'Rust' set manager convicted in death of cinematographer

A Santa Fe judge on Friday accepted a plea deal, bringing the first conviction for the 2021 shooting death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins during filming of the Western movie "Rust" in New Mexico.

Dave Halls, first assistant director on "Rust," pleaded no contest as part of an agreement with prosecutors to the misdemeanor charge of negligent use of a deadly weapon for his role in Hutchins' death.

Santa Fe District Court Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer presided over a virtual hearing in Halls' case Friday. She sentenced Halls, who was responsible for on-set safety, to a six-month suspended sentence with unsupervised probation, a $500 fine, 24 hours of community service and a firearms safety class.

Hutchins was killed when actor Alec Baldwin fired a live round from a revolver while rehearsing. As first assistant director, prosecutors said Halls was responsible for set safety on "Rust."

The conviction marked a step forward for state prosecutors plagued by legal setbacks since they filed charges in January.

"Halls did not check every round in the gun to confirm it was a dummy round and not a live round," state prosecutor Kari Morrissey said during the plea hearing.

Halls, an industry-veteran with over 80 credits including "The Matrix Reloaded" and "The Crow: Salvation," was the only member of the "Rust" cast and crew to enter a plea bargain. Prosecutors said he approached them and was cooperative.

It remains unclear whether he will testify on behalf of the prosecution in a May preliminary hearing where Marlowe Sommer will decide whether there is probable cause to try Baldwin and armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed.

Baldwin pleaded not guilty to a criminal charge of involuntary manslaughter. The actor said he relied on weapons experts - Gutierrez-Reed and Halls - to ensure the firearm was safe to use.

Gutierrez-Reed, who was responsible for firearm safety and training, will also plead not guilty, according to her lawyer.

Baldwin and Gutierrez-Reed are the only others charged in the case.