A judge in Los Angeles has ruled that a civil lawsuit accusing Alec Baldwin of acting negligently in the fatal 2021 shooting on the set of the film Rust can proceed to trial. The decision by Superior Court Judge Maurice Leiter allows the case brought by gaffer Serge Svetnoy to move forward.
Svetnoy, who worked as a lighting technician on the production, alleges he suffered emotional distress after cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was mortally wounded when a prop gun held by Baldwin fired a live round. Director Joel Souza was also injured in the incident.
The ruling follows the dismissal of Baldwin's involuntary manslaughter case in 2024, after a New Mexico judge found prosecutors had withheld evidence. Baldwin has maintained that he was told the gun was 'cold' and that he did not pull the trigger.
Leiter's summary judgment, obtained by Variety, stated that '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'. The trial is tentatively scheduled for 12 October, though a settlement is possible.
Several other lawsuits related to the shooting have been settled, including a 2023 settlement with Hutchins's family and a 2025 settlement with three crew members. Meanwhile, the film's armourer, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, was convicted of involuntary manslaughter in March 2024 and released from prison in May 2025 after serving 18 months.
