A New Mexico judge has dismissed the involuntary manslaughter case against actor Alec Baldwin with prejudice, meaning it cannot be brought back to court.
This decision is final and prevents the prosecution from pursuing the same charges against Mr. Baldwin again. The dismissal on Friday was due to the prosecution’s failure to provide the defense with crucial evidence, which violated Mr. Baldwin’s right to a fair trial, the judge said.
Mr. Baldwin was on trial for the accidental shooting death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of his Western film, “Rust.”
“The dismissal with prejudice is warranted to ensure the integrity of the judicial system,” stated Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer, referencing the prosecution’s conduct. Mr. Baldwin wept as the judge read the court’s decision.
After embracing his legal team and his wife, Mr. Baldwin left the courthouse without making a statement to the press.
Earlier in the day, Judge Sommer had excused the jurors for the weekend after Mr. Baldwin’s attorneys submitted a motion to dismiss the case. She then held a hearing to address the defense’s allegations.
Mr. Baldwin’s defense team argued that the prosecution had failed to disclose ammunition in its possession. Prosecutors contended that the ammunition was unrelated to the case.
On the second day of the trial, during cross-examination by the defense, Mr. Baldwin’s attorney Alex Spiro inquired of Marissa Poppell, the sheriff’s crime scene technician, if a “good Samaritan” had delivered ammunition to the sheriff’s office earlier this year, following Hannah Gutierrez-Reed’s trial. Ms. Gutierrez-Reed, who served as the armorer on the film, has been found guilty of involuntary manslaughter in Ms. Hutchins’s death and was sentenced to 18 months in prison. She is appealing the conviction.
This evidence was not included in the main file of the “Rust” case and was not made available to Mr. Baldwin’s defense team during their examination of the ballistics in April, the defense said.
The individual who provided the ammunition was a close associate of Ms. Gutierrez-Reed’s father, movie armorer Thell Reed. Special prosecutor Kari Morrissey suggested that this was part of an effort by Mr. Reed to deflect blame from his daughter.
Additionally, the case’s other special prosecutor, Erlinda Ocampo Johnson, resigned earlier on Friday.
The Case
In January 2023, Alec Baldwin was initially charged with involuntary manslaughter for the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of “Rust,” according to statements from Santa Fe County prosecutors. District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies cited sufficient evidence under New Mexico law to pursue criminal charges against Mr. Baldwin and other members of the film crew. However, the charge was dismissed in April 2023 with the possibility of refinement.Following a new examination of the firearm involved, Mr. Baldwin was indicted by a grand jury in January 2024 and pleaded not guilty.
Prosecutors outlined alternative charges of involuntary manslaughter, allowing jurors to deliberate on negligent firearm use or reckless behavior in causing Ms. Hutchins’s death.
Mr. Baldwin maintains he did not directly pull the trigger, attributing the gun’s discharge to a malfunction. The case highlighted safety concerns on the “Rust” set, with reports of crew members leaving due to inadequate protocols, including gun safety issues.
An investigation by the New Mexico Environment Department’s Occupational Health and Safety Bureau resulted in Rust Movie Productions LLC settling and paying a $100,000 penalty in February 2023.
