Rust Shooting Row: Court Rules Civil Case Against Alec Baldwin For Alleged 'Negligence,' Trial To Start Soon

Legal

trouble seems to loom large for Hollywood starAlec Baldwin in the Rust shooting case. The actor continues to have multiple civil lawsuits originating from the October 2021 shooting in Santa Fe, New Mexico, which resulted in the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins. In an essential update, a Los Angeles judge has ruled that Alec Baldwin will face a civil trial later this year over his role in the fatal shooting on the set of Rust. The case is scheduled to begin in October and will examine whether Baldwin acted negligently during the incident.

Alec Baldwin to face civil case for alleged 'negligience'

According to a report in Variety, the decision comes months after Baldwin’s criminal manslaughter case was thrown out in July 2024. That case collapsed when the court found that prosecutors had failed to disclose key evidence. However, the dismissal did not end Baldwin’s legal troubles. The 68-year-old actor continues to deal with multiple civil lawsuits from the shooting incident in 2021.

One of those lawsuits has been filed by Serge Svetnoy, a crew member who was present during the incident. Svetnoy claims he suffered severe emotional distress, blaming negligence by Baldwin and the film’s production team. He has said that although he was not physically injured, he experienced the force of the gunshot and heard the blast at close range.

Baldwin's take on Rust shooting incident

Baldwin has consistently maintained that he was unaware the gun contained a live round. He has also insisted that he did not pull the trigger, arguing that critical safety failures occurred elsewhere on set. In his latest ruling, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Maurice Leiter declined to dismiss the lawsuit, allowing it to move forward. He rejected claims from Baldwin and Rust Movie Productions that they should not be held responsible for on-set safety.The judge noted that a jury could reasonably conclude Baldwin acted recklessly by pointing a firearm toward another person while handling it. However, he dismissed Svetnoy’s assault claim, stating there was no indication Baldwin intended to cause harm.

That said, the case will now focus on claims including 'negligence, 'emotional distress, and punitive damages. Baldwin’s legal team had argued that the matter should fall under workers’ compensation, but the court disagreed, pointing out that the production company failed to demonstrate that such coverage applied.Svetnoy’s lawyer, John Upton, welcomed the ruling, saying it was an important step toward accountability. He argued in court that responsibility ultimately rests with the person holding the weapon.

More about Rust shooting case

The trial was initially expected to begin in May, but both sides requested more time to gather evidence and explore settlement options. With the case dragging on for nearly five years, Judge Leiter pushed back against further delays and fixed October 12 as the new trial date.