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Alec Baldwin was in no mood to talk Friday as he arrived back at his NYC apartment building ... mum over the announcement he'll be prosecuted for involuntary manslaughter in connection with the fatal "Rust" shooting.

Baldwin shielded his face as he beat a hasty retreat inside. His lawyer has made it clear ... Baldwin will fight the charges, saying his client relied on professionals on the set and therefore the criminal charge is a gross miscarriage of justice.

Baldwin has some support from his fellow actors. Douglas Stewart, who shot a scene for "Rust," says in all of his experience in show business, actors have never been the ones to inspect the chamber of a gun. In fact, he says it's routinely prohibited ... and the actor's union has cosigned on that procedure.

Baldwin could face years in prison if convicted, but the D.A. hedged the other day when asked if prison time would be appropriate ... merely saying she wanted "accountability."

Baldwin is being charged both as an actor and an executive producer. But, Douglas Stewart told us Baldwin's E.P. title was really in name only, so he could get paid on the back end -- he did not have day-to-day responsibility over the set, which clearly had problems.

There's a lot of criticism over the charges, although Matthew Hutchins, the widower of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins who was fatally shot, is down with the prosecution.

Lil Meech, the star of 50 Cent's "BMF" TV series, is off the hook in his Florida gun possession case ... and TMZ has learned it was all just a mix-up involving luggage.

Here's what happened ... Meech was arrested in December at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport after TSA agents spotted a 9MM in a carry-on bag he put through the security scanner.

Turns out the bag and firearm belonged to Meech's bodyguard, who was with the actor and told cops the gun was his. But, police ignored the bodyguard and busted Meech, accusing him of illegally carrying a firearm into the airport because he placed the bag onto the scanner belt himself.

Meech's powerhouse attorney, Bradford Cohen, tells TMZ ... he presented indisputable evidence to Broward County prosecutors that proved the bodyguard owned the pistol, including the purchase receipt, gun case and permit for the firearm.

Cohen also explained to prosecutors that Meech and the bodyguard share the same taste in luggage. As a result, Meech accidentally picked up the bodyguard's carry-on while they were rushing to catch a flight, and Meech's actual bag was accidentally left behind.

"Cheer" star Jerry Harris and Julie Chrisley are 2 names you'd never expect to see in the same sentence, but they're now sharing the same address ... in a federal lockup.

Here's the deal ... Harris, an ex-cheerleader from the Netflix hit series, was incarcerated at the Federal Medical Center in Lexington, Kentucky, last August -- and the "Chrisley Knows Best" star checked in there Tuesday.

It's a minimum security satellite camp -- it won't be confused with a SuperMax -- but that doesn't mean Julie and Jerry get to socialize in the yard. For obvious reasons, we're told the feds keep male and female inmates in separate sections of the facility.

As we reported, Julie was convicted last June for bank fraud, wire fraud and tax evasion, and got a seven-year sentence -- and despite the prison's name, she is not in need of any medical treatment.

Same goes for Jerry ... the BOP confirmed inmates are housed at FMC Lexington for both medical and non-medical reasons.

Jerry's attorney, Todd Pugh tells us his client is "doing well for someone who is in prison." He adds, Jerry has "acclimated himself to custodial life and is participating in every type of self-betterment program available."

Kelly Clarkson now has some long-term legal protection against two individuals who continued to show up at her house uninvited and cause disturbances.

Clarkson was granted permanent restraining orders Thursday for the next 5 years against Victor Fernandez and Huguette Nicole Young. Both Young and Fernandez are prohibited from making contact of any kind with Kelly or her kids and must stay at least 100 yards away.

TMZ broke the story ... Fernandez pulled up to Kelly's home in a semi-truck on Thanksgiving, peering over her security gate and stating he was there to see Kelly. He returned to the home on more than one occasion.

Not only did Fernandez ask to talk to Kelly, but Clarkson's security team says he also took photos of a vehicle carrying her kids.

TMZ was also first to report Kelly's issues with Young, who, according to Kelly's security, showed up at her home more than 18 times -- often leaving gifts and notes. Young continued to come to Clarkson's home even after a temporary restraining order was issued.

Alec Baldwin will be prosecuted for the fatal shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on his "Rust" movie set.

Prosecutors in Santa Fe County, NM made the announcement Thursday morning that Baldwin will be charged with involuntary manslaughter. The film's head armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed was also charged with involuntary manslaughter. Both face a maximum of 5 years in prison if convicted.

The Assistant Director, Dave Halls, has agreed to a plea deal for the charge of negligent use of a deadly weapon. He will get a suspended sentence and 6 months probation.

Interestingly ... no charges will be filed in connection with the non-fatal shooting of director Joel Souza, who was hit in the shoulder by the same bullet that killed Halyna.

Attorney Brian Panish, who represents the Hutchins family, tells TMZ, "We want to thank the Santa Fe Sheriff and the District Attorney for concluding their thorough investigation and determining that charges for involuntary manslaughter are warranted for the killing of Halyna Hutchins with conscious disregard for human life."

Panish goes on ... "Our independent investigation also supports charges are warranted. It is comfort to the family that, in New Mexico, no one is above the law. We support the charges."

It's interesting ... Halyna's widower, Matthew Hutchins, settled with Baldwin and the production and actually became an Executive Producer on the film.

In announcing the charges, the special prosecutor, Andrea Reeb, who was appointed by the D.A., said, "The evidence clearly shows a pattern of criminal disregard for safety on the 'Rust' film set. In New Mexico, there is no room for film sets that don't take our State's commitment to gun safety and public safety seriously."

Reeb said, "If any one of these three people - Alec Baldwin, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed or David Halls - had done their job, Halyna Hutchins would be alive today. It's that simple."

Alec has all along denied any wrongdoing, insisting all he did was follow instructions during a rehearsal where he was practicing how to position the pistol for a "cross draw" scene in a chapel ... as director Joel Souza and Halyna figured out camera angles.

He's also repeatedly said Halls, the assistant director, handed him the prop firearm (something Halls denies) and said it was a "cold" gun ... meaning it was unloaded and safe.

While Gutierrez-Reed, the lead armorer, was not in the chapel ... Alec has suggested she bears some responsibility, as it was her job to prepare and check the props.

Alec was visibly torn up on set immediately after Halyna was shot. However, in subsequent interviews he went on the defensive, saying it was a tragic accident for which he bore no responsibility. He also insisted he did NOT actually pull the trigger on that fateful day.

The FBI disagreed with Alec's assertion ... after testing the weapon, it issued a report which concluded the pistol would not fire without someone pulling the trigger.

Halyna's death was eventually ruled to be accidental -- the medical examiner found no intent to cause harm in their official report.

Still, Halyna's family filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Alec and others involved in the production, saying he directly caused her death and that he was negligent in his handling of the gun -- not to mention safety protocols on the set.

They ultimately settled the lawsuit in October, and agreed to complete filming "Rust."

Alec also sued four crew members -- Gutierrez-Reed, Halls, Sarah Zachry and Seth Kenney - claiming they failed to safeguard the film set.

Julie Chrisley serving time at the Federal Medical Center in Kentucky has nothing to do with any health-related issues, TMZ has learned ... despite heavy speculation about why she was moved there last minute.

Sources close to the Chrisleys tell TMZ ... Julie's move to FMC in Lexington is not an indicator she's getting any treatment, nor does she need any at this time.

The facility's described as a medical center with a nearby minimum security prison camp -- a rep for the Bureau of Prisons tells us Julie is serving time at that location.

The reason for Julie's change is unclear, but according to legal docs obtained by TMZ, Julie was originally designated to serve her time at FCI Marianna in Florida ... which would have been closer to Pensacola, where Todd's locked up.

Julie was reassigned to the Lexington facility just 8 days later.

Fans of the Chrisleys started to worry after the switch. Remember, she was diagnosed with breast cancer back in 2012, but her condition improved enough that last year doctors said she could stop taking cancer-battling meds.

As we reported, Julie and Todd started their prison sentences Tuesday ... with Todd surrendering to do 12 years, while Julie will do 7 for their bank fraud and tax evasion convictions.

The man accused of brutally murdering and dismembering his wife in Massachusetts may have had a motive ... inheriting lots of money.

Brian Walshe's wife left a real estate portfolio worth $2.8 million, and it's almost certain prosecutors will weave this into their case against him.

Prosecutors say Walshe performed Google searches on ways to obtain money from people who have disappeared, typing into the search bar, "how long for someone to be missing to inherit." Walshe did this on the heels of Ana Walshe's disappearance.

Ana was connected to eight properties in D.C., Maryland, and Massachusetts while she was a general manager for Tishman Speyer, a commercial real estate firm.

Since 2018, Ana had sold four properties, but still owned another four -- valued at nearly $3 million -- at the time she vanished on New Year's Day from her home in suburban Boston.

Walshe pled not guilty to charges of murder and improper handling and transport of human remains. He was arrested Jan. 8 after misleading investigators and has been held without bail ever since.

The Norfolk District Attorney says Walshe killed Ana around New Year's and chopped up her body before disposing of it. Police recovered a bloody knife from the basement of their home.

Cops also discovered a hacksaw, hatchet, rugs and a COVID vaccine card with Ana's name on it inside a dumpster taken from Walshe's mom's apartment complex.

What's worse ... Walshe allegedly scoured the Internet for information on how to dispose of a female body that weighs 115 pounds.

Police are investigating a pretty horrifying clip of cops pummeling a woman ... and we're told it all started after a complaint about lack of cheese on a Big Mac.

In the vid, you can see 2 officers attempting to detain Latinka Hancock Monday in Butler Township, Ohio. After some arguing, you can see one of the cops punch her in the head multiple times before getting the cuffs on her.

Police now say they're looking into the incident caught on camera.

Hancock's attorney Michael Wright of Wright & Schulte tells TMZ ... it all went down after Hancock ordered and paid for a Big Mac at McDonald's with extra cheese -- but she claims the order didn't come with the extra cheese.

Wright says employees ended up calling the cops on Hancock after things got heated ... and insists she was confronted by Butler Township PD after trying to leave.

Mel B's ex-husband is being dragged to court by an up-and-coming singer who claims he cost her a fortune after allegedly grifting her into a bogus management contract.

Malu Trevejo just filed suit against Stephen Belafonte -- whom she alleges swindled her into signing a binding deal to have him represent her exclusively as her manager ... this after she says he discovered her in 2020 and suggested they meet one-on-one to talk business.

In her court docs, obtained by TMZ, Trevejo claims Belafonte completely misrepresented himself as a licensed talent agent ... and not just that, but also says the agreement he had her sign was completely one-sided in his favor -- which she says she naively signed.

The contract, however, isn't her biggest gripe ... it's the alleged misappropriation of funds -- not to mention what she claims were predatory financial practices Belafonte undertook.

For example, Trevejo alleges Belafonte rented a luxury Beverly Hills home in 2021 with her cash ... but, according to her, lied and insisted the lease was only for a few months ... when, in fact, she says it was actually for a year -- unbeknownst to her. For the majority of the time, Trevejo claims Belafonte was using the pad for himself and having her pay for it.

Another instance of alleged fraud that Trevejo hurls is a $400k loan she claims Belafonte lent her through a friend ... only to charge her a massive amount of interest, upwards of $150k.

These are just a couple manifestations of what she claims was a lot of self-dealing on his part ... all at her expense, and under shady circumstances. For this, Trevejo says she's entitled to major damages from Belafonte ... because he's cost her a lot of dough in 2 years.

More marital issues for Marvin Gaye III, son of Motown icon Marvin Gaye ... his wife is seeking court-ordered protection after he got arrested for allegedly pointing a gun at her.

Marvin's wife, Wendy Gaye, beelined it to court Tuesday and filed for a domestic violence restraining order against her husband ... according to online records.

Wendy's filing comes on the heels of her husband's arrest.

TMZ broke the story ... Marvin III allegedly physically assaulted his wife and cousin during an argument inside his Calabasas home Thursday, and allegedly pointed a gun at both women.

Police surrounded Gaye's home and called for him to come out, but he had already left in his Corvette.

The next day, MG3 turned himself in to sheriffs and was booked on two charges ... misdemeanor domestic violence and felony assault with a deadly weapon. Gaye posted $50,000 bond and was released.

Members of the influencer group The Hype House are gonna end up in court -- a landlord claims they're not coughing up the dough they agreed to pay for some heavy damage to his property.

According to legal docs, obtained by TMZ, TikTokers Thomas Petrou, Cole Hudson, Mia Hayward, Calvin Goldby, Patrick Huston, and Nicholas Austin are all defendants in the lawsuit landlord Daniel Fitzgerald filed for breach of contract.

In the suit, he says the crew moved out of the Hollywood Hills pad 5 months before their lease ended, and left it way worse for wear.

They entered a 1-year agreement in May 2020, according to the docs, and when they bounced early, Fitzgerald claims they'd caused more than $300K in property damage.

Fitzgerald claims he got the Hype Housers to agree, in writing, to pay $10K a month over 40 months to settle up with him -- but they're not even doing that.

In docs, he says they've only been paying him $2,500 per month since January of last year ... and even though he sent a notice to pay the balance, they never did.

Fitzgerald's suing to get the remaining balance paid in full immediately, per the agreement.

We've reached out to The Hype House for comment ... so far, no word back.

Juice WRLD's ex-girlfriend Ally Lotti and her boyfriend Carter Jamison were busted for shoplifting at an Arkansas Walmart over the weekend ... and cops say they found narcotics on Lotti during their search.

Ally was arrested by Crittenden County Sheriff's Office and booked on possession of methamphetamine or cocaine with the purpose to deliver at least 2 grams, possession of drug paraphernalia and theft of property.

Her lawyer, Bradford Cohen, tells TMZ Hip Hop Ally and Carter tried to scan their items in the self-checkout aisle on Saturday ... and believed they'd rung up everything -- until a security guard detained them at the door.

We're told that's when the drugs were discovered.

Carter was booked for theft of property and released without bond later that day.

Ally has now also been released and is currently celebrating Carter's new purchase that was waiting at home for her -- a brand new 2023 Mercedes-Benz to drive her troubles away.

Kim Kardashian hasn't slowed down her efforts when it comes to prison reform ... as evidenced by her latest visit to a prison in California and the inmates she came face-to-face with during her trip.

A source with direct knowledge tells TMZ ... Kim spent a day at Pelican Bay State Prison in Crescent, CA earlier last week. We're told her focus was to meet with inmates in solitary confinement, speaking with them in depth about the toll the lockup can have on their mental stability.

Kim wasn't alone on her trip, actor Tobey Maguire and Scott Budnick -- the executive producer of "The Hangover" film franchise also joined. The three had a camera crew in tow, and back in 2016 Budnick did a documentary on teenagers in the prison system ... and we're told another documentary is underway.

We got a photo of Kim at a restaurant near Pelican Bay the same day as her visit ... she was deep in convo with several people as cameras rolled.

She also had some locals talking, as her custom private jet pulled up to the local airport.

As we've reported over the years, Kim's passionate about prison reform, even meeting with President Trump at The White House in 2018 in an effort to campaign for her cause and help pardon Alice Marie Johnson. She's also still working toward becoming an attorney, recently revealing she's still studying and trying to pass the California Bar Exam.

Kim has also helped Tennessee inmate Cyntoia Brown secure clemency, and played a huge role in freeing inmates like Matthew Charles and Jeffrey Stringer. In fact, Kim and her legal team wound up helping with the release of 17 prisoners over the span of 3 months.

Jen Shah's going to get her head checked once she finishes her stint in the big house ... and it's all Uncle Sam's idea.

It's a few years in her future, but the "Real Housewives of Salt Lake City" star has a couple special conditions for her eventual prison release -- and, according to new docs we obtained, chief among them is a requirement to participate in a mental health treatment program.

Remember ... Jen was recently sentenced to 6.5 years behind bars in her wire fraud case, and she's supposed to surrender to authorities on February 17 to start serving her sentence at a federal penitentiary in Texas.

Once Jen serves her time, she's going to be under 5 years of supervised release ... during which she's got to do her mental health treatments.

At her sentencing, Jen got emotional as she apologized ... saying, "With the proper medication I can now see what happened."

The docs say Jen must continue to take her prescribed meds when she gets out of prison, unless her health care provider decides otherwise.

Jen's probation officer has to sign off on the mental health program she chooses ... and she may be subject to testing to see whether she's reverting to drug and alcohol use.

Tory Lanez has a new top-notch legal team in his midst that he hopes can get him out of jail ASAP -- which now includes the man who famously got Casey Anthony off the hook.

Sources connected to TL's defense team tell TMZ ... the rapper has recently hired Jose Baez as his latest attorney, whom we're told is going to work side by side with David Kenner and Matthew Barhoma ... two other powerhouse lawyers Tory brought on this past week.

It's shaping up to be quite the squad around him. Of course, Baez has repped countless notable clients -- there's Anthony, but also ... Aaron Hernandez. JB was in the middle of filing an appeal for his conviction in the murder of Odin Lloyd before AH took his own life.

Prior to his death, Baez successfully got Aaron acquitted in a separate double murder case he'd been charged for -- and he's worked on behalf of several other celebs over the years.

Kenner, for his part, repped Suge Knight in the '90s regarding a robbery charge -- for which he got Suge probation. It appears Kenner was also working for Suge for his more recent manslaughter case ... appearing in court with Suge while he was fighting those charges.

On top of that, Kenner also successfully represented Snoop Dogg around the same time -- helping him beat a murder case. So, yeah ... the guy's got a pretty good track record.

As for the latest on Tory's case ... Kenner asked a judge this week to have sentencing delayed for a bit while he catches up on court transcripts from the trial, so that he can prepare a solid appeal. The judge granted that request ... sentencing is now on for Feb. 28.

Lisa Marie Presley's death has not only devastated her family, but it's left a big question as to who will get full custody of her twin daughters ... with the makings of a potential legal war.

Sources connected to the Presley family tell us Michael Lockwood -- the father of 14-year-old twins Finley and Harper -- will absolutely go to court to get full custody of his daughters. As one source connected to Lockwood tells us, "It'll be a cold day in hell before he gives up custody of those children."

At the time of Lisa Marie's death, she had 60% custody of their twins ... he had 40%. Under California law, Lockwood would ordinarily get full custody, unless a judge determines he's not a fit parent.

Now here's the rub. Our sources say Danny Keough, Lisa Marie's ex who was living with her and the twins at the time of her death, sees himself as the stepfather of the kids. There's a ton of bad blood between Keough and Lockwood, and there are rumblings within the family he might fight to get custody of the kids.

Some members of the family have not discounted the possibility Riley Keough, the daughter of Lisa Marie and Danny, would also make a case for custody. And, there's talk Priscilla Presley might do the same. We do not know if either will actually make a move in court.

Now here's the wild card. The twins are old enough that the judge will give weight to their preference. We do not know their feelings about custody.

As you may know, Lisa Marie's divorce from Lockwood was incredibly nasty, with allegations of drug use and child abuse hurled around. It went on for 5 years.

TMZ broke the story -- Lisa Marie went into full cardiac arrest at home Thursday morning. Danny performed CPR until paramedics arrived, and while they were able to get a pulse, she died a few hours later at West Hills Hospital and Medical Center.

We're told Danny, Michael, the twins and other family members all gathered at Priscilla Presley's home Thursday night -- devastated by the loss.