Alec Baldwin pleaded not guilty Wednesday to involuntary manslaughter charges lodged against him by New Mexico prosecutors, who revived the criminal case against him earlier this month over his role in the fatal shooting of a cinematographer on the set of Rust .
The actor and producer of the low-budget western has maintained that he didn’t pull the trigger on the firearm that discharged. He was indicted for a second time after charges were initially dropped following a five-month investigation, culminating with a forensic expert issuing a report clashing with Baldwin’s account of the incident.
Baldwin entered the not guilty plea in a court filing, waiving his virtual court appearance scheduled for Thursday morning. He was not arrested.
Under the conditions of release, the actor is barred from possessing any firearms, leaving the country or coming into contact with anyone who may testify in the case. The court, however, permitted him to have contact with witnesses connected with the Rust production provided that he does not discuss the incident or potential testimony.