Hannah Gutierrez Reed, the 'Rust' movie armorer, challenges her involuntary manslaughter sentence.
Lawyers for Gutierrez Reed are challenging the rejection of her motions before trial, including a motion to dismiss on various grounds.
Gutierrez Reed, 26, received conviction in March and was sentenced on April 15.
Recently, her attorneys asked for her release while she appeals, maintaining that she "poses no threat to the community or risk of fleeing."
According to the motion for release, "Ms. Gutierrez Reed desires to be released pending appeal, as if her appeal is victorious, she will have served the majority or even all of her sentence, making a substantial part of the appeal superfluous."
CNN sought comment from special prosecutor Kari Morrissey on the appeal.
Alec Baldwin's involuntary manslaughter trial in connection with the movie is scheduled to begin in July.
Gutierrez Reed's 18-month prison sentence in April by a judge in New Mexico was the maximum allowable punishment.
The verdict arrived over 2 years after Hutchins, 42, was fatally injured by a live bullet discharged from a prop gun in Baldwin's hands on October 21, 2021. The film's director, Joel Souza, was also hurt in the shooting.
Gutierrez Reed was held responsible for weapon safety and storage on the set as the armorer. She became the first person tried and convicted in the case, which has garnered national attention for two years.
At trial, the prosecution asserted that she repeatedly violated safety protocol and acted negligently in carrying out her tasks, resulting in Hutchins' death. Gutierrez Reed's defense lawyer countered that she has been blamed for the safety oversights of movie set management and other crew members. The defendant did not take the stand during the trial.
Following testimonies from over 30 witnesses and nearly three hours of deliberation, jurors returned a decision of guilty for involuntary manslaughter on March 6. Gutierrez Reed was cleared of a separate charge of evidence tampering.
CNN's Christina Maxouris, Cheri Mossburg, and Eric Levenson helped with this article.
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Gutierrez Reed's legal team is arguing that she should be granted entertainment industry-related work while appealing her sentence, citing that this would not pose any threat and would allow her to continue honing her skills.
The Hollywood entertainment industry has shown interest in supporting Gutierrez Reed, with several advocating for her to be allowed to work in the field while appealing her involuntary manslaughter sentence.
Source: edition.cnn.com
