“Rust” armorer Hannah Gutierrez Reed has filed a motion for her conviction to be overturned or be granted a new trial following the dismissal of actor Alec Baldwin’s involuntary manslaughter case.
Ms. Gutierrez Reed, who was responsible for firearm safety and storage on set, was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter earlier this year and sentenced to 18 months in prison.
Her lawyers filed the motion in Santa Fe First Judicial District Court on July 16, citing “severe and ongoing discovery violations by the State” as the grounds for dismissing her charges or granting a retrial.
“This Court stated on July 12 that the integrity of the judicial system demanded that the Court dismiss Mr. Baldwin’s case with prejudice. How can it be any different with Ms. Gutierrez Reed’s case, with this proven litany of serious discovery abuses?” the filing stated.
“Justice demands that Hannah Gutierrez Reed’s conviction be overturned immediately, ensuring that the legal system does not perpetuate this core affront to our system, that has been watched all over the world,” it added.
According to the motion, the defense had hoped that the Sheriff’s Office would test and analyze the rounds brought in by Troy Teske, a friend of Ms. Gutierrez Reed’s stepfather, but “instead, the State placed them in a separate case file and attempted to hide them.”
The lawyers stated in the motion that special prosecutor Kari Morrissey was “in on the decision to hide the rounds and report on them in another file.” They argued that Ms. Morrissey “lied to this Court several times.”
The motion also stated that Ms. Morrissey did not disclose additional evidence to the defense until after trial, including an interview with “Rust” prop supplier Seth Kenney and a report from firearms expert Lucien Haag.
“The repeated discovery failures are certainly beneath what Ms. Gutierrez Reed deserved. And for her, the impact has been devastating,” the filing stated.
“She now sits in state prison serving an 18-month sentence based on what we know was a proceeding that was rendered unfair and unconstitutional by the State’s conduct. This Court should not countenance the State’s deplorable behavior,” it added.
The motion also called for Ms. Gutierrez Reed’s release and the removal of Ms. Morrissey as special prosecutor due to the alleged misconduct and violations committed in Ms. Gutierrez Reed’s case.
The Epoch Times has reached out to the Santa Fe District Attorney’s Office for comment.
In 2021, cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was fatally shot by a prop gun handled by Mr. Baldwin during the film’s production. Prosecutors contend that Ms. Gutierrez Reed repeatedly violated safety protocols and acted recklessly, leading to Ms. Hutchins’s death.
