in fines if found guilty.

Today, Baldwin lawyer Alex Spiro rejected the schedule put forth by Special Prosecutor Kerri Morrissey, who said she was not available in June due to other cases.

“There’s no reason why this case, given that its years ago now that this tragic accident happened, should not be prioritized given the complexity, media attention, promises made in determining funding and the other impossible trial schedules of other counsel,” Spiro stated on-camera, as fellow defense lawyer and Albuquerque attorney Heather LeBlanc looked on digitally.

“There are only so many cases we can try,” Morrissey said at the virtual hearing. “While I understand that Mr. Spiro is not available later, we are not available in June. We will accommodate this trial anytime in July, anytime in August, anytime in October.”

Tuesday’s hearing in the renewed Baldwin case comes one day before Hannah Gutierrez-Reed’s trial is set to begin.

Charged with involuntary manslaughter and now tampering with evidence, the relatively inexperienced armorer is looking at up to three years behind bars if found guilty by a New Mexico jury. The trial is expected to last just over two weeks once jury selection is completed.

The short virtual session in Baldwin’s case Tuesday also comes as the Emmy-winning actor and wife Hilaria took to social media over the past day to very publicly celebrate meeting 13 years ago. Married since 2021, the couple have seven young children.

The Rust trials may have taken over two and a half years to begin, if they do. However, Rust the movie is a done deal after being brought back to life last April. Production relocated to the Yellowstone Film Ranch in Montana. Hutchins’ widower Matthew dropped hia wrongful-death suit against Baldwin and the film’s others producers and became a producer himself on Rust 2.0 as well as on a documentary about his wife. As one can imagine, Gutierrez-Reed was not invited to rejoin the resurrected film – which is still looking for a buyer, I hear.na

Interview with Bleeding Love's Kim Zimmer and Jake Weary

Bleeding Love is a drama starring Ewan McGregor and his daughter Clara McGregor. The film was written by Ruby Caster from an original story by Caster, Clara McGregor, and Vera Bulder (Jake’s wife). Vera also stars in the film alongside her husband and mother-in-law.

The story centers around a father (played by Ewan) who secretly drives his estranged daughter (played by Clara) to rehab after she overdoses, aware that she has inherited his addiction problems, and after he has started a new family elsewhere.

Items from 'Bonanza,' 'All My Children' actor David Canary's Wilton estate up for auction

Canary was best known for his roles as foreman Candy Canaday on NBC's "Bonanza" and as Adam Chandler on "All My Children," a performance which netted him five Daytime Emmy awards. Canary lived in the Wilton house until his death in 2015.

The Wilton house hit the market last October with a pricetag of $1.985 million. The house was sold on Jan. 11 for $1.61 million, town property records show.

An auction of items from Canary's estate, which is being conducted by Danbury's Provenance Auctions, runs through Thursday, Feb. 8 at 7 p.m. The sale includes traditional fare such as books, furniture, jewelry and art, but also includes a number of unique items such as a painting of the actor dressed as a clown, a commemorative deed to Tiger Stadium in Detroit and a poster from a production of "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street" that featured Canary.

As of Monday, Feb. 5, the item fetching the most in the auction is a Native American Silver Squash Blossom necklace and earrings set, which is bidding at $682 with 33 bids.

Pickup for items won in the auction will take place on Saturday, Feb. 10 at Provenance Auctions' warehouse on the Danbury-Ridgefield border. Smaller items can also be shipped for an additional shipping cost. Curbside delivery is available in Westchester and Fairfield County for a premium.

Winners At the 2024 Saturn Awards

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A TELEVISION SERIES: Jonathan Frakes (Star Trek: Picard)

‘Northern Exposure’ Available On Prime Video, Its First Time Ever On Any Streaming Platform

Northern Exposure starred Rob Morrow as Dr. Joel Fleischman, a recently graduated New York City physician, who is forced to practice in a small town in Alaska in order to repay the state for underwriting his medical education.

Created by Joshua Brand and John Falsey, the series ran on CBS from 1990-1995. Over the course of its run, it received 39 Emmy nominations, winning seven, including the 1992 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series and Outstanding Supporting Actress for Valerie Mahaffrey, as well as four Creative Arts Emmy Awards, and two Golden Globes.

The ensemble cast also included Barry Corbin, Janine Turner, John Cullum, Darren E. Burrows, John Corbett, Cynthia Geary, Elaine Miles, Peg Phillips, Paul Provenza and Teri Polo. Morrow exited the series at the conclusion of Season 5 and Paul Provenza was cast as his replacement, Dr. Phil Capra. Polo was cast as Capra’s wife.

Palm Royale Trailer: Kristen Wiig Attempts to Worm Her Way Into High Society in Star-Studded Apple Comedy

As part of the Television Critics Association winter press tour, Apple TV+ on Monday released a trailer for the highly anticipated comedy series Palm Royale, which boasts an ensemble including Kristen Wiig, Laura Dern, Allison Janney and guest stars Carol Burnett and Bruce Dern.

Premiering on Wednesday, March 20, Palm Royale (fka Mrs. American Pie) is “a true underdog story that follows Maxine Simmons (Wiig) as she endeavors to break into Palm Beach high society,” according to the official logline. “As Maxine attempts to cross that impermeable line between the haves and the have-nots, Palm Royale asks the same question that still baffles us today: ‘How much of yourself are you willing to sacrifice to get what someone else has?’ Set during the powder keg year of 1969, Palm Royale is a testament to every outsider fighting for their chance to truly belong.”

Rounding out the cast are Ricky Martin (The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story), Josh Lucas (Yellowstone), Leslie Bibb (Popular), Amber Chardae Robinson (Loot), Mindy Cohn (The Facts of Life), Julia Duffy (Newhart) and Kaia Gerber (American Horror Story).

Loosely based on the novel “Mr. and Mrs. American Pie” by Juliet McDaniel, Palm Royale is written and executive-produced by Abe Sylvia (Nurse Jackie, Dead to Me, George and Tammy). Wiig and Laura Dern also serve as EPs.

The first three episodes will drop on premiere day, followed by one new episode every Wednesday through May 8, for a total of 10 episodes.

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