Civil case against Alec Baldwin, 'Rust' movie producers advances toward a trial
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Nearly two years after actor Alec Baldwin was cleared of criminal charges in the “Rust” movie shooting death, a long simmering civil negligence case is inching toward a trial this fall.On Friday, a Los Angeles Superior Court judge denied a summary judgment motion requested by the film producers Rust Movie Productions LLC, as well as actor-producer Baldwin and his firm El Dorado Pictures to dismiss the case.During a hearing, Superior Court Judge Maurice Leiter set an Oct.12 trial date.
The negligence suit was brought more than four years ago by Serge Svetnoy, who served as the chief lighting technician on the problem-plagued western film.Svetnoy was close friends with cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and held her in his arms as she lay dying on the floor of the New Mexico movie set.
Baldwin’s firearm had discharged, launching a .45 caliber bullet, which struck and killed her.Svetnoy was the first crew member of the ill-fated western to bring a lawsuit against the producers, alleging they were negligent in Hutchins’ October 2021 death.He maintains he has suffered trauma in the years since.
In addition to negligence, his lawsuit also accuses the producers of intentional infliction of emotional distress.Prosecutors dropped criminal charges against Baldwin, who has long maintained he was not responsible for Hutchins’ death.“We are pleased with the Court’s decision denying the motions for summary judgment filed by Rust Movie Productions and Mr.
Baldwin,” lawyers Gary Dordick and John Upton, who represent Svetnoy, said in a statement following the hearing.“He looks forward to finally having his day in court on this long-pending matter.” Movies Halyna Hutchins, the cinematographer killed on set of an Alec Baldwin movie, was going to be ‘very famous,’ a director who worked with her said.The judge denied the defendants’ request to dismiss the negligence, emotio...