Nearly two years after manslaughter charges against him were dismissed, Alec Baldwin is now set to face a new civil lawsuit over the 2021 Rust set shooting.
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The Daily Mail reports that Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Maurice Leiter ruled on Friday that a civil lawsuit brought by Rust gaffer Serge Svetnoy will proceed. The suit will determine if Baldwin negligently fired a leaded revolver on the western film set. The incident led to the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins. Rust director, Joel Souza, was also shot, but survived.
Baldwin has long maintained that he didn’t know the weapon he was holding had live rounds in it.
Svetnoy is suing Baldwin and Rust’s production company for inflicting emotional distress on him. He had heard a loud blast from the gunshot and felt a gust of air as the bullet was fired. However, he was not injured in the shooting.
The gaffer further claimed that he was assaulted in the incident. However, the judge dismissed part of the lawsuit.
Judge Leiter Speaks out About His Decision to Allow the Lawsuit to Move Forward
While disclosing details about his decision, Judge Leiter wrote, “A reasonable jury could find that Mr. Baldwin recklessly disregarded the probability that pointing a gun in the direction of someone, with the finger on the trigger, would cause emotional distress.”
Regarding the dismissal of Svetnoy’s assault allegations, Judge Leiter stated that he had “not shown that a reasonable jury could find for Plaintiff on the intent element of an assault claim.”
Meanwhile, Judge Leiter further wrote that Baldwin and the film production had “met their initial burden” following the claim that there was no evidence that the actor/the film’s producer had intended to harm anyone.
In a statement, Svetnoy’s attorney, John M. Upton, said he was “pleased” with the court decision to deny motions for summary judgment brought by Rust Movie Production and Baldwin.
“These rulings enable our client to present his case at a jury trial, now scheduled for October,” Upton stated. “[Svetnoy] looks forward to finally having his day in court on this long-pending matter.”
Judge Lieter has set the trial for October 12, unless a settlement can be reached beforehand. “I’m a little concerned about this case going on and on and on,” he said. “When it should be coming to a resolution.”
Baldwin previously opened up about the incident. He stated, “It’s taken 10 years of my life – it’s taken at least 10 years off my life.”
“I can tell you, it broke every nerve in my body,” Baldwin noted. “Spiritually, financially, work-wise, my career, my wife, my kids, my friends, my health.”
He then added to having suicidal ideations in the wake of the incident.