A New Mexico judge has reaffirmed the dismissal of an involuntary manslaughter charge against actor Alec Baldwin in connection to the 2021 on-set shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins during the filming of the movie “Rust.”
At a glance:
- State District Court Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer upheld her decision to drop the manslaughter charge against Baldwin, rejecting new arguments from prosecutors.
- The charge was dismissed due to claims that police and prosecutors withheld evidence during the trial.
- Special prosecutor Kari Morrissey disagrees with the ruling and plans to appeal.
On Thursday, October 26, 2024, Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer upheld her July ruling to dismiss the involuntary manslaughter charge against Alec Baldwin. The decision followed a request from prosecutors to reconsider the case, but Judge Sommer ruled that they failed to provide new or timely arguments that would warrant revisiting the charge. Baldwin’s legal team has yet to issue a public response.
The charge was initially dropped halfway through Baldwin’s trial after revelations that key evidence had been allegedly withheld from the defense. The controversy centered around a batch of ammunition brought to the sheriff’s office months after the October 2021 shooting. Prosecutors dismissed the evidence as irrelevant, while Baldwin’s lawyers argued that it was improperly concealed.
The shooting incident occurred on a film set near Santa Fe, New Mexico, where Baldwin, the lead actor and co-producer of “Rust,” was handling a revolver during a rehearsal. The weapon discharged, fatally injuring cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and wounding director Joel Souza. Baldwin has maintained that he pulled back the hammer of the gun but did not pull the trigger.
Meanwhile, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, the film’s weapons supervisor, was sentenced to 1.5 years in prison for her role in the incident. Her request for a new trial was denied, though she is pursuing an appeal in a higher court.
Special prosecutor Kari Morrissey, who took over the case after previous mishandling of charges, announced plans to appeal Judge Sommer’s decision. Morrissey believes the dismissal was in error, maintaining that the state’s case against Baldwin still holds merit. The appeal is expected to add another chapter to the ongoing legal saga surrounding the fatal on-set shooting.
Good news for Baldwin…