Two jurors involved in Alec Baldwin's "Rust" case, which was dismissed last week, are speaking out about their experiences and thoughts on the prosecution's case. Baldwin, the 66-year-old "30 Rock" alum, faced criminal charges nearly three years after the fatal incident on the set of "Rust" that resulted in the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and the injury of director Joel Souza.
Gabriela Picayo and Johanna Haag, who served as jurors, shared their doubts about the strength of the prosecution's case in an interview with The New York Times. Their insights provide a deeper understanding of the case's dynamics and the factors leading to its dismissal.
Johanna Haag, known as juror No. 7, works in the advertising and marketing field. She recalled the prosecution showing the jury emotional law enforcement footage of the aftermath of the shooting. Haag described Baldwin as looking "shocked and stunned and so sad," which influenced her perception of the incident.
"As the week went by, it just didn’t seem like a very strong case," Haag told The Times. "It was clearly an accident, and the idea that there’s anything purposeful, or the idea that there was this grave carelessness that caused this, didn’t seem realistic to me."
Similarly, Gabriela Picayo, a scientist who served as juror No. 9, believed that Baldwin, as an actor, should not have been expected to have extensive knowledge of gun safety. She emphasized that Baldwin should have trusted the experts on set to ensure safety.
“I think he would have trusted the people, you know, on the set to do their job," Picayo said. She also reflected on the conviction of Rust armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed for involuntary manslaughter. “I’m still here, I’m still open to hearing and obviously trying to stay unbiased,” she said, “but I was starting to move towards the direction of thinking that this was very silly and he should not be on trial.”
Despite her initial leanings against convicting Baldwin, Picayo acknowledged that she "wasn’t presented with all of the evidence, so I don’t know what could have swayed me."
The case against Baldwin was ultimately dismissed after his lawyer, Luke Nikas, argued that the prosecution had buried "critical" evidence. This evidence, ammunition discovered by a man named Troy Teske, a friend of the father of the convicted Rust armorer, was not disclosed to the defense.
“At that point, I really started to feel sorry for Mr. Baldwin,” Haag said. “I thought, you know, ‘What’s going on here? What is happening?’ ”
The dismissal of the case came as a surprise to the jurors. They found out only after being sent home and receiving a text message from the court that read "Trail CANCELLED," with the word "trial" misspelled.
This development has sparked discussions about the handling of the case and the implications for Baldwin and others involved. As the legal proceedings conclude, the reflections of the jurors provide a glimpse into the complexities and challenges of this high-profile case.
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