Case Dismissed: Alec Baldwin Cleared in “Rust” Shooting Incident

A judge has dismissed the case against Alec Baldwin, ruling that prosecutors made significant errors in their pursuit of involuntary manslaughter charges following a 2021 incident that resulted in the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins.

The motion to dismiss highlighted that critical evidence had been withheld by the prosecution in the case against the “30 Rock” actor. This included bullets that were dropped off to the Santa Fe police by a supposed family friend of armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed.

New Mexico Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer stated in her ruling, “The state has repeatedly made representations to defense and to the court that they were compliant with all their discovery obligations. Despite their repeated representations, they have continued to fail to disclose critical evidence to the defendant.”

Although charges against Baldwin were initially dropped, they were re-filed earlier this year. Criticism has been directed at special prosecutor Kari Morrissey, with defense attorneys accusing her of making derogatory comments about Baldwin, referring to him as “an arrogant prick” and a “c***sucker.”

The case’s dismissal with prejudice, which means Baldwin cannot be prosecuted for the incident in the future, occurred dramatically when prosecutors revealed previously withheld evidence at the last moment. This last-minute revelation included a manila envelope containing crucial information.

Furthermore, investigators recently claimed they accidentally destroyed the gun involved in Hutchins’ death. This development comes amid Baldwin’s team’s assertion that the gun had malfunctioned.

Judge Sommer remarked, “There is no way for the court to right this wrong.”

The film’s armorer, Gutierrez-Reed, was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter in March and received an 18-month jail sentence.

Gutierrez-Reed’s legal team reportedly plans to file a motion for release citing the mishandling of evidence in the case.