Baldwin’s Trial Opening Arguments Explained By Legal Analyst

Celebrity lawyer Christopher C. Melcher, who is ranked as a best family law attorney in California, explains the opening arguments in Alec Baldwin‘s involuntary manslaughter trial on News Nation.

Host: In the meantime, you should know what the actual charge is. Okay. It is one count of involuntary manslaughter. How was such a thing proved or disproved? For that, I turned to celebrity attorney and legal analyst, Chris Melcher. Okay, Chris. I said it in the beginning of the show, and I think you’ve probably seen it and dealt with it in a courtroom over and over, and that is that trials are often won or lost in the openings. So how do you score what happened today in Santa Fe?

Strong Arguments by Prosecutor

Chris Melcher: Well, Ashley, I felt that the prosecutor put on a more coherent story of saying guns are dangerous unless they’re checked. And when you point a gun at somebody, you’re responsible for what happens. Very easy to understand. Alec’s defense in the opening was more about this magical thinking of Hollywood, and these are actors and the rules don’t really apply to actors because we’re just acting. And I think that would play well in LA, but it doesn’t play, I think, so much in Santa Fe. I’m here watching the Rust trial.

This is a one-horse town with a lot of people, I imagine, grew up using guns. And we all know, as I did, taught at the very beginning, treat all guns as loaded until you are assured that it’s unloaded. You would never take anyone’s word that a gun is unloaded. But that’s what Alec Baldwin did with tragic consequences.

Acting Industry Gun Guidelines

Host: So I guess the question I have for you is when his defense attorney says that the SAG-AFTRA rules say it’s not an actor’s job, in make-believe land, right? They’re making movies. This isn’t real life. This is make-believe land. It’s not an actor’s job to actually check the gun. When that lawyer spells that out for the jury and the jury is told it’s not real gun culture, this is acting where you’re supposed to point a gun at someone, which is not what we’re supposed to do in the real world. Is it going to be hard for them to sort of switch over to that gear?

Chris Melcher: Well, when the jury actually sees those industry guidelines, it’s not exactly how the lawyer presented it. It says that anytime a gun is used on set, it must be physically and visually inspected and shown to the actor every single time.

Cross Examination Potential Arguments

And I got to imagine Alec Baldwin being one of the most experienced actors would know that. And again, it’s like in my ultimate test, if I were cross-examining him, it would be like, “Would you have been as comfortable to put this gun to your head and pulled the trigger? And would you have checked it?” And I got to think he would say, “You know what? I’m not going to take David Halls or Hannah Gutierrez‘s word for this. Let me open that up and check that. But pointing at somebody else. Sure, I’ll take somebody’s word for it.”

Host: Make-believe land or real gun land. I am with you. I think that’s a really good litmus test. Would you put it to your head and pull the trigger? Chris Melcher, top family law attorney and partner in Walzer Melcher Yoda LLP, thank you. Good to have you back. Appreciate this. Chris Melcher: Thank you.