Alec Baldwin 'Rust' shooting trial jury selection

Alec Baldwin exits the courthouse after appearing in court during a pretrial hearing on July 8 ahead of jury selection. (Photo by Frederic J. Brown / AFP via Getty Images)

Three of the potential jurors in Alec Baldwin’s “Rust” shooting trial shared strong views on gun safety during jury selection Tuesday.

Baldwin’s attorney Alex Spiro requested the group share their views during his 50 minute voir dire.

"I was always taught to always double check," a woman said.

A man added, "I was taught a firearm needs to be treated as loaded all the time and you never point it at another person.”

"Treat any gun real or fake as a loaded gun," another potential juror said.

Spiro also asked the group if anyone has leanings toward law enforcement or police where they think they're more likely to accept the word of a prosecutor than an average person. He added that sometimes people bring cases for good reasons and bad and asked if any potential juror had an issue with this concept.

Juror number 68 admitted she has worked with prosecutors, police officers and court people in her profession but claimed it doesn't make it hard to be fair and impartial in a case where their credibility is being questioned.

Fox News Digital's Rebecca Rosenberg contributed to this report.

Alec Baldwin arrives for jury selection in his trial for involuntary manslaughter on July 9. (Photo by Frederic J. Brown / AFP via Getty Images)

Following Special Prosecutor Kari Morrissey’s voir dire, Alec Baldwin’s lawyer Alex Spiro began questioning the remaining 68 potential jurors.

The New York City-based defense attorney started by reminding the group that the famous actor, who is being tried on an involuntary manslaughter charge, is still a “real person” as he explained the definition of prejudice.

"There's a man who's sitting here who has his day in court now, finally, Alec Baldwin, and so he's obviously not just a person in the media. He's a real person,” Spiro told the potential jurors.

Spiro asked everyone if they had seen Baldwin in a movie or comedy show they didn't like and would hold that against him.

The lawyer emphasized the jury would need to give him "unequivocal assurance just because something tragic happened" everyone can still listen to the law.

Baldwin gained fame in the 1980s after starring in soap operas such as “The Doctors” and “Knots Landing.” The actor starred alongside Geena Davis and Michael Keaton in “Beetlejuice” for his big breakthrough role.

The actor is most known for “30 Rock,” “It’s Complicated,” “Glengarry Glen Ross” and “The Departed.”

Fox News Digital's Rebecca Rosenberg contributed to this report.

Two of the potential jurors for Alec Baldwin’s “Rust” shooting trial claimed they hadn’t seen any press coverage of the nearly two-year long investigation during Tuesday’s jury selection.

Special prosecutor Kari Morrissey seemingly focused on each jurors news consumption as she prepares to try the famous actor for involuntary manslaughter.

Juror number 27 revealed they were one of two people who had not seen any news about the on-set shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins. Juror number 41 also claimed they had not seen any press coverage leading up to the shooting trial.

Baldwin made headlines after a gun fired on the set of the Western film, killing the cinematographer. The “30 Rock” actor had been holding the gun when it discharged.

The shooting was widely covered by the media along with the trial of “Rust” armorer Hannah Gutierrez Reed. She was convicted of involuntary manslaughter on March 6 and sentenced to 18 months in prison.

Fox News Digital's Rebecca Rosenberg contributed to this report.

Special prosecutor Kari Morrissey speaks during a pretrial hearing in Santa Fe, New Mexico, on July 8. (Photo by Ross D. Franklin / POOL / AFP)

Special prosecutor Kari Morrissey was allotted 50 minutes to voir dire.

Once Morrissey took over questioning from Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer, she focused on asking the potential juror pool about their press coverage consumption, gun ownership and whether they work in the film industry or know anyone who does. Although not every juror is asked each question.

Juror number 52 told Morrissey: "I'm not a big fan of the news.”

Morrissey replied, "That makes two of us."

A handful of the potential jurors did not own guns and others admitted they want more regulations on firearms.

The prosecution’s questioning came after the judge initially quizzed the potential pool of 70 jurors.

One juror revealed she uses marijuana when asked by Judge Sommer if she suffers from an undue hardship that might affect her ability to sit on the jury.

"We're talking about whether you can sit on this case for an undue hardship," Sommer explained.

She replied, "No, if I can take my marijuana.”

"How often do you have to take that?" Sommer questioned.

"Every morning,” the potential juror replied, before adding, “I didn't take it this morning because I knew I was driving."

The revelation did not cause the judge to excuse the juror for Alec Baldwin's shooting trial.

Fox News Digital's Rebecca Rosenberg contributed to this report.

Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer kicked off the jury selection process in the Alec Baldwin "Rust" shooting trial by asking a pool of potential jurors if they felt they can't be impartial about the case.

One potential juror responded, "I have read the case extensively and looked at it and reviewed it and don't feel I can be fair."

Another possible member of the jury said they can't, "due to biases regarding unions." They also noted they would be very biased towards Baldwin. Both jurors were dismissed leaving 68 potential jurors remaining.

Judge Sommer told the potential jurors that the trial would last more than one week, and asked if the timing would cause any undue hardships.

Moments later, Special Prosecutor Kari Morrissey and Baldwin's defense attorney Alex Spiro had a sidebar with the judge and two potential jurors were excused.

Baldwin faces up to 18 months in prison if convicted of involuntary manslaughter.

Fox News Digital's Rebecca Rosenberg contributed to this report.

Stephen Baldwin arrives at the Santa Fe, New Mexico courthouse July 9. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

Actor Stephen Baldwin was spotted entering the courtroom Tuesday ahead of brother Alec Baldwin’s involuntary manslaughter trial in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Stephen, 58, arrived shortly after Alec and his wife Hilaria showed up at the courthouse in a pair of black SUVs for jury selection.

The Baldwin clan appears to be rallying behind Alec, 66, who could go to prison for up to 18 months if convicted at trial. Stephen is one of five Baldwin siblings.

Stephen’s acting career has been quiet recently, but he had a streak of hit films in the ‘90s including “The Usual Suspects,” “Posse” and “8 Seconds.”

Baldwin's daughter, Hailey Bieber, is pregnant and expecting her first child with husband Justin Bieber.

Alec Baldwin was in the court room as Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer began the jury selection process Tuesday.

A two-hour delay was due to technical issues and heat in the courtroom, and proceedings continued after the court switched rooms.

Judge Sommer told the potential jurors that if chosen, "you will decide whether Mr. Baldwin is guilty or not guilty."

Baldwin faces up to 18 months in prison if convicted of involuntary manslaughter in the shooting death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins.

Fox News Digital's Rebecca Rosenberg contributed to this report.

Judge Jeanine Pirro gave insight on Alec Baldwin's "Rust" trial as jury selection began Tuesday in New Mexico.

Pirro told "America's Newsroom" that Baldwin's case began with "an age old problem."

"First of all, you never speak to the press. You never do interviews when there's a death involved. I mean, you can call it an accident, but just because it's an accident doesn't mean it isn't a type of homicide," she said.

"Understand one thing, the armorer, Hannah Gutierrez Reed -- she was charged as the armorer, with involuntary manslaughter. She was convicted. She was convicted and the same experts that they used in that Hannah Gutierrez Reed trial, they will be using in Alec Baldwin's trial."

Gutierrez Reed is currently serving an 18-month prison sentence.

Pirro noted there could be a "culture clash" in the court room between Baldwin's high-end New York lawyers and the small-town prosecutors in Santa Fe.

"The case is significant because it not only represents the death of an individual at a movie set, which is horrific in itself, but it represents the whole issue as to whether or not these kinds of guns, these prop guns, that were supposed to be cold, in other words that didn't have a live round in them, can be responsible, can be used on a movie set," Pirro said.

"There should not have been any live rounds anywhere near that set. But we know that there were people who walked off that set, walked off of it because of the danger that was involved in live rounds being shot at that location as well."

Alec Baldwin on 'Rust' set

Alec Baldwin could be "a liability" for his own defense, but compromised key evidence could help him beat the case, legal experts tell Fox News Digital.

Lawyer Todd Spodek said the "30 Rock" star could well blow his top — and his defense — if he takes the stand.

"It’s incredibly risky if he testifies," Spodek told Fox News Digital. "He’s always having outbursts. He’s someone who isn’t in control of his emotions and is extremely volatile."

Defense attorney Mark Bederow agreed with Spodek and added that prosecutors will seek to tear Baldwin apart for the contradictory accounts of the accident he gave in interviews to the media and police.

"He is in New Mexico, which is a long way from Hollywood and New York," Bederow noted. "There is a real risk that a New Mexico jury may find him insincere and insufferable."

Read more about what legal experts believe Alec Baldwin's next move could be in his "Rust" trial.

"Rust" Cinematographer Halyna Hutchins (Getty Images)

Halyna Hutchins was the Ukrainian-born cinematographer who lost her life from the prop gun incident on the set of “Rust.”

She was fatally shot in October 2021 by the prop gun in Alec Baldwin’s hand that unknowingly contained a live round.

Halyna was born in Ukraine and grew up on a Soviet military base in the Arctic Circle, according to her biography. She earned a graduate degree in journalism from Kyiv National University and worked as an investigative journalist in Europe before moving to Los Angeles to pursue her career. Her family, however, remained in Kyiv. 

The cinematographer worked on several films before “Rust,” including “Archenemy” (2020) and “The Mad Hatter” (2021).

Halyna’s death had a deep impact on the film industry. After her passing, the American Film Institute tweeted, “As is profoundly true in the art of cinematography, words alone cannot capture the loss of one so dear to the AFI community. At AFI, we pledge to see that Halyna Hutchins will live on in the spirit of all who strive to see their dreams realized in stories well told.”

She also left behind a legacy as a wife and mother. Halyna and her husband, Matthew, had one son, Andros, who was nine years old at the time of her death.

Fox News Digital's Breana Scheckwitz contributed to this report.

"Rust" filming location, Bonanza Creek Ranch (Getty Images)

It’s still not clear how a live bullet ended up on the set of “Rust,” but prosecutors argued the film’s armorer Hannah Gutierrez Reed unknowingly brought the rounds onto the set – leading to the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins. The armorer was also accused of putting the cast and crew at risk by not enforcing industry safety protocols on the Western set.

Gutierrez Reed was hired as the armorer along with the role of prop assistant by producers of the movie. She had recently completed work on Nicolas Cage’s “The Old Way.”

Hutchins died on set after a gun loaded by Gutierrez Reed discharged. Actor Alec Baldwin had been filming a close-up shot with the gun at the time of the shooting. Gutierrez Reed’s lawyer argued she was not able to focus on her armorer duties due to her two jobs on set.

Gutierrez Reed was convicted of involuntary manslaughter in March. The “Rust” armorer was sentenced to the maximum of 18 months in prison.

Alec Baldwin’s wife, Hilaria, accompanied the "Rust" actor to court Tuesday for the start of his involuntary manslaughter trial.

The pair arrived at the New Mexico courthouse in separate black SUVs. Baldwin stepped out of the second vehicle with his attorney Alex Spiro.

As the “30 Rock” star walked toward the first SUV to meet his wife, he shooed away a reporter with a legal pad who got too close to the vehicle.

Hilaria, donning a tan pantsuit and oversized glasses, stepped out of the first SUV and handed her baby to another woman then followed her husband into the First Judicial District Court where jury selection is slated to get underway Tuesday morning.

Alec and Hilaria recently celebrated their 12th wedding anniversary. The couple has seven children.

Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer (Getty Images)

The judge overseeing Alec Baldwin’s involuntary manslaughter case is Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer, a judge in the First Judicial District of New Mexico.

She was appointed to the court in March 2010 by Governor Bill Richardson and was elected that November. She later served as Chief Justice of the 1st Judicial Court for five years, from 2017 to 2022.

Before her appointment by Governor Richardson, Judge Marlowe Sommer served as a child support hearing officer starting in 2008, was a partner and shareholder at the Marlowe Law Firm, and served as an assistant attorney general with the New Mexico Attorney General’s Office.

Marlowe Sommer received her law degree from George Mason University, Antonin Scalia Law School, in 1983.

Judge Marlowe Sommer also ruled in the case against “Rust” armorer, Hannah Gutierrez Reed, who was sentenced to 18 months in prison.

Fox News Digital's Lori A. Bashian contributed to this report.

Alec Baldwin arrived in court Tuesday to begin the jury selection process on the first day of his involuntary manslaughter trial.

Baldwin was charged with involuntary manslaughter in connection to the death of Halyna Hutchins. 

The cinematographer died Oct. 21, 2021 after a gun Baldwin was holding discharged on the "Rust" film set.

The trial is expected to last through July 19. If convicted, Baldwin faces up to 18 months in prison.

Alec Baldwin was charged with two counts of involuntary manslaughter – involuntary manslaughter, negligent use of a firearm, or, in the alternative, involuntary manslaughter without due caution or circumspection – on January 19, 2024.

The actor was originally charged in January 2023, but the involuntary manslaughter charge was dropped in April 2023.

“We look forward to our day in court,” Baldwin’s legal team, Alex Spiro and Luke Nikas, told Fox News Digital in a statement at the time.

The involuntary manslaughter charge stemmed from the on-set death of Halyna Hutchins. The “Rust” cinematographer died after a gun Baldwin was holding discharged. Hutchins and Baldwin had been practicing a close-up shot where the “It’s Complicated” actor had to cross draw a revolver when the gun fired inside a small church on the Bonanza Creek Ranch.

The gun used in the shooting was later destroyed by the FBI during ballistics testing.

Baldwin attempted to use the destruction of evidence to have the case dismissed, but a judge denied the request.

Alec Baldwin (Getty Images)

Alec Baldwin, American actor, writer, comedian and film producer, is on trial for the charge of involuntary manslaughter in the death of Halyna Hutchins that occurred on the set of “Rust” in October 2021. 

He is best known for his roles in “The Departed” (2006), “It’s Complicated” (2009), “The Cooler” (2003) and “Glengarry Glen Ross” (1992), according to his IMDB profile. He is also recognized for performances on “Saturday Night Live” and his role in the television series “30 Rock.” 

As an actor, he has received numerous awards including the Screen Actors Guild Award for outstanding performance by an ensemble in a comedy series in 2009 for his role in “30 Rock.” He has won Emmys for outstanding supporting actor in a comedy series in 2017 and outstanding lead actor in a comedy series in 2008 and 2009. Alec also won several Golden Globe Awards for best actor.

Alec is married to Hilaria Baldwin and they share seven children. He is also father to Ireland Baldwin from his previous marriage to Kim Basinger.

Baldwin fulfilled several responsibilities on the set of “Rust.” He not only starred, but was also a producer on the film. It was on this movie set that the gun in his hand went off and killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins.

Alec Baldwin is facing charges of involuntary manslaughter. 

Fox News Digital's Breana Scheckwitz contributed to this report.