A SPECIAL THANKS TO PANTER LAW FIRM, PLLC
We want to thank our special guest, Craig Panter of Panter Law Firm PLLC, for being on the show and sharing his knowledge with us. Since 1985, Craig has been a member of the Mississippi Bar.
His experience covers a wide variety of law, but he focuses on areas including land disputes, employment disputes, contract law, and business litigations. To learn more about Panter Law Firm PLLC, you can visit https://www.craigpanterlaw.com/.
THE ALEC BALDWIN CASE
Since late 2021, the Alec Baldwin case has been a topic of popular discussion in the media. This tragic story has many in shock and are curious to know how the accident on a movie set left one injured and another dead.
During a rehearsal, Alec Baldwin was being directed to point a firearm at the camera when he fired a round out of the prop weapon. This bullet would end cinematographer Halyna Hutchins’ life, while injuring director Joel Souza.
Usually, on film sets involving weaponry, a professional armorer will be present to maintain safety. However, if an armorer falls short on their responsibility, much like in the Alec Baldwin case, it can jeopardize the lives of everyone on set.
Pepper and our special guest, Craig Panter of Panter Law Firm, discuss the factors that lead up to the horrific accident. According to our show hosts, some of the cast and crew were using the same guns for target practice and recreation in between sessions.
These factors led to investigations by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the New Mexico Occupational Health and Safety Bureau, the New Mexico First Judicial district Attorney, and the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s office.
Their investigations would lead the Santa Fe district attorney to make announcements about the charges against armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed and co-producer Alec Baldwin on January 19th, 2023.
Announcements regarding the Alec Baldwin case concluded charges of two counts of involuntary manslaughter for each individual. However, the charges also included each an alternative two counts of manslaughter each.
Additionally, David Halls, the first assistant director, made an agreement to plead guilty to the negligent use of a deadly weapon. Yesterday, with two counts of involuntary manslaughter, the Santa Fe district attorney’s office officially charged Alec Baldwin.
GUN SAFETY ON A MOVIE SET
On this episode of Legal Roundup, Pepper and our special guest, Craig Panter, cover the Alec Baldwin case and the different aspects of law regarding the accident. Movie sets usually have strict rules to follow in order to maintain set safety.
When weapons are involved, armorers are responsible for the safety of others by maintaining any weapons or armory on set. By following strict protocols, an armorer can ensure that cast and crew members do not suffer injuries while weapons are in use.
Most of the time, professional armorers will not carry live rounds on a set. Typically, the armorer will only carry blank rounds for prop guns to prevent live rounds from accidentally mixing in with blank rounds.
Consequently, like the Alec Baldwin case, when you mix live ammo and blank ammo on the same set, you reap the consequences. Even if live ammunition was on the set, an armorer would have and should have checked the guns before allowing them to be in use.
We conclude that incidents similar to the Alec Baldwin case, where negligence of a deadly weapon cause death or injury, should instill a sense of importance to those who do not practice proper gun safety. These types of accidents are avoidable by taking the proper steps to ensure your own safety and others around you.
Before you handle any firearm, Pepper & Odom encourages you to take Gun Safety Courses in order to practice proper gun safety. It is always good to know when and what you should check for before using a firearm or handing someone else a firearm.
WHAT WE DO ON LEGAL ROUNDUP
Legal Roundup is our attempt to discuss trending topics and news from surrounding areas in Mississippi and Alabama and how they could relate to personal injury cases.
Legal Roundup is Pepper & Odom’s attempt to discuss trending topics and news and how they could relate to personal injury cases. Some of our topics come from surrounding areas in Mississippi and Alabama, while some stem from other regions in the country.
These topics can apply to anyone and anywhere in the US. Our intention is to educate individuals with curiosities and questions about certain laws and how it can relate to their own experiences.
Want to know our thoughts on the Alec Baldwin case? Check it out with the player above the blog article to listen to Legal Roundup.