Alec Baldwin’s Rust charges aren’t going away so quickly

Alec Baldwin has jumped out of the frying pan and into the fire. The actor, who was holding the gun that discharged on the set of the indie film Rust, injuring director Joel Souza and killing cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, will still face civil trial. This update follows news that the criminal charges against Baldwin that were dropped could still be refiled.

Per Deadline, New Mexico’s First Judicial District Court Judge Bryan Biedscheid denied Baldwin and co-defendants El Dorado Pictures and Rust Movie Productions’ motion to dismiss the civil case. Baldwin’s lawyers also attempted to delay the trial until after the criminal trial concluded. However, the judge denied their bid but did remind Baldwin and his lawyers that they could continue to “assert their constitutional rights as they see fit.”

The civil case against Baldwin and the film’s production company was lodged by Rust crew members Ross Addiego, Doran Curtin, and Reese Price, who accused the actor and the production of negligence and recklessness. Meanwhile, clearly showing little sympathy for Baldwin, Judge Biedscheid said it was “surprisingly common” for civil and criminal cases to run concurrently.

Baldwin could still face criminal charges for the Rust shooting. Recent forensics reports from prosecutors argued that Baldwin must’ve pulled the trigger despite the actor’s insistence that he did not. “Although Alec Baldwin repeatedly denies pulling the trigger, given the tests, findings, and observations reported here, the trigger had to be pulled or depressed sufficiently to release the fully cocked or retracted hammer of the evidence revolver,” an August 2 report reads. As a result, special prosecutor Kari Morrissey said that charges against Baldwin are still being considered, but a final decision has yet to be made.