[Buddahaid]

Originally Posted by MaDef

the law is pretty clear on what constitutes "involuntary Manslaughter" and the rules governing the safe handling of firearms is also quite clear.
New Mexico's statute regarding manslaughter:

B. Involuntary manslaughter consists of manslaughter committed in the commission of an unlawful act not amounting to felony, or in the commission of a lawful act which might produce death in an unlawful manner or without due caution and circumspection.

4 rules of firearm handling:

1. Always Keep Firearm Pointed in a Safe direction. Never point your gun at
anything you do not intend to shoot.
2. Treat All Guns as Though They are Loaded.
3. Keep Your Finger Off the Trigger until You are Ready to Shoot.
4. Always Be Sure of Your Target and What's Beyond It.

The FBI tested the firearm in question and found no mechanical or material defects, nor could they get the weapon to fire without pulling the trigger.

Baldwin broke rules 1 and 3, and a woman died as a result, He's guilty as charged.

That's the way I see it. Given the ridiculous expense of producing movies today, it's hard to justify using a functional firearm anymore.

Now for the edit.
Actors are just that, actors. It's not expected for them to be experienced firearm owners with well drilled safety habits. In Star Trek, it was common for the actors to be firing their phaser practicals accidently, and you can see it get past the cutting room into final product at times. The question I have is did Baldwin know the prop gun was a functional firearm? "Cold" gun, or not, did he know? Was he expected to know it was a functional firearm because he was informed it was?