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“The prosecutors in this case have committed an unconstitutional and elementary legal error by charging Mr. Baldwin under a statute that did not exist on the date of the accident,” Baldwin’s attorneys wrote in the motion.
At the time of the incident, New Mexico’s firearm-enhancement statute was applied to cases where a gun was “brandished” in the commission of a non-capital felony, defining brandished as displaying a firearm “with intent to intimidate or injure a person.”
The statute was later amended by the New Mexico legislature to remove any mention that a gun must be brandished, the court filing states.
Baldwin’s attorneys argue the new version of the statute cannot apply to conduct that occurred before it was enacted and called retroactively applying the enhancement “flagrantly unconstitutional.”
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Is the above an example of incompetence or, when considered with the below, an example of corruption?
Does it take a fancy attorney to know that you can't charge somebody for something that wasn't a crime at the time of the incident? I learned the phrase "ex post facto" in the Fourth Grade when the teacher explained Constitutional protections. The prosecutor is calling it "fancy" lawyering and "an attempt to distract"! Does that give you confidence that this will be a fair proceeding?Quote:
“Another day, another motion from Alec Baldwin and his attorneys in an attempt to distract from the gross negligence and complete disregard for safety on the ‘Rust’ film set that led to Halyna Hutchins’ death,” said the district attorney’s office in a statement. “In accordance with good legal practice, the District Attorney and the special prosecutor will review all motions–even those given to the media before being served to the DA. However, the DA’s and the special prosecutor’s focus will always remain on ensuring that justice is served and that everyone–even celebrities with fancy attorneys–is held accountable under the law. ”
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You may remember that Dave Hall, who handed the gun to Baldwin and told him it was "cold," accepted a plea deal in this case and will surely be called to testify against Baldwin. It has now come to light that Mr. Hall's attorney donated to the political campaign of the prosecutor, who is also a state legislator in New Mexico. The New Mexico constitution, in case anybody is interested in such fancy things, specifically says that legislators may not serve in other government offices. The New Mexico legislature appropriated more than $300,000 to pay this prosecutor, who as I just said, is a member of the legislature.