Credits: CNN
The judge in Alec Baldwin’s involuntary manslaughter trial dismissed the case on Friday, agreeing with the actor’s lawyers that prosecutors hid evidence potentially linked to the fatal shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of the Western movie “Rust” in 2021.
“There is no way for the court to right this wrong,” said 1st Judicial District Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer. “The sanction of dismissal is the only warranted remedy.” The dismissal was with prejudice, meaning the involuntary manslaughter case against the actor cannot be refiled.
Baldwin, 66, sobbed and put his face in his hands as Sommer announced her decision. He then embraced his wife, Hilaria Baldwin, as lawyers and spectators began filing out of the courtroom.
The actor, best known for his role on “30 Rock” and appearances on “Saturday Night Live,” had pleaded not guilty. He claims that he was not aware the revolver contained a live round and that it discharged accidentally after he followed instructions to point it toward Hutchins. If convicted, Baldwin could have faced up to 18 months in prison.
The incident occurred on October 21, 2021, at the Bonanza Creek Ranch in Santa Fe County. Baldwin was rehearsing a scene when the prop revolver he was holding went off, killing Hutchins, 42, and wounding director Joel Souza.
Baldwin’s lawyers asserted that the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office took possession of live rounds of ammunition as evidence but did not record them in the official case file or reveal their existence to the actor’s defense team.
Kari Morrissey, the special prosecutor in the case, insisted the disputed ammunition was not linked to the case or hidden from Baldwin’s lawyers. Morrissey expressed disappointment at the court’s dismissal but stated she respects the decision.
“I believe the importance of the evidence was misconstrued by the defense attorneys,” Morrissey told reporters outside the court. “We did everything humanly possible to bring justice to Halyna and to her family, and we’re proud of the work that we did.”
The dispute over evidence arose Thursday when Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office crime scene technician Marissa Poppell testified under cross-examination that a “good Samaritan” had come to authorities with ammunition earlier this year. The Colt .45 rounds were delivered to the sheriff’s office in March by Troy Teske, a former police officer and friend of Thell Reed, the stepfather of “Rust” armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed. Gutierrez-Reed was convicted of involuntary manslaughter in Hutchins’ death and later sentenced to 18 months in prison.
Baldwin’s attorneys argued that they should have been informed about the Colt .45 rounds and given the opportunity to determine whether the ammunition brought in by Teske was crucial to the case. This revelation led them to request the case’s dismissal.
The actor and his team had already won a significant legal victory earlier in the week when Judge Sommer ruled that Baldwin’s role as a co-producer on “Rust” was not relevant to the trial. This ruling prevented prosecutors from arguing that he bore a special responsibility on the set.
Two days after Alec Baldwin’s involuntary manslaughter trial began and nearly three years after the fatal “Rust” movie set shooting, a New Mexico judge said eight words that left the actor visibly emotional: “Your motion to dismiss with prejudice is granted.”
The ruling concluded nearly three years of legal battles and turnover in prosecutors. Baldwin, who faced up to 18 months in prison and a $5,000 fine, was visibly emotional, removing his glasses and sobbing into his hand before embracing his wife, Hilaria.
Following the ruling, Baldwin thanked his supporters via Instagram on Saturday. “There are too many people who have supported me to thank just now,” the actor wrote, including a photo taken during the trial. “To all of you, you will never know how much I appreciate your kindness toward my family.”
Special prosecutor Kari Morrissey, who answered questions under oath from defense attorney Alex Spiro on Friday, said she respects the court’s decision despite disagreeing with it.
“I believe that the importance of the evidence was misconstrued by the defense attorneys, but I have to respect the court’s decision,” Morrissey said following the court session on Friday.
The case’s dismissal marks the end of a long legal saga surrounding the tragic incident on the set of “Rust.”
