Global Courant 2023-05-09 22:51:00
SANTA, NM –
A New Mexico judge has approved a $1.15 million settlement between a medic who worked on the “Rust” movie set and one of the defendants she charged with negligence in Alec Baldwin’s 2021 shooting of a cameraman during a rehearsal .
Court records show that the partial settlement between Cherlyn Schaefer and prop master Sarah Zachry was approved in a hearing Monday. Schaefer told the judge not a day goes by that she doesn’t think about what happened, the Santa Fe New Mexican reported.
In her civil complaint, Schaefer said she fought desperately in a failed attempt to save cameraman Halyna Hutchins’ life. She said the shock, trauma and emotional distress that followed made it impossible for her to continue working in her field.
Prosecutors last month dismissed an involuntary manslaughter charge against the actor and producer, citing new evidence and a need for more time to investigate.
District Judge Kathleen McGarry Ellenwood had issued a default judgment against Zachry in November after the film associate failed to respond within the court’s time limits.
Zachry’s current attorney, Nathan Winger, told the court Monday that her previous attorney, William Waggoner, let deadlines pass without her consent, and that she plans to sue him for damages to fund her settlement with Schaefer. Wagener disputes the claim.
Justin Rodriguez, one of several attorneys representing Schaefer, said the settlement is “a small portion of what we expect to receive going forward.” The other defendants are Rust Movie Productions, weapons supervisor Hannah Gutierrez-Reed and assistant director David Halls, but not Baldwin.
Schaefer’s complaint alleges that Zachry and Gutierrez-Reed failed to ensure that there were no live rounds in Baldwin’s weapon. An involuntary manslaughter charge against Gutierrez-Reed is still pending, but her lawyers have said they fully expect her to be acquitted.
