Alec Baldwin missed his first court appearance in the “Rust” shooting case, and a legal expert is weighing in on the issue.
Fox News noted Baldwin pleaded not guilty to involuntary manslaughter related to the fatal shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on Thursday.
Additionally, he waived his first appearance in court.
Criminal defense attorney and former state prosecutor Duncan Levin explained to Fox News, “By waiving his first appearance in court, he’s sending a signal that this is a case that really ought not be taken seriously, even though it is obviously an extremely serious case. He’s facing a great deal of prison time.”
He added, “It’s just a case that absolutely was overcharged in every way.”
The outlet pointed out Levin has previously acted as the defense attorney for notable individuals including Harvey Weinstein, Anna Delvey and Clare Bronfman.
“This is a routine court proceeding in a case that is anything but routine,” Levin said.
The defense attorney told Fox News the case “is insane from start to finish. And I think that everybody watching it is scratching their heads about why these charges are being brought in the first place.”
According to Levin, “Prosecuting Alec Baldwin for his role in what is an unfortunate accident is clearly the cause of his celebrity and the prosecution’s desire to bring some attention to what they think is an important issue.”
A preliminary hearing is the next legal step for Baldwin.
“The preliminary hearing will be a gut check for the court on whether to let this case proceed,” Levin said.
Earlier this week, Baldwin scored a significant win in the case, as IJR reported.
Prosecutors moved to downgrade the involuntary manslaughter charges filed against Baldwin in the case.
Heather Brewer, a spokeswoman for the district attorney, said in a statement the prosecution decided to get rid of the firearm enhancement charge to “avoid further litigious distractions by Mr. Baldwin and his attorneys.”
She added, “The prosecution’s priority is securing justice, not securing billable hours for big-city attorneys.”
Additionally, it was reported that the change to the charges would also apply to armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed.