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Inside The Courtroom As Case Dismissed Against Alec Baldwin In Fatal Shooting Of Cinematographer

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Santa Fe, New Mexico – A nearly three-year legal saga for Alec Baldwin in the fatal shooting of a cinematographer concluded Friday without a verdict, but with tears of relief for the actor and a small group of family members who had settled into a sad daily routine on wooden benches inside a windowless New Mexico courtroom during the trial.

In the morning, 16 jurors filed into the courtroom for a third day of taking notes and listening to testimony in Baldwin’s involuntary manslaughter trial in the 2021 shooting death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, only to be released for the day as the trial took an unexpected detour.

“Have a great weekend,” Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer stated.

Outside the jury’s gaze, Baldwin’s criminal case was teetering as his defense attorneys accused local detectives and prosecutors of hiding evidence that could throw light on the unconfirmed origin of live ammo on the set of “Rust.”

This was Baldwin’s fifth day in court. He arrived in a black SUV with his wife, Hilaria Baldwin, every morning to a phalanx of outdoor media cameras. Inside the courtroom on Monday, an animated Baldwin talked to a counsel, scribbled on a legal pad, and distributed post-it notes to his legal team.

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Alec Baldwin | AP News Image

Inside The Courtroom As Case Dismissed Against Alec Baldwin In Fatal Shooting Of Cinematographer

The defense secured an early victory when the judge concluded Baldwin could not be held criminally accountable for his role as co-producer on “Rust.” The case would center on Baldwin’s gun handling as the major character.

On Tuesday, the defendant’s younger brother, Stephen Baldwin, appeared in the back of the courtroom for jury selection. He’d return every day, all day. Out of 70 potential jurors, all but three were familiar with the “Rust” shooting case. By the end of the day, a jury of five men and eleven women had been seated for trial.

The courtroom was packed for opening statements on Wednesday. Half of the gallery was reserved for news media, including local network TV and the Times of London, as well as a few designated photographers. The other half was filled by attorneys and members of the general public, including Baldwin’s friends and relatives, local curiosity seekers and traveling amateur trial enthusiasts.

As prosecutors presented opening remarks and overhead video monitors showed the aftermath of the fatal shooting at a movie set ranch, Baldwin sat in court, eyes fixed on a notebook and away from the jury.

Prosecutors said Baldwin broke the basic laws of firearm safety by aiming a real gun at Hutchins while pretending. Defense attorneys contended that Baldwin was simply doing his job as an actor, depending on other specialists to assure firearms safety, albeit with deadly consequences.

Elizabeth Keuchler, Baldwin’s older sister, cried in court as the comments were read. She embraced her brother over a courtroom railing and then sat close behind him.

Gloria Allred, a famous critic of Baldwin, took her seat at the front of the court gallery. She represents Hutchins’ sister and parents in a civil trial seeking damages.

Baldwin’s every expression during the trial was captured on a television feed relayed by CourtTV and The Associated Press. During Wednesday’s first full day of witness testimony, the A-list actor, who has had a decades-long career in cinema and television, from “The Hunt for Red October” to “30 Rock” and is a regular on “Saturday Night Live,” maintained a guarded and focused stare.

Baldwin ran out of the courtroom once but moved slowly and deliberately around the courtroom and courthouse, where impromptu interviews and photography were prohibited.

On Friday afternoon, Baldwin’s outward demeanor changed little, but tension was rising in the courtroom as Marlowe Sommer weighed a motion to dismiss the case and probed revelations that investigators failed to disclose the receipt of ammunition in March by a man who claimed it was related to Hutchins’ death.

Prosecutors claimed the ammo was unconnected and inconsequential, but Baldwin’s lawyers claimed they “buried” it.

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Alec Baldwin | AP News Image

Inside The Courtroom As Case Dismissed Against Alec Baldwin In Fatal Shooting Of Cinematographer

During an afternoon break, Baldwin took steady, controlled breaths as he walked slowly out of the courtroom. The air whistled faintly as he exhaled, lips pursed. Hilaria Baldwin grabbed his arm and caressed his back as they paced the hallway.

Back inside, the audience laughed as defense attorney Alex Spiro sparred with the ammo supplier for “Rust,” Seth Kenney, who had formed a cooperative relationship with investigators in the aftermath of the massacre.

But the courtroom became hushed amid the clatter of laptop keyboards when the judge questioned a sheriff’s detective about the choice to keep the ammo in a separate evidence file from the “Rust” shooting case and if lead prosecutor Kari Morrissey was aware of it.

“When you say that there were discussions and the decision was made by all of you to put that ammo in a separate file, was Ms. Morrissey part of that discussion?” Marlowe Sommer stated.

“Yes,” the detective replied.

The case was collapsing. The courtroom gasped as Morrissey revealed that her co-prosecutor had just quit.

Baldwin’s eyes welled up with tears and sobs as the judge explained her decision: “The sanction of dismissal is warranted in this case.”

SOURCE | AP

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Trudeau Rocks to Taylor Swift While Montreal Burns

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Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has come under fire yet again after a video surfaced on X, showing him dancing at a Taylor Swift performance while anti-Nato protestors ransacked downtown Montreal.

Trudeau attended Taylor Swift’s concert in Toronto on Friday night. Before Taylor Swift approached the stage, X shared a viral video of him dancing and singing along to the song “You Don’t Own Me.”

The image of Trudeau dancing amid violent protests in Montreal generated widespread indignation online. Some social media users even compared Trudeau to the ancient Roman dictator Nero, known for “fiddling while Rome burned.”

Don Stewart, a Member of Parliament (MP) representing part of Toronto, called out the prime minister in a post on X.

“Lawless protesters run roughshod over Montreal in violent protest. The Prime Minister dances,” Stewart wrote. “This is the Canada built by the Liberal government.”

“Bring back law and order, safe streets and communities in the Canada we once knew and loved,” the MP added.

On Saturday, the day after Taylor Swift’s concert, Trudeau condemned the anti-NATO protests, calling them “appalling.”

Anti-NATO activists set off smoke bombs and marched through Montreal’s streets waving Palestinian flags. According to the Montreal Gazette, rioters set fire to automobiles and battled with police.

Pro-Palestinian protests

Protesters also tossed tiny explosives and metal objects at officers. At one point, the mob torched an effigy of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Police used tear gas and batons to disperse the gathering, and three persons were arrested for attacking officers and impeding police operations.

Masked protesters were seen burning flares and bashing storefront windows in videos and photographs shared on social media. Pro-Palestinian protests have been taking place across Canada since the Israel-Gaza conflict began late last year.

Critics have lambasted Trudeau for doing nothing to stop the violent pro-Palestinian marches, with some claiming he has fueled anti-Israel sentiment in Canada.

On Friday, Trudeau stated that Canada would respect the orders of the International Criminal Court (ICC), which issued an arrest warrant for Mr Netanyahu, even if it meant arresting the Israeli prime leader on Canadian soil.

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Calgary Zoo Admits Human Error in Death of Baby Gorilla

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Baby Gorilla, Calgary Zoo
The zookeeper's negligence caused the death of a 2-year-old baby gorilla

The Calgary Zoo has admitted in a public statement that a zookeeper’s negligence caused the death of a 2-year-old baby gorilla. Eyare, a newborn gorilla, died last week after being slammed in the head by a hydraulic door.

The accident occurred when a zoo worker attempted to separate Eyare from the rest of the gorilla tribe for a solitary training session.

The gorilla died from significant head injuries, according to the zoo’s statement.

“This tragedy has struck us all in the deepest way imaginable,” Colleen Baird, director of animal care at the Calgary Zoo, said during a news conference. “Eyare’s brief but meaningful existence gave so much joy to our community, and all will sorely miss her. We will do everything possible to prevent repeat accidents.”

According to Baird, the staff member involved was immediately removed from the workplace and will be reassigned to another area of the zoo. The Calgary Zoo stated that it would take preventive steps, such as specialist personnel training and animal behavioral training, to avoid a similar incident.

Calgary Zoo Questioned

It is not the first time an animal at the zoo has died from negligence at the Calgary Zoo. A capybara was accidentally crushed by a hydraulic door similar to the one that killed Eyare in 2019.

An otter died in 2016 after being entangled in an “unauthorized” pair of jeans that a zookeeper had dropped in its enclosure. In 2013, a penguin died in “a freak accident” after swallowing a stick.

Animal Justice, a Canadian group that promotes animal welfare, has called for an independent investigation of animal safety and oversight at the Alberta facility.

“The Calgary Zoo appears to have a higher rate of animal deaths compared to other zoos, and in light of Eyare’s death there should be a systematic review of the zoo’s operations and practices, conducted transparently by the government or another outside party,” according to Camille Labchuk, the executive director of Animal Justice.

The Calgary Zoo refuted that it has more animal deaths than other zoos, emphasizing that it adheres to operating requirements and has maintained accreditation by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ independent Accreditation Commission since 1978.

“We love and care for more than 4,000 animals representing over 100 species that call our zoo home,” stated a Calgary Zoo representative.

“Human error-related deaths in animals are quite infrequent. We have lost two animals in the last ten years: a North American river otter in 2016 and ‘Eyare’ this week.

While rare, even one human-caused death is too many. These unfortunate instances have served as vital learning experiences, prompting us to examine and tighten protocols to provide the greatest level of care.”

Baird said at the news conference that using hydraulic doors is “common practice with accredited zoos,” adding that the facility will consider switching to alternate doors to improve safety.

The Calgary Zoo, which established the Wilder Institute in 2021, caters to nearly 4,000 creatures, including six more western lowland gorillas.

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Canada’s Lotto Max jackpot Climbs to $80M

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Lotto Max in Canada has reached $80 million for only the second time in Canadian lottery history. Friday’s draw sought a winner for a $75 million pool, but the top reward remained unclaimed as of Saturday, increasing the jackpot.

Only once did the jackpot reach $80 million in September, when it broke the previous record. Before that, the prize was $75 million, a record.

The Lotto Max prize maximum was boosted earlier this year, enabling for jackpots of more than $70 million. The cap is now at $80 million.
While a greater fee may encourage more people to play, the odds of winning the lottery remain extremely low.

According to the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation, the odds for a $5 ticket are around one in 33,294,800.

While there was no jackpot winner in Friday’s draw, someone did match six of the seven winning numbers, plus a bonus, earning them a payout of more than $320,000.

Lotto Max History

Lotto Max is one of three national lottery games in Canada, overseen by the Interprovincial Lottery Corporation. The game was introduced on September 19, 2009, and its inaugural draw occurred on September 25, 2009. It replaced Lotto Super 7.

The odds of winning the Lotto Max are 1 in 33,294,800. This is correct to a point but misleading.

Let’s have a look at the rules:

  1. Players choose 7 numbers out of 50
  2. Numbers cannot be repeated
  3. Numbers are automatically sorted into ascending order
  4. Each play buys 3 lines
  5. Each play costs $5

Seeing that players choose 7 out of 50 non-repeating numbers, the equation for the total number of possible combinations (this is different from permutations where the order in which the numbers appear is significant) when playing the Lotto Max is 50! / (7! x 43!)

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