Husband of Halyna Hutchins Vows to Hold Alec Baldwin Accountable Post-Dismissal

Halyna Hutchins’ husband continues to seek justice for his late wife’s tragic death on the set of “Rust” after charges against actor and producer Alec Baldwin were dismissed.

Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer dismissed the manslaughter charges against Baldwin after it was revealed that police and prosecutors deliberately withheld live bullets from the defense. The dismissal, with prejudice, means the case cannot be retried.

“We respect the court’s decision. We look forward to presenting all the evidence to a jury and holding Mr. Baldwin accountable for his actions in the senseless death of Halyna Hutchins,” said Brian J. Panish, an attorney representing Hutchins’ husband, Matthew Hutchins, in a statement.

Judge Sommer ruled that the late discovery of evidence had fundamentally compromised the fairness of the proceedings. She pointed out that the defense could not adequately challenge the state’s theory regarding the source of the live rounds that killed Hutchins.

She stated, “The state is highly culpable for its failure to provide this discovery to the defendant. The state unilaterally withheld the supplemental report. The Santa Fe County Sheriff’s officer decided — apparently with the prosecutor, per [Cpl. Alexandria] Hancock’s testimony — that the evidence was of no value and failed to connect it to the case.”

Judge Sommer also noted that prosecutor Kari Morrissey was aware of the new evidence but failed to disclose it. She described the state’s withholding of information as intentional and showed signs of bad faith. She further explained, “The state’s discovery violation caused an incurable delay in the jury trial. Dismissal with prejudice is warranted to ensure the integrity of the judicial system and efficient administration of justice.”

Following the fatal shooting of Halyna Hutchins on October 21, 2021, numerous legal proceedings have ensued involving Baldwin, the film’s production companies, and the armorer, both in civil and criminal courts.

Hutchins’ family had previously settled a wrongful death suit in October 2022, with her widower Matthew Hutchins receiving an executive producer credit on the project as part of the initial settlements. In February 2023, the family filed another suit. In June, they filed another civil suit against Baldwin, accusing him of playing “Russian Roulette with a loaded gun.”

Meanwhile, armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed is serving an 18-month prison sentence for her role in Hutchins’ death. In April, the judge ruled, “You alone turned a safe weapon into a lethal weapon. But for you, Ms. Hutchins would be alive. A husband would have his partner, and a little boy would have his mother.”

Baldwin’s team did not respond to a request for comment at the time of the article’s publication.

Source: TheWrap