Legal Analyst Discusses Opening Arguments in Baldwin’s Trial

[Source: CTV News]

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

Host: Joining me now from New Mexico is Chris Melcher, who is a partner of Walzer Melcher Yoda LLP, which is ranked as a best family law firm. He’s also a legal analyst. Chris, good morning to you. Glad you could be with us. So opening arguments begin today. The Rust case revived back in January though, when a grand jury indicted Baldwin on a charge, that charge of involuntary manslaughter. He’s pled not guilty. How do you see his defense coming out against this charge?

Chris Melcher:

Well, his defense is he was an actor and he was entitled to rely on professionals in making sure that that gun was safe to use on set, and that resonates with a lot of people. However, this gun was a real gun, it wasn’t a prop, and no one had checked it for him. So no one showed him, “Here, Alec, it’s unloaded.” And he took possession of the gun. He pointed it at these two individuals and it went off. And the question for the jury is, would you ever take anyone’s word that a gun is unloaded rather than having it checked for you?

Alec Baldwin’s Role as Producer

Host: Okay, he did have a small win. His role as producer was ruled as not relevant to his trial. Bit of a victory there. What does that ultimately mean for this case?

Chris Melcher:

Well, it’s significant that he won on that because he was acting in a dual role as an actor and also as a producer when he held that gun. And under industry guidelines, the producer is ultimately responsible for set safety. Now, Alec was saying basically, Hey, I’m a producer in name only, but there were video outtakes showing him bossing the crew around, even with the use of firearms, those videos were also excluded. So now the jury just focuses on, is it okay for an actor to take somebody’s word that a gun is unloaded and pointed at somebody?

What to Expect from Jury

Host: Of course, we never know what to expect from a jury, but based on your experience, Chris, what do you think of the case against Baldwin, this involuntary manslaughter charge? How difficult is the road ahead for his defense?

Chris Melcher:

Well, I’ve talked to a lot of people about it, and I think it breaks down to whether you have experience using guns, and this is a New Mexico jury, and some of the prospective jurors had said, “You never take anyone’s word. That’s a cardinal rule of gun safety.” Others who don’t have that training or background are perfectly fine with saying that an actor should take somebody’s word, and I think that’s what’s going to make or break on this case. I do think though, the chances or odds are for acquittal.

Host:

If he is convicted, Chris, what sort of consequence or sentence does he face?

Baldwin’s Possible Prison Sentence

Chris Melcher:

Well, the armorer, who is supposed to be making sure this gun was safe, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, got 18 months in prison, and so I got to imagine that if Alec is convicted, he would be facing a similar sentence in that.

Host:

Chris Melcher, he’s a celebrity legal analyst and top family law attorney. Chris, glad you could be with us today.