Court Battles

Los Angeles judge clears way for civil trial against Baldwin in ‘Rust’ case

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by Steff Danielle Thomas - 04/18/26 12:42 PM ET

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by Steff Danielle Thomas - 04/18/26 12:42 PM ET

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A Los Angeles judge on Friday cleared the way for a civil trial against actor Alec Baldwin over the fatal 2021 shooting on the set of “Rust,” according to multiple reports.

Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Maurice Leiter denied efforts by Baldwin and other producers to dismiss the lawsuit brought by gaffer — or chief electrician — Serge Svetnoy. The complaint alleges negligence on the actor’s part and emotional distress.

Svetnoy claimed he suffered severe trauma after witnessing the shooting, which killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins after a prop gun Baldwin was holding fired a live round. The bullet also narrowly missed him, according to court filings cited by the Los Angeles Times and The New York Times.

In his ruling, Leiter said a “reasonable jury” could find that Baldwin acted with a “conscious disregard for the rights and safety of others through the ways his actions fell short of accepted industry firearms safety practices.” The judge also stressed that even if others were in charge of gun safety, it did not absolve Baldwin of responsibility, according to the outlets.

He dismissed a separate assault claim, however, finding no evidence that the actor intended harm.

The decision marks the latest development in the long-running legal fallout from the October 2021 shooting at Bonanza Creek Ranch in New Mexico. Baldwin has denied pulling the trigger and previously said he believed the gun contained no live ammunition.

Criminal charges against the “Rust” actor were dropped in July 2024 after a New Mexico judge ruled the state withheld evidence. The ruling also barred prosecutors from a retrial.

Baldwin in response filed his own civil lawsuit, citing malicious prosecution and civil rights violations. The case was ultimately dismissed.

The film’s armorer, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, was convicted of involuntary manslaughter in connection with Hutchins’s death and sentenced to 18 months in prison. She was released last May.

Several other lawsuits tied to the shooting, including claims brought by Hutchins’s family, have already been settled.

Svetnoy’s case is among the first to move toward a full trial, with a tentative start date later this year, per the reports.

The Associated Press contributed.

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