"Rust" armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed's testimony in Alec Baldwin's involuntary manslaughter trial could be delayed.
Gutierrez-Reed's attorney, Jason Bowles, initially told NBC News that prosecutors expected to call her to the stand Friday. However, Friday morning, Bowles said prosecutor Kari T. Morrissey called him and let him know that they are "running behind" and "aren't sure whether they will call Reed to the stand today."
Reed is serving an 18-month sentence at the Western New Mexico Correctional Facility after she was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter for her role in the shooting death of the film’s cinematographer, Halyna Hutchins. She has already been transferred to Santa Fe, where the trial is being held.
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Prosecutors declined to comment. Baldwin, who held the gun that fired the fatal bullet, could face an 18-month sentence if convicted.
Gutierrez-Reed, who was responsible for overseeing the weapons on the film set, said during a pretrial interview in May that she was unwilling to cooperate in Baldwin’s trial and did not want to testify.
Earlier this week, NBC News spoke with former New Mexico prosecutor Jennifer Burrill, who said it will be difficult for the former armorer to plead the Fifth Amendment on each question.
“You can’t plead the Fifth blanket on every question,” Burrill said. “It’s dependent on the question [if it’s] something that could impact her if she gets a new trial. Then yes, she can plead the Fifth.”
Gutierrez-Reed was charged with involuntary manslaughter and tampering with evidence in March. She was acquitted on the latter.
During Baldwin’s trial, the prosecution intends to call several witnesses who were on set when the fatal shooting occurred. Dave Halls, the assistant director who pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor charge of negligent use of a deadly weapon and was sentenced to six months of unsupervised probation, is expected to take the stand.
In interviews, Baldwin has said that Halls declared the gun “cold,” meaning it had no live ammunition before it was handed to the actor.
It’s a point that Baldwin’s lawyers made during their opening statement on Wednesday, and they even played a portion of the 911 call made that day in which the film’s script supervisor can be heard blaming Halls: “He’s supposed to check the guns. He’s responsible for what happened!”
It’s not clear whether Baldwin will take the stand in his own defense. His legal team has not responded when asked for comment by NBC News.
The trial is expected to take eight days, with closing arguments expected July 19.
