The Off Topic Topic

[Admiral Yi]

Someone brought live rounds on to the set.  That's the person I'd go after.

[viper37]

Apparently from an Ontario geography book published in 1946.

[HVC]

Seems like pretty standard 1940's thinking.

[The Brain]

Someone brought live rounds on to the set.  That's the person I'd go after.

If they hadn't a need for live rounds on the set then surely they wouldn't have used real guns?

[The Larch]

I'd have to imagine he's getting hit as an employer and not employee.

Not AFAIK. The two people being accused of involuntary manslaughter are him and the film's armourer. The assistant director plead guilty of a misdemeanour.

The film's production company was given New Mexico's highest possible fine for a health & safety related incident.

[HVC]

Well I guess Brain is right.

[Admiral Yi]

If they hadn't a need for live rounds on the set then surely they wouldn't have used real guns?

Is that right?  Is there a special gun that fires only blanks?

[The Brain]

If they hadn't a need for live rounds on the set then surely they wouldn't have used real guns?

Is that right?  Is there a special gun that fires only blanks?

Not sure if serious.

[Admiral Yi]

Not sure if serious.

Serious.

We know they had a need for blanks and something that could fire them.  I assumed that something was a regular gun.  You seem to be suggesting otherwise.

[The Brain]

Not sure if serious.

Serious.

We know they had a need for blanks and something that could fire them.  I assumed that something was a regular gun.  You seem to be suggesting otherwise.

I had guns that only fired blanks as a kid. I assume that the movie industry has access to similar technology.

[Admiral Yi]

I had guns that only fired blanks as a kid. I assume that the movie industry has access to similar technology.

You're not talking about cap guns are you? 

I've never heard of this.

[grumbler]

If Baldwin is guilty of a crime (and I agree with Jake that he could well be), it's not involuntary manslaughter, it's negligent homicide.  There is no reason why Baldwin would not have accepted the word of the person whose very purpose it is to ensure the gun is safe, and thus there's no reason to believe that he was reckless in following set directions.

OTOH, Baldwin was responsible for, and maybe criminally negligent regarding, the deliberate bypassing of normal safety regulations in the name of profit.  In other words, he wasn't aware (or at least not criminally negligent) of the risks of following set directions, but he was aware (and maybe criminally aware) that his bypassing of the safety standards created an unwarranted risk to the people on the set.

[grumbler]

I had guns that only fired blanks as a kid. I assume that the movie industry has access to similar technology.

The industry frequently uses actual guns for the sake of authenticity.  They could have borrowed your cap gun and replaced it with CGI in post-production, I suppose.

[The Brain]

I had guns that only fired blanks as a kid. I assume that the movie industry has access to similar technology.

You're not talking about cap guns are you? 

I've never heard of this.

Sure. Deluxe versions with more realistic features should be enough for movies. And also have advantages like low weight, simpler compliance with legal requirements, and not being inherently very dangerous and the last thing you want to bring into a work environment.

[crazy canuck]

If Baldwin is guilty of a crime (and I agree with Jake that he could well be), it's not involuntary manslaughter, it's negligent homicide.  There is no reason why Baldwin would not have accepted the word of the person whose very purpose it is to ensure the gun is safe, and thus there's no reason to believe that he was reckless in following set directions.

OTOH, Baldwin was responsible for, and maybe criminally negligent regarding, the deliberate bypassing of normal safety regulations in the name of profit.  In other words, he wasn't aware (or at least not criminally negligent) of the risks of following set directions, but he was aware (and maybe criminally aware) that his bypassing of the safety standards created an unwarranted risk to the people on the set.

But if the circumstances are such that Baldwin, in his role as a producer, knew that short cuts had been taken on safety in order to save money then there actually is some reason for thinking that Baldwin should not have just taken the word of the under paid, inexperienced person, who was giving him the gun.