Alec Baldwin’s ‘Rust’ Manslaughter Case Dismissed After Judge Rules Prosecution Withheld Evidence

On Friday, the judge in Alec Baldwin‘s involuntary manslaughter trial dismissed the case, agreeing with the defense that prosecutors may have hidden evidence that was linked to the fatal shooting of Halyna Hutchins on the set of 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 66-year-old actor sobbed and put his face in his hands as Sommer made her announcement. He then hugged his wife, Hilaria Baldwin.

Baldwin was facing up to 18 months in prison for the alleged felony. He was filming a scene on Oct. 21, 2021, when the prop revolver he was holding went off, killing Hutchins and wounding director Joel Souza.

The actor never pleaded guilty and claimed that he was not aware that the prop contained ammunition. He said it discharged accidentally after he followed instructions to point it toward Hutchins, 42.

Kari Morrissey, the special prosecutor in the case, said she was disappointed by the court’s decision.

“I believe the importance of the evidence was misconstrued by the defense attorneys,” she told reporters outside the courthouse.

When asked if she believed she let Hutchins’ family down, Morrissey said, “No, we didn’t.”

“We did everything humanly possible to bring justice to Halyna and to her family, as we’re proud of the work that we did,” she continued.

The case has been ongoing for quite some time. Baldwin was originally charged with involuntary manslaughter and firearm enhancement, but these charges were dismissed in April 2023 due to “new facts in the case.”

In January, however, a grand jury indicted him on an involuntary manslaughter charge again, and the trial for the new charge began just last week. The state of New Mexico also fined the Rust production $136,793, the maximum penalty for failing to follow safety protocols.

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