Alec Baldwin was dealt a major blow in court today, as a judge denied the motion to dismiss the civil lawsuit against him and “Rust” production companies brought forward by three crew members of the drama Western flick.
The motion to stay civil action pending resolution of criminal proceedings was also rejected, though Judge Bryan Biedscheid noted that the decision could be revisited during the course of the case. Lawyers defending Baldwin had voiced their concern over the actor’s Fifth Amendment rights but were still unsuccessful in the motion.
“This is a real injustice and is completely unnecessary,” noted Robert Schwartz, one of Baldwin’s lawyers. According to Schwartz, the plaintiffs waited 16 months after the shooting to file their civil action, but are now attempting to rush the process for discovery while criminal charges may still be leveled against Baldwin.
The crew members, Ross Addiego, Doran Curtin, and Reese Price, are suing Baldwin, Rust Movie Productions, LLC, and El Dorado Pictures for compensatory and punitive damages resulting from alleged hearing loss and vibrational shock caused due to unsafe practices on the movie’s set. The lawsuit claims that assistant director David Halls was able to cut corners in safety and gave Baldwin a gun without proper inspection, resulting in the fatal shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on October 21, 2021.
In response, the family of Hutchins also filed a lawsuit against Baldwin alleging battery, loss of consortium, and infliction of emotional distress, among other charges.
Baldwin was the subject of involuntary manslaughter charges in April, but they were dropped after special prosecutor Kari Morrissey revealed new evidence in the case. Morrissey informed Fox News Digital that the new evidence is still being reviewed and a final decision has yet to be made on any future charges.
Despite the legal turmoil, Baldwin still stands unyielding in his defense, something that Schwartz and his legal team will continue to fight for as things progress.
“Our goal is to protect Mr. Baldwin’s rights and interests through this process and ensure that he is not subjected to unfairness, delay or prejudice,” Schwartz said. “We will continue to do so until the conclusion of these proceedings.”