A Harvard law professor believes the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins could potentially be considered a homicide by authorities.
On October 21, Hutchins, a 42-year-old cinematographer, succumbed to her injuries after actor Alec Baldwin accidentally discharged a prop gun on the set of Rust in New Mexico.
According to court documents, when Baldwin was handed the firearm by an assistant director, he was told it was a "cold gun" - a gun that had not been loaded with live rounds.
Now, Alan Dershowitz, a renowned criminal defense lawyer, has shared in an op-ed for The Hill that "guidelines seem not to have been followed in this case, and the existing guidelines seem insufficient to prevent accidents like this."
Dershowitz, whose previous clients include Donald Trump, Mike Tyson, Jim Bakker, and Jeffrey Epstein, argued: "It is likely, therefore, that the killing of Halyna Hutchins could constitute a homicide - that is, a criminal killing."
He added: "The remaining questions are who might be criminally responsible for the killing and what degree of homicide fits the evidence?"
Dershowitz went on to suggest that the 30 Rock star "was not aware that he was firing a gun capable of expelling a lethal projectile," while adding that "his role reportedly was not limited to passively being an actor; he may have had some responsibility as one of several producers of the film."
Dershowitz said: "The nature of the role of producers varies from film to film, and it is unlikely that Baldwin’s role included responsibility for set safety.
"But some may think that it was not simply enough for him to accept the word of an assistant director about the gun’s safety that he perhaps should have independently inspected the gun before firing it."
"It is unlikely, however, that such an omission would result in criminal responsibility," he added.
Thus far, no charges or civil lawsuits have been filed in the ongoing investigation.
According to court documents, Baldwin had been rehearsing a scene that called for him to point the gun at the camera.
An affidavit released on October 24 reads: "Joel stated that they had Alec sitting in a pew in a church building setting, and he was practicing a cross draw. Joel said he was looking over the shoulder of [Hutchins] when he heard what sounded like a whip and then loud pop."