A Santa Fe judge accepted a plea deal on Friday, handing down the first sentence for the 2021 death of cinematographer Galina Hutchins while filming the western movie Rust in New Mexico, Reuters reported.

the set of the film RustPhoto: Jae C. Hong/AP/Profimedia

Dave Hall, the assistant director of the film Rust, was charged with negligent use of a deadly weapon.

Santa Fe District Court Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer presided over a virtual hearing in Hall’s case on Friday. She sentenced Hall, who was in charge of security on the set, to six months in jail with unsupervised parole, a $500 fine, 24 hours of community service and a visit to a gun safety unit.

On October 21, 2021, the filming of Rust on a farm in the southwestern US state of New Mexico turned into a disaster when Baldwin fired what was supposed to be an empty but real bullet, killing cameraman Galina Hutchins, 42, and wounding director Joel Souza.

The prosecutor’s office said that Halls was responsible for security on the set of Rusty.

The conviction was a step forward for state prosecutors, who have been reeling from legal setbacks since charges were brought in January.

“Halls did not check every cartridge”

“Holls did not check every gun to make sure they were empty,” State’s Attorney Kari Morrissey said during the plea hearing.

Halls, a veteran of the film industry with more than 80 credits, including The Matrix Reboot and The Raven, was the only member of the cast and crew of Rust to enter into negotiations. Prosecutors said he turned himself in and cooperated.

It remains unclear whether he will testify for the prosecution at a preliminary hearing in May, where Marlowe Sommer will decide whether there is a case to be tried against Baldwin and gunsmith Hannah Gutierrez-Reid.

Baldwin pleaded not guilty to one count of involuntary manslaughter. The actor said he relied on experts — Gutierrez-Reid and Hall — to make sure the gun was safe to use.

Gutierrez-Reid, who was in charge of firearms safety and actor training, also pleaded not guilty, her attorney said.

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