'Rust' armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed gets 18 months in prison. Max sentence 'does not bode well' for Alec Baldwin, says expert.
Rust armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed was sentenced to 18 months in prison in the killing of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins. Gutierrez-Reed, who was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter in March, was given the maximum sentence, as the judge agreed with prosecutors that she appeared to show no remorse for her role in the fatal accident.
"The word 'remorse,' a deep regret coming from a sense of guilt for past wrongs ... that's not you," Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer said.
Hutchins was killed on Oct. 21, 2021, when a gun that actor Alec Baldwin was holding discharged a live round. As the film's weapons handler, Gutierrez-Reed was responsible for live ammunition being on set, and, ultimately, loaded in the .45-caliber revolver.
👩⚖️ Gutierrez-Reed cried before judge delivered sentence as defense sought a conditional discharge
She addressed the court and said "my heart aches for Hutchins and her friends and family, according to NBC News. She called Hutchins an "inspiration."
"I beg you, please, don't give me more time," Gutierrez-Reed said.
Gutierrez-Reed's lawyers hoped the judge would factor in her "complete lack of prior criminal history," Fox News reported. A conditional discharge is not a conviction under New Mexico law.
"A conditional discharge will require Ms. Gutierrez-Reed to abide by all set conditions during any term of a probationary period and to undergo all counseling and rehabilitative efforts this court requires," Gutierrez-Reed's attorneys said in documents.
⚖️ Prosecutors sought maximum penalty of 18 months in prison
In a court filing obtained by NBC News, prosecutors highlighted that Gutierrez-Reed called jurors who convicted her "idiots" and "assholes" in recorded phone calls from jail. She lamented they only took two hours to deliberate. Prosecutors argued Gutierrez-Reed's attitude in the calls to her mother, her boyfriend and her legal team showed a "complete and total failure to accept responsibility for her actions."
This was one of the first things prosecutors discussed in court on Monday as they made their case for a maximum sentence before the judge. The judge clearly agreed.
Prosecutors also noted in their court filing that Gutierrez-Reed "wants them to put Alec Baldwin in jail also." She purportedly claimed if she's subpoenaed to show up for Baldwin's trial she will not go because he "didn't show up for her," according to NBC.
📝 Court heard emotional impact statements
Rust director Joel Souza, who was injured in the shooting, was among those who spoke.
"One moment the world made sense, and the next moment, it didn't. It still doesn't, and I don't know if it ever will again," he said through a virtual call, CBS News reported. "Those of us who were lucky enough to have shared in her [Hutchins's] fleeting time on this planet are better for it."
Two of Hutchins's friends and her former agent also addressed the court. Attorney Gloria Allred read a statement from Hutchins's mother, Olga, who also appeared in a video recorded from Ukraine. "It's the hardest thing to lose a child," she said. "And time does not heal. It is two-and-a-half years past, and it gets worse and worse."
🔮 What does this signal for Baldwin?
Experts previously told Yahoo the outcome of this trial was important to Baldwin — and they believe that holds true today.
"Ms. Gutierrez-Reed's sentence provides insight into how the trial judge views the seriousness of this somewhat unusual offense. Even if Ms. Gutierrez-Reed did not intend to hurt anyone, the fact that her actions resulted in Ms. Hutchins's death likely contributed to the significant sentence," attorney Mark Sedlander, of L.A. law firm Mancini Shenk, told Yahoo after the ruling.
"The same reasoning may apply to Mr. Baldwin if he is convicted. Judges tend to want to avoid sentencing disparities between similarly situated defendants. A serious sentence of incarceration for Ms. Gutierrez-Reed does not bode well for Mr. Baldwin," Sedlander continued. "While Mr. Baldwin is still presumed innocent, Ms. Gutierrez-Reed's sentence will likely be top of mind as Mr. Baldwin prepares for trial."
However, Sedlander noted that as an actor and producer, Baldwin is "less directly implicated" than Gutierrez-Reed as the set's armorer.
"The judge may consider him less culpable than Ms. Gutierrez-Reed if he is convicted. But after today’s sentencing of Ms. Gutierrez-Reed, a sentence of incarceration is more likely for Mr. Baldwin if he is convicted," Sedlander concluded.
Baldwin's manslaughter trial is set for July 10.
