SANTA FE, N.M. – Alec Baldwin will be back in court Thursday as his involuntary manslaughter trial officially got started with opening statements Wednesday. 

Both sides hit the ground running. They jumped right into testimony after opening statements.

Prosecutors argue Baldwin was negligent with his handling of firearms on the “Rust” movie set. The defense argues gun safety – knowing if there were live rounds or not – was not Baldwin’s responsibility.

“The evidence will show ladies and gentlemen, like in many workplaces there are people who act in a reckless manner and place other individuals in danger, and act without due regard for the safety of others. That you will hear was the defendant, Alexander Baldwin,” said Erlinda Johnson, special prosecutor. 

The state’s case is headed up by special prosecutor, Kari Morrissey. She is the same prosecutor who secured a conviction against the “Rust” armorer, Hannah Gutierrez Reed.

But it was Johnson who took center stage during opening statements. She spent a significant amount of time on the gun, specially how Baldwin wanted the biggest gun he could get, how the film was on a tight budget and trying to set a foundation for how Baldwin was reckless.

“You know they’ll play these videos of Alec’s firearm in the movie going ‘bang, poof.’ And people are conditioned to see people firing weapons and thinking that’s a dangerous act, that’s a dangerous act. And they will play those videos and try to tarnish him in your eyes, but that’s not what happened here,” said Alex Spiro, Baldwin’s attorney. 

Spiro went over the checks and balances system in place prior to Baldwin being handed that gun. He argued Baldwin was simply doing his job as an actor, and relied on others to know the gun was safe.

“The actor’s job is to act, to choreograph his moves, to rehearse his lines, he’s Harlan Rust – he’s an outlaw running for his life, who in the incident in question is pulling a six-shooter, trying to defend himself. That’s why the gun has to be safe before it gets into the actor’s hands,” said Spiro. 

For more on the “Rust” investigation, including our coverage of the trials of Alec Baldwin and Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, click here.