Judge rules civil case against Alec Baldwin for 'Rust' shooting can go to trial

A Los Angeles judge ruled Friday that a civil case against Hollywood star Alec Baldwin can go to trial later this year for his alleged role in a fatal shooting on the set of the film "Rust" in 2021.

Baldwin was previously charged with involuntarily manslaughter in New Mexico for allegedly pulling the trigger on a prop gun that went off and killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, but the criminal charge was later dismissed. 

Serge Svetnoy, the lead lighting technician on “Rust,” sued Baldwin in November 2021 for punitive damages, negligence, assault and intentional infliction of emotional distress, according to NBC News. 

Svetnoy alleged that he narrowly missed being hit by a bullet on set that day and that cost-cutting measures meant Baldwin and others on the set “were consciously aware of the wrongfulness and harmfulness of their conduct.”

Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Maurice Leiter ruled the case could move to trial this fall because “a reasonable jury could find that Mr. Baldwin recklessly disregarded the probability that pointing a gun in the direction of someone, with his finger on the trigger, would cause emotional distress.”

Leiter did dismiss Svetnoy’s assault claim because he failed to prove Baldwin intended to hurt him or others on the set. 

Baldwin has maintained that he never pulled the trigger, but has not commented on the civil case so far.

The case is expected to go to trial on Oct. 12 if Svetnoy, Baldwin and Rust Movie Productions do not reach a settlement.

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.