Board 8 > Alec Baldwin Trial

(+) Yeah! (+)

Opening statements today.

Extremely good prosecutor's opening statement.

Very bad defense opening statement just will not end talking about and the defense attorney seems like a doofus.

Pre-Trial, I think that it's likely he's going to get hit with at least one charge.

It's difficult to be unbiased because Alec Baldwin has been an insufferable liar during the lead up to this.

I'm going to try to watch all of this trial, because I find it interesting. Anyone else planning to follow it?

not really but i may follow this thread depending how annoying the people in it are

We needed you for Karen Read

Alec Baldwin was one of my favorite actors, and his role in 30 Rock legitimately changed my viewpoint and my life while making me cackle along the way.

This sucks.

trdl23 posted...

Alec Baldwin was one of my favorite actors, and his role in 30 Rock legitimately changed my viewpoint and my life while making me cackle along the way.

I mean, he was acting

Yes, thank you, I'm well aware.

I still hoped there was a good man behind the scenes, too.

PrivateBiscuit1 posted...

It's difficult to be unbiased because Alec Baldwin has been an insufferable liar during the lead up to this.

Can someone actually summarize this part for me? Like this was the impression I was under but I don't actually know what all he did lie about.

kevwaffles posted...

Can someone actually summarize this part for me? Like this was the impression I was under but I don't actually know what all he did lie about.

There's multiple interviews where he claims he didn't pull the trigger at all, but the gun is an old model where you really need to press down on the trigger or else it won't fire or accidentally discharge.

His story has shifted a couple times from thinking she fainted for half an hour, to knowing she was shot immediately and panicked, and multiple things in between.

He also claimed he didn't know live rounds were on the set despite being told about people playing with the guns and shooting them off between filming with live ammo.

I think there's a couple others, but that's just it off the top of my head.

The opening statement from the defense was bizarre because they repeatedly talked about the magic of film making and how Alec Baldwin is special and doesn't need to practice any gun safety at all like normal people holding guns. I think they're trying to appeal to celebrity worship but I don't think people are as enamored by that anymore. They also tried to portray him as the victim in this which seems tone deaf.

But basically, the defense is claiming that Alec Baldwin didn't know a live round was in the gun, so when he recklessly shot it when they weren't filming, he shouldn't be found culpable because none of this would happen with a live round.

The prosecution is claiming that Alec Baldwin is guilty because he was wildly irresponsible and aware that the armorer was inexperienced and terrible and he's also a producer who hired her and he's a veteran actor that knows about all of the gun safety protocols and he was wildly irresponsible with the gun on set, and that he's even aware discharging a blank can sometimes kill someone, so he needs to take his share of blame for it.

Like in general, I can see either side's argument winning out, but I just think that Alec Baldwin's conduct is going to wither away any sympathy with the jury.

I do recall the trigger thing, now.

PrivateBiscuit1 posted...

when they weren't filming

Wait, I don't think I knew that part. What the hell is supposed to be his/the defense's explanation for even doing it, then?

trdl23 posted...

I still hoped there was a good man behind the scenes, too.

From what I've heard, even before this happened......not really

kevwaffles posted...

I do recall the trigger thing, now.

Wait, I don't think I knew that part. What the hell is supposed to be his/the defense's explanation for even doing it, then?

The defense is very literally that he's not required to practice any gun safety or follow any safety protocols that SAG requires, because it's not his job to and the armorer should have made sure his gun was completely safe and prepared before he even held it, and because the armorer put a live round in it, he didn't know about it and it's not his fault.

Another wrinkle in this is that he's a producer and responsible for safety on the set and the union armorers that were in it threatened to walk because the set was incredibly unsafe, and Alec Baldwin let them walk and hired scabs that were inexperienced, and he knew they were inexperienced.

kevwaffles posted...

I do recall the trigger thing, now.

Wait, I don't think I knew that part. What the hell is supposed to be his/the defense's explanation for even doing it, then?

They were rehearsing a scene at the time.

My understanding is that his role as a Producer isn't being considered, and if it's not, I'm not sure how he can be found guilty. Sure, he shouldn't have pointed the gun at someone, but he was told it was empty. That's not criminal to me. Not everything wrong, not even everything horribly wrong is criminal.

PrivateBiscuit1 posted...

His story has shifted a couple times from thinking she fainted for half an hour, to knowing she was shot immediately and panicked, and multiple things in between.

He also claimed he didn't know live rounds were on the set despite being told about people playing with the guns and shooting them off between filming with live ammo.

I know it's much harder for a public figure to just shut the fuck up and wait for trial while giving no interviews, but he really should have just shut the fuck up and not given any interviews.

PrivateBiscuit1 posted...

It's difficult to be unbiased because Alec Baldwin has been an insufferable liar during the lead up to this.

I mean, there's a reason he did such a good job portraying Trump on SNL.

(tag)

BlueCrystalTear posted...

I mean, there's a reason he did such a good job portraying Trump on SNL.

(tag)

Yeah, he's a good actor.

He doesn't come across as a particularly likable guy in real life to me, but that doesn't make him guilty, of course.

Yesmar_ posted...

My understanding is that his role as a Producer isn't being considered, and if it's not, I'm not sure how he can be found guilty. Sure, he shouldn't have pointed the gun at someone, but he was told it was empty. That's not criminal to me. Not everything wrong, not even everything horribly wrong is criminal.

Are you sure he was told that the gun was empty? Because that doesn't make any sense to me. I may be misremembering, but my understanding was that he thought there were blanks in it. Also, the defense attorney said in the opening statement that blanks have never killed anyone either (which was a lie and immediately stricken from the record) and it seems irrelevant to mention unless he was told there were blanks in it.

And I know this armorer was horribly inexperienced, but every time they hand a gun to the actor, they have to show what's loaded in the gun (even if it's nothing). But it's entirely possible they didn't do that either because the armorer sucked.

I'm sure we'll know for sure as this trial goes on.

Yesmar_ posted...

My understanding is that his role as a Producer isn't being considered, and if it's not, I'm not sure how he can be found guilty. Sure, he shouldn't have pointed the gun at someone, but he was told it was empty. That's not criminal to me. Not everything wrong, not even everything horribly wrong is criminal.

If he knew it was a real gun, that's still reckless. The Gun Is Always Loaded is probably the very first thing he was taught in safety training (which he seems he had according to the thread), so based on that alone without lawyers saying their law sorcery at me I'm inclined to think it's criminal negligence

Man, there was some sloppy work on the first responders side in terms of prepping and isolating the scene.

The defense attorney has one question on cross of the first witness and already he's objected to and they have to discuss with the Judge. Lol I dunno, this attorney seems all over the place. I hope for his sake he can pull it together.

I mean he's guilty of some part of it as a producer and person in charge but as an actor I think he's fine.

So it depends on what they can tie.

PrivateBiscuit1 posted...

Also, the defense attorney said in the opening statement that blanks have never killed anyone either (which was a lie and immediately stricken from the record) and it seems irrelevant to mention unless he was told there were

This seems like less of a lie and more of an argument over context.

Blanks cant kill from the range this shooting occurred, there are many things we say cant kill that change when you put them in a different context.

ChaosTonyV4 posted...

This seems like less of a lie and more of an argument over context.

Blanks cant kill from the range this shooting occurred, there are many things we say cant kill that change when you put them in a different context.

Brandon Lee literally died from a malfunctioned blank, and was the last person to die from a gun on a movie set. Like, it's such an infamous thing that every actor holding a gun is told how dangerous even a blank is and why they shouldn't ever pull the trigger and it reframed the strict rules and guidelines on every set.

Brandon Lee died because a dumbass put dummy rounds with lead tips in the gun beforehand, didnt clear it, and the blank was functionally real when it shot the lead tip out. Such an insanely stupid mistake, it was on Unsolved Mysteries and other true crime shows for years.

Pretty different tbh, you shouldnt point any gun at another person, but actors do do it for movies.

Yesmar_ posted...

My understanding is that his role as a Producer isn't being considered, and if it's not, I'm not sure how he can be found guilty. Sure, he shouldn't have pointed the gun at someone, but he was told it was empty. That's not criminal to me. Not everything wrong, not even everything horribly wrong is criminal.

Afaik without mens rea, everything other than 1st degree murder is still on the table, so this doesn't necessarily help him. There's a big reason this has gone to trial and didn't just settle.

What the hell. They called a recess because Baldwin's attorney is so bad and improperly questioning the witness and the Judge told him that he needs to use this break to figure it out. Lol I really don't think this guy is going to pull it together during this trial because he's been real rough so far.

....how do you have Baldwin money and get a shit lawyer.

It turns out that hiring cheap and inexperienced labor goes beyond just his movie sets

Leonhart4 posted...

It turns out that hiring cheap and inexperienced labor goes beyond just his movie sets

Jesus lol.

Leonhart4 posted...

It turns out that hiring cheap and inexperienced labor goes beyond just his movie sets

He can't conceive the possibility of a jury finding him guilty, I think.

Leonhart4 posted...

It turns out that hiring cheap and inexperienced labor goes beyond just his movie sets

LMAO

kevwaffles posted...

He can't conceive the possibility of a jury finding him guilty, I think.

I wonder if this will lead to a dramatic twist where he fires his lawyer and decides to represent himself

Leonhart4 posted...

It turns out that hiring cheap and inexperienced labor goes beyond just his movie sets

Yup. Spot on.

Gotta wonder where all of Baldwin's money went if he didn't hire an attorney who will get him off the hook. I'd certainly be willing to pay whatever I had in his shoes. Can't just assume that the facts will speak for themselves if you don't have a lawyer who will explain them to a jury.

Seems like there's already another recess. This trial is over before it even began.

He's gonna pull out a prop gun on the stand and aim it at the judge to make a point

It's a funny joke, but there's plenty of expensive attorneys that are just not good at their jobs. Maybe they don't have a ton of experience. Maybe their client is making requests and they are trying and struggling to do them. Maybe they just aren't very good trial lawyers, but they usually don't get to that point, or they've only tried easy slam dunk cases.

Plenty of reasons for an expensive attorney to not be good.

How does an attorney get clients if they cost that much and are a joke at such a critical part of their jobs?

And this is a criminal trial. Going to court is a huge part of their job. It's not like civil litigation, which reaches a settlement far more often than going to trial.

BlueCrystalTear posted...

How does an attorney get clients if they cost that much and are a joke at such a critical part of their jobs?

And this is a criminal trial. Going to court is a huge part of their job. It's not like civil litigation, which reaches a settlement far more often than going to trial.

Like I mentioned, they may have a lot of slam dunk cases before or market themselves well.

Anyway, this attorney came back, they had to sort out what he could ask and how AGAIN and then he did it wrong AGAIN and they keep having these sidebars and the jury is just immediately going to have a perception is that this attorney isn't very good and if he keeps doing this they'll just resent him for it.

I'm really at a loss.

I would also think that an expensive attorney is at least experienced enough to recognize such a critical shortcoming in there own skillset and thus take steps to not make themselves look like a fool on a national stage. But maybe that's just me.

Leonhart4 posted...

I wonder if this will lead to a dramatic twist where he fires his lawyer and decides to represent himself

I wonder odds the bookies would offer on him doing so and beating the rap.

Baldwin was supposed to be Thomas Wayne and dropped the role but I see he still found Joker to be his lawyer.

Lmao Before recess the one prosecutor was kind of a hard ass, and being so angry at the defense for constantly screwing up, and then she gets the witness on redirect and she's suddenly in such a sweeter mood now.

This prosecutor just demolished everything the defense tried to do. What a giant waste of time. Lol

PrivateBiscuit1 posted...

Anyway, this attorney came back, they had to sort out what he could ask and how AGAIN and then he did it wrong AGAIN and they keep having these sidebars and the jury is just immediately going to have a perception is that this attorney isn't very good and if he keeps doing this they'll just resent him for it.

Yeah, if this lasts all day tomorrow as well, the judge will have had enough of his shit. After only two trial days.

kevwaffles posted...

I would also think that an expensive attorney is at least experienced enough to recognize such a critical shortcoming in there own skillset and thus take steps to not make themselves look like a fool on a national stage. But maybe that's just me.

Baldwin could've also assembled a team that complements each other. He has enough money to do that. If he did, the guy who was cross-examining wouldn't be the one doing that.

PrivateBiscuit1 posted...

This prosecutor just demolished everything the defense tried to do. What a giant waste of time. Lol

Yeah, this is pretty much over. It's VERY hard to recover from stumbling out of the gate this badly.

Alec Baldwin and his family are going to be in some reality show on TLC or something. I doubt he'd be doing that if he had plenty of money.

BlueCrystalTear posted...

Yeah, this is pretty much over. It's VERY hard to recover from stumbling out of the gate this badly.

This is absolutely not true. The facts of the case and their presentation is definitely more important. All he did was be really annoying when going so hard at this first responder, which is silly. It's not an important part of this case, which is why it was so weird he was so persistent.

That said, this second witness is a lieutenant who took charge of the scene and this is going a lot more smoothly than the first responder. Nothing remarkable about this yet.

Yesmar_ posted...

Alec Baldwin and his family are going to be in some reality show on TLC or something. I doubt he'd be doing that if he had plenty of money.

Could just be something to keep him relevant after this shooting derailed his career. But you're probably right. I didn't know that.

As for the money... it seems he and his wife (whose name is Hilaria... oh boy can I imagine the teasing she gets) have bred seven children in 14 years. That's a lot of mouths to feed.

Anyway, I got bored and turned it off. I suppose not every celebrity trial can have the amazing cast and plot of the Depp vs. Turd trial. I'll stay updated in this topic since Biscuit does such good write-ups!

Yeah, they usually load the early days with these sort of videos and testimonies so they can get the basis of what happened on the day of our there.

I got nothing from this Lieutenant.

kevwaffles posted...

I would also think that an expensive attorney is at least experienced enough to recognize such a critical shortcoming in there own skillset and thus take steps to not make themselves look like a fool on a national stage. But maybe that's just me.

*Looks at Trump's lawyers* Apparently not. Nor do they make sure to take clients known for paying.

I'll just pop in once because I don't want to actually detract from people who enjoy this topic

but I really disliked the depp trial topic and I also dislike this one. it just strikes me as TMZ level gossip chicanery. don't take this as a personal attack please. it just seems like unless you are actually involved in the trial you're always getting it through second hand and biased lenses

anyway I'm off! enjoy the topic

I'm just here for the jokes

A who gets a Hannah Montana tattoo probably isn't good at making decisions in any situation