Alec Baldwin’s Armorer Targeted With Maximum Sentence for “Rust” Shooting
The judge said armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed was entirely to blame for a gun being loaded with a real bullet. Will Baldwin get off in his trial and prove there are two systems of justice in America?
I’ve defended Alec Baldwin’s movie armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed since the 2021 “Rust” movie shooting. I believe — like many of you — that the person holding a gun should be entirely to blame for not following the basic safety rules.
However, a jury and now a judge have decided that Reed is fully responsible and should get the maximum sentence of 18 months in prison.
Does this mean Baldwin will get off in his upcoming jury trial— and does that show there are two systems of justice in America?
Or will Baldwin face the same punishment if he’s found guilty? Do you think he’s scared?
Let’s discuss in the comments... Keep reading for what happened in court on Monday.
Judge Throws the Book:
Reed said to the judge in her allocution: “I beg you, please don’t give me more time.”
She was convicted last month of involuntary manslaughter (story here) for the death of Halyna Hutchins. She has been in jail since then.
Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer was unsympathetic to Reed, saying:
You were the armorer, the one that stood between a safe weapon and a weapon that could kill someone. You alone turned a safe weapon into a lethal weapon.
But for you, Ms. Hutchins would be alive, a husband would have his partner and a little boy would have his mother.”
Sommer then ordered Reed to be taken to prison.
Before her ruling, the judge said there were three options. Reed could get probation and be released. Sommer said that was not on the table because Reed lacked remorse.
Your lawyer had to say you were remorseful
The judge also considered letting her stay in jail for a total of 12 months and “not experience prison.” Sommer said to Reed, “This would give you a pass you do not deserve.”
Lack of Remorse?
Reed cried during her allocution when saying the media has portrayed her as a monster. She said that is the “total opposite of what’s been in my heart.”
Reed asked the judge for probation. She was 24 at the time of the 2021 shooting and told the judge that she was “young and naive” but took her job as seriously as she knew how. She said she performed well despite not having the “proper time, resources and staffing.”
“She has truly felt remorse,” her lawyer Jason Bowles added after Reed finished speaking. Bowles also reminded the judge that Baldwin will be on trial on the same charge in July for his role in the tragedy.
The judge pointed out that Reed did not say in her allocution that she was sorry for her actions. “Your lawyer had to say you were remorseful,” said Sommer.
Jailhouse Phone Calls
The judge made her ruling partly on Reed’s jailhouse phone calls that prosecutor Kari T. Morrissey released in summaries. The prosecution said that Reed never expressed remorse on more than 200 calls.
The calls are not transcribed, but these are some key ones that were used against her. (Each line is a different call, I just moved them around for similar issues.)
Hannah said that she didn’t need to be shaking the dummies all the time.
Hannah is dismissive of the judge talking about someone dying as a reult of her actions.
Hannah says that she can’t believe the judge put her in jail
Hannah says that the judge is terrible and on a power trip.
“When they say a jury of your peers, they mean f—king retards,” said Hannah.
She also said the jury didn’t look at the evidnce and are “a—-holes.”
In another call, she said the jury “was so f—-ing stupid” and couldn’t tell what was happening.
You alone turned a safe weapon into a lethal weapon.
The judge read this one directly:
Hannah says that people have accidents and people die, it’s an unfortunate part of life, but it doesn’t mean she should be in jail.
Other calls are interesting for going forward:
Hannah want them to put Alec Baldin in jail too.
Hannah said if she is subpoenaed to Baldwin’s trial, she will not show up
You can read all the jailhouse call summaries in the document that I put at the bottom for paid subscribers.
Emotional Sentencing
The prosecution said Reed deserves the maximum sentence because she brought the real ammunition (“live rounds”) to the set and didn’t properly check the gun before giving it to Baldwin.
The prosecution presented testimony and videos from Hutchins’s friends, coworkers, and family. They said they wanted justice, missed Hutchins and loved her. Hutchins’s husband and son were not shown on video and did not seem to be in court.
Gloria Allred spoke in court as the lawyer for Halyna’s parents and sister. They are suing Baldwin for her death.
By video, Halyna's mother in Ukraine and sister said how much they missed her and that no legal proceeding would take away their daily grief and pain.
Is Baldwin going to get off?
As I have written for two and a half years, I think Baldwin…