Alec Baldwin to Stand Trial Next Week After Bid to Toss ‘Rust’ Case Fails

A New Mexico judge has given the green light for the prosecution of Alec Baldwin next week, rejecting the actor’s latest attempts to get his criminal case linked to the tragic shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins in 2021 dismissed.

On Wednesday, Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer denied two motions submitted by Baldwin’s legal team last week. The team had argued that prosecutors mishandled evidence procedures in the case.

In a motion filed on June 24, Baldwin’s team claimed that evidence concerning the firearm used in the shooting was not properly disclosed to the defense. They argued this impacted “the way Baldwin would have prepared for trial.”

In another motion filed the same day, Baldwin’s attorneys accused prosecutors of “trial by ambush,” alleging that thousands of evidence files were withheld until just weeks before the trial.

Separately, Baldwin’s team previously requested the court to exclude testimony from two prosecution firearms experts. However, Marlowe Sommer stated on Wednesday that she would reserve a decision on that motion until it is clear whether those experts will actually be called to testify in court.

Marlowe Sommer has consistently denied Baldwin’s team’s repeated efforts to dismiss his indictment. This includes a past motion claiming destruction of evidence and another that sought to dismiss the case on the grounds that Hutchins’ shooting was an accident.

Jury selection for Baldwin’s trial is set to begin next Tuesday in Santa Fe.

Source: CNN