(Santa Fe) A New Mexico judge on Monday upheld the involuntary manslaughter conviction of a movie gunsmith for her role in the shooting death of a western film cinematographer Rustwho was shot by actor Alec Baldwin.
Gunsmith Hannah Gutierrez-Reed had asked a court to overturn her manslaughter conviction or call a new trial, alleging misconduct and suppression of evidence by law enforcement.
Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer noted in her written order that the gunsmith’s lawyers had not established that there was a reasonable possibility that the outcome of the trial would have been different if the evidence had been available to Gutierrez-Reed .
The judge also denied a request by Gutierrez-Reed to be released from custody, saying it was moot because the request for a new trial had been denied.
Judge Marlowe Sommer interrupted and ended Alec Baldwin’s trial in July due to police and prosecutors’ misconduct and withholding of evidence from the defense in the 2021 death of the director of the photographs Halyna Hutchins on set outside of Santa Fe.
Baldwin, the lead actor and co-producer of Rustwas pointing a gun at Hutchins during a rehearsal on a film set outside Santa Fe in October 2021 when the gun went off, killing Hutchins and injuring the director, Joel Souza.
Gutierrez-Reed was convicted in March by a jury in a trial overseen by Judge Marlowe Sommer, who later sentenced her to the maximum term of 18 months in prison. Gutierrez-Reed appealed his conviction to a higher court. Jurors acquitted her of charges that she tampered with evidence in the investigation into Rust.
Prosecutors accused Gutierrez-Reed of unwittingly bringing real ammunition to the set of Rust and failing to follow basic firearm safety protocols.
Gutierrez-Reed’s lawyers said prosecutors failed to turn over the following evidence: a firearms expert’s report on the functionality of the gun Baldwin used, ammunition that was later turned over to authorities and an interview with the ammunition supplier of Rust Seth Kenney.
Defense attorneys did not immediately respond Monday to an email seeking comment on the decision.
Gutierrez-Reed has pleaded not guilty to another charge for allegedly carrying a weapon into a bar in Santa Fe, New Mexico, where guns are banned. A draft plea agreement must be reviewed by the court.