Lenient plea deal offered to Alec Baldwin withdrawn by prosecutors

Alec Baldwin was presented with a deal last October to plead guilty to a misdemeanor, which would potentially spare him from serving any jail time, in connection with the accidental shooting on the set of “Rust,” as per a filing released on Friday.

However, before Baldwin could contemplate accepting the terms, prosecutors retracted the offer and informed his legal team that they intended to pursue an indictment against him, according to the filing.

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Baldwin's Indictment and Potential Trial Outcome

In January, Baldwin was formally charged with involuntary manslaughter, a felony, in connection with the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins. If convicted at trial in July, he could potentially face up to 18 months behind bars.

Hundreds of pages of documents were made public on Friday as part of Baldwin’s attempt to dismiss the case. According to the records, special prosecutor Kari Morrissey extended a plea deal identical to the petty misdemeanor agreement accepted by Dave Halls.

Contrasting Legal Outcomes for Halls and Baldwin

Halls, the former first assistant director on the set of Rust, avoided imprisonment after pleading guilty last year to negligent handling of a deadly weapon. Instead, he received a sentence of six months of unsupervised probation, a $500 fine, 24 hours of community service, and an obligation to complete a firearm safety course.

According to the filing, the plea offer was extended on October 5, with Baldwin having until October 27 to consider it. However, on October 17, prosecutors notified Baldwin’s attorney that the offer was rescinded, and they were moving forward with presenting the case to the grand jury.

Baldwin’s legal team has levied a series of accusations against the New Mexico prosecutors, seeking the dismissal of the case. One allegation includes asserting that Morrissey, the principal prosecutor, habitually disclosed confidential details regarding the grand jury proceedings to a reporter from NBC News.

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