Actor Alec Baldwin hugs his attorney Alex Spiro.
Ramsay de Give/AP
Santa Fe, NM – In a dramatic turn of events, a New Mexico judge has dismissed the involuntary manslaughter case against actor Alec Baldwin. The decision, announced on Friday, July 12, 2024, comes after the court found that the prosecution had improperly withheld evidence from Baldwin's defense team.
Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer ruled that the prosecution's failure to disclose critical evidence related to the fatal shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of the film "Rust" in 2021 warranted the dismissal of the case. "There is no way for the court to right this wrong," Judge Sommer stated. "The sanction of dismissal is the only warranted remedy"¹.
The dismissal was with prejudice, meaning the case cannot be refiled. Baldwin, visibly emotional, wept in court as the decision was read. He later embraced his wife, Hilaria Baldwin, as the courtroom began to clear.
The case revolved around the tragic incident on October 21, 2021, when a prop revolver Baldwin was handling discharged, killing Hutchins and injuring director Joel Souza. Baldwin had pleaded not guilty, maintaining that he was unaware the revolver contained a live round and that it discharged accidentally.
Baldwin's defense argued that the Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office had taken possession of live rounds of ammunition as evidence but failed to record them in the official case file or disclose their existence to the defense. This, they claimed, was a significant oversight that compromised Baldwin's right to a fair trial².
Special prosecutor Kari Morrissey expressed disappointment with the court's decision but respected the ruling. "We did everything humanly possible to bring justice to Halyna and her family, and we're proud of the work that we did," Morrissey said outside the courthouse³.
The dismissal marks a significant development in a case that has drawn widespread attention and debate over safety protocols on film sets. Baldwin, known for his roles in "30 Rock" and "Saturday Night Live," now faces a new chapter as he moves forward from this legal battle.
Source: Conversation with Copilot, 7/13/2024
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