New Mexico.- Sixteen jurors have been impaneled for the manslaughter trial of Alec Baldwin in New Mexico, where opening statements are scheduled to begin Wednesday.
Five men and 11 women were chosen by Santa Fe County special prosecutors and the actor’s defense team. Twelve will be appointed as jurors and four as alternates by the court only after they hear the case.
They will be tasked with deciding whether Baldwin committed the crime when, during a rehearsal in October 2021, a revolver went off while aimed at cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, killing her and wounding director Joel Souza. They were on the set of the Western film Rust, at Bonanza Creek Ranch, about 18 miles from where the trial is taking place.
Members of the media were not allowed into the courtroom as attorneys used their objections to strike jurors. Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer swore in the jury and asked that they avoid news about the case.
Baldwin, 66, could face up to 18 months in prison if the jury unanimously finds him guilty, putting the actor’s career in jeopardy.
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