Alec Baldwin refused to plead guilty to the murder of a Ukrainian woman

Hollywood star Alec Baldwin pleaded not guilty to manslaughter on Thursday in connection with the death of a cameraman while filming the low-budget Western ‘Rust’.

According to The Guardian, the actor also agreed to court conditions that would allow him to complete filming of the film, including a ban on the use of weapons and the consumption of alcohol.

Baldwin was holding a Colt. The film’s director, Joel Souza, was also injured in the incident.

The American actor was expected to appear in court for the first time on Friday, but filed an administrative complaint Thursday waiving that right.

Both co-producer and starring Alec Baldwin and the film’s gunsmith Hannah Gutierrez-Reid, who was in charge of the guns on set, face two alternative charges of voluntary manslaughter.

Prosecutors often bring alternate charges because it increases the likelihood of a conviction, giving jurors more room to reach a guilty verdict, explains The Guardian.

If the suspects are found guilty, they face up to 18 months in prison and a $5,000 fine.

This week, New Mexico First Judicial District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altvis dropped an addition to the charge that could increase the maximum sentence by five years.

According to The Guardian, Baldwin, 64, has repeatedly claimed that the film crew told him that the gun was not loaded.

The actor had also previously insisted that he did not pull the trigger, although FBI firearms experts said that was impossible.

Baldwin’s lawyer, Luke Nikas, vowed to refute the allegation, which he called “a terrible miscarriage of justice.”

“Mr. Baldwin had no reason to believe that there was a live bullet in the gun – or anywhere else on the set,” argues the defense attorney. “He relied on the professionals he worked with who assured him that the gun was free of live ammunition. We will fight these allegations and we will win.”

Lawyers for another “accomplice” of Baldwin, Hannah Gutierrez-Reid, said they were confident that the charge would be dropped from the young gunsmith.

Assistant director Dave Halls, who handed Baldwin the weapon and told him it was “cold” – (i.e. safe) – previously agreed to plead guilty to negligent use of a deadly weapon. He will serve a suspended sentence and six months of probation.

Documents filed Thursday show Baldwin has been released on bail ahead of any future trial with multiple conditions. These include that he will not consume alcohol and that he will not carry firearms or dangerous weapons. He is also prohibited from making contact with any witnesses in the case, with the exception of those associated with the completion of Rust.

The producers announced last year that the project would be relaunched with all the main players returning to their roles.

This includes Baldwin and Souza, who said he would dedicate his work on the film to “honoring Galina’s legacy and making her proud.”

A lengthy investigation into the incident uncovered how a live round – and five others – got onto the set and how it ended up in the fake gun.

After the allegations were announced in January, prosecutor Carmack-Altvis said there was a “quick and loose” attitude to safety on set, as live ammunition was mixed with the dummies: “And then it was somehow loaded into the gun given to Alec Baldwin. He didn’t check it. He didn’t do anything he should have done to make sure he was safe or that everyone around him was safe. And then he pointed the gun at Galina Hutchins and pulled the trigger.”

The accident sent shock waves across Hollywood and led to calls for a complete ban on real guns from the set. Industry experts have said there are already strict safety regulations in place, but they have been ignored.

Baldwin and other figures involved in the production are facing a slew of civil lawsuits, including from the Ukrainian family of 42-year-old Galina Hutchins. The actor last year reached an undisclosed agreement with the widower of a deceased Ukrainian woman.