Alec Baldwin Faces New Legal Battle: LA Court Date Set for ‘Rust’ Tragedy Civil Trial

Alec Baldwin will not face criminal charges over the tragic shooting on the “Rust” set, but his legal battles are far from over. The actor is set to return to court as a civil case against him proceeds to trial.

On Friday, a judge in Los Angeles ruled that the civil lawsuit filed against the 68-year-old actor would continue. This development follows the dismissal of Baldwin’s manslaughter charges in July 2024. Those charges stemmed from the October 2021 incident that resulted in the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins. The criminal charges were dropped after it was determined that prosecutors had failed to disclose crucial evidence.

The civil lawsuit was initiated by Serge Svetnoy, the gaffer on the “Rust” production, who claims he has endured “emotional distress” due to Baldwin’s alleged negligence leading to Hutchins’ tragic death.

The incident occurred while Baldwin was rehearsing a scene involving a firearm. The actor has maintained that he was unaware of the presence of live ammunition in the gun, which discharged and fatally injured Hutchins on the set in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Baldwin has consistently asserted that he did not know the gun contained live rounds and has claimed he did not pull the trigger during the incident.

Baldwin has not only insisted that he didn’t know the gun had live ammo, but also that he did not actually pull the trigger when the fatal shot was fired.

Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Maurice Leiter issued a summary judgment on Friday, rejecting defense arguments that Baldwin and producers were not legally responsible for safety on the set.

“A reasonable jury could find that Mr. Baldwin recklessly disregarded the probability that pointing a gun in the direction of someone, with the finger on the trigger, would cause emotional distress,” the judge wrote.

The bullet fired from the gun Baldwin was holding struck Hutchins in the chest and travelled through her body and then struck “Rust” director Joel Souza in the shoulder.

Svetnoy was not injured in the shooting, though he has claimed that he felt a “whoosh” from the gun being fired, and that he heard a loud a bang.

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The judge did toss Svetnoy’s assault claim, asserting that there was no evidence Baldwin intended to harm anyone.

Baldwin will be questioned on his behavior – whether pointing a firearm at others on the set was reckless or not.

Svetnoy’s attorney John Upton said at the Friday hearing, “Mr. Baldwin is the last line of defense. Guns generally do not shoot themselves.”

The production company – Rust Movie Productions – argued that Svetnoy’s lawsuit should be handled through the workman’s compensation system, though Leiter rejected that argument, since the company didn’t actually have any employees.

Leiter also allowed claims for punitive damages, negligence and intentional infliction of emotional distress, though the trial will be delayed for several months.

The trial was originally slated to begin on May 12, though both sides asked for a continuance, both to explore further discovery options and to discuss a potential settlement.

Leiter did set a new trial date for October 12, though he noted that the case – which is nearly five years old at this point – needed to come to an end sooner rather than later.

“I’m a little concerned about this case going on and on and on when it should be coming to a resolution,” Leiter said.