The legal woes over the deadly on-set shooting during production of the film “Rust” are not over.
Actor and producer Alec Baldwin is now facing a civil trial later this year in connection with the incident, Variety reported.
The publication said that a judge ruled on Friday that the trial will determine if Baldwin negligently fired the gun.
The criminal manslaughter case was dismissed in 2024 after a judge determined prosecutors withheld evidence.
Cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was killed in the 2021 shooting in Santa Fe, New Mexico, The New York Times reported.
Baldwin said he did not know the gun had a live round in it and that he did not pull the trigger.
This case centers around gaffer Serge Svetnoy, who was on set at the time of the shooting but was not hurt. He claims, however, that he has suffered from emotional distress.
He said he was standing near Hutchins when she was shot, the Times reported. Svetnoy said he was her friend and that after she was hit by the bullet and fell, he cradled her head, comforting her.
The defense said Rust Movie Productions and Baldwin were not legally responsible for set safety, but Superior Court Judge Maurice Leiter wrote in his ruling, “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 allowed punitive damages, negligence, and intentional infliction of emotional distress be sought, but Rust Movie Productions says the claims should be handled through the workers’ compensation system, Variety reported.
A trial for the civil case is scheduled to start on Oct. 12, The New York Times reported.
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