Opening statements to give roadmap to involuntary manslaughter case against Alec Baldwin

A jury is set to hear opening statements Wednesday at the involuntary manslaughter trial of Alec Baldwin in the fatal shooting of a cinematographer, a trial that will delve into the confluence of gun safety, high-wattage celebrity and a low-budget Western movie on a remote ranch set.

A jury is set to hear opening statements Wednesday at the involuntary manslaughter trial of Alec Baldwin in the fatal shooting of a cinematographer, a trial that will delve into the confluence of gun safety, high-wattage celebrity and a low-budget Western movie on a remote ranch set.

Prosecutors and defence attorneys selected 16 jurors -- 11 women and five men -- on Tuesday, seating a jury from a region with strong currents of gun ownership and safety informed by backcountry hunting. Four of the jurors will be deemed alternates while the other 12 deliberate once they get the case.

The shooting death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, a 42-year-old rising star in her craft, nearly three years ago sent shock waves through the film industry and led to one felony charge against Baldwin that could result in up to 18 months in prison.

Baldwin has pleaded not guilty as he returns to the desert Southwest for the trial at a downtown courthouse in Santa Fe, a short drive from the movie-ranch setting of scenes from "Rust."

Baldwin has claimed the gun fired accidentally after he followed instructions to point it toward Hutchins, who was behind the camera. Unaware that it was loaded with a live round, he said he pulled back the hammer -- not the trigger -- and it fired.

Prosecutors say they'll present evidence that Baldwin went "off script" and failed to follow basic industry standards for firearms safety when he pointed the firearm at Hutchins on Oct. 21, 2021.

"At the end of the day, the prosecutor's main theory is that this was a gun involved, and Baldwin had a gun in his hand, and it doesn't matter if it's a film set or hunting safety class, you're responsible for what comes out of the end of the barrel," said John Day, a Santa Fe-based defence attorney and former prosecutor.