New Mexico prosecutors brought the toughest available charges against Alec Baldwin, with two counts of involuntary manslaughter — one with a gun-related “enhancer” carrying a mandatory five years in prison — that hints at an “aggressive” overall strategy that’s not likely to lead to a plea deal, legal experts told TheWrap on Thursday.
That means a jury trial is imminent, a process that could shed more light on the central mystery of the “Rust” shooting case: How did a live round get into Baldwin’s gun in the first place?
Lawyers who’ve worked both sides of the courtroom suggest the district attorney’s confidence could signal that after a full year of investigation, they’re holding unplayed cards: “We still don’t know all the evidence that the prosecution has,” said Miguel Custodio, Los Angeles attorney and founder of Dubey LLP.