Alec Baldwin manslaughter trial begins

Alec Baldwin (C) leaves the courthouse with one of his lawyers Luke Nikas (L) after the first day in his trial for involuntary manslaughter in Santa Fe, New Mexico, on July 9, 2024

Alec Baldwin's long-awaited trial for involuntary manslaughter over a fatal shooting on the set of Western movie "Rust" will hear opening statements at a New Mexico courthouse on Wednesday.

The Hollywood A-lister was pointing a gun at cinematographer Halyna Hutchins during a fateful rehearsal in October 2021 when it fired a live round, killing her and wounding the movie's director.

Baldwin, 66, says he did not know the gun was loaded and did not pull the trigger.

Special prosecutor Kari Morrissey has already ensured that the film's armorer, Hannah Gutierrez, was convicted and sentenced to 18 months in prison for involuntary manslaughter.

She has now set her sights on Baldwin, who could face the same term if found guilty.

Under the scrutiny of global media, Morrissey will outline the state's case that Baldwin broke basic gun safety rules, and try to paint a picture of a powerful movie star acting recklessly on set.

Baldwin has already been in attendance in Santa Fe this week for the selection of a jury — 11 women and five men, including alternates — who will decide if he should go to prison over the incident.

His celebrity lawyer Alex Spiro spent much of the jury selection process Tuesday reminding potential jurors that their feelings about Baldwin's star status and acting career — including his Donald Trump impersonations for "Saturday Night Live" — cannot influence their verdicts.

Spiro and his team are expected to portray Baldwin as a victim who did not know the gun was loaded, did not pull the trigger, and was not...