As day two of Alec Baldwin’s criminal trial commences, his defense team is gearing up to challenge the government’s handling of the firearm central to the shooting incident involving cinematographer Halyna Hutchins.
The court proceedings were adjourned late on Wednesday as prosecutors questioned a crime scene technician from the sheriff’s department who was present at the 'Rust' film shooting location in October 2021.
The technician revealed that the firearm in question had been sent to the FBI for forensic analysis but was returned to local investigators in a disassembled state. It was reported that certain components of the gun had broken apart during the FBI testing process.
In pre-trial motions, Baldwin’s legal team criticized the testing methods employed by state investigators, contending that the destruction of the gun hindered their ability to replicate the FBI’s testing procedures. These procedures had concluded that the firearm could not discharge without the trigger being pulled.
Baldwin has consistently maintained that he did not pull the trigger of the gun. His defense attorneys are expected to focus on the testing protocols during their cross-examination of the witness scheduled for this morning.
