Alec Baldwin sobs in courtroom as 'Rust' shooting case dismissed over withheld evidence

[Sanjiv]

A New Mexico judge on Friday abruptly ended the involuntary manslaughter case against actor Alec Baldwin dismissing it in the midst of his trial and stating that it cannot be refiled.

Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer based her decision on the misconduct of police and prosecutors, who withheld evidence from the defense in the 2021 shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of the film "Rust."

Upon hearing the judge's ruling, Baldwin emotionally embraced his attorneys and his wife Hilaria, who was in tears.

He left the Santa Fe courthouse without addressing the media. Judge Marlowe Sommer stated, "The late discovery of this evidence during trial has impeded the effective use of evidence in such a way that it has impacted the fundamental fairness of the proceedings. If this conduct does not rise to the level of bad faith it certainly comes so near to bad faith to show signs of scorching."

The pivotal evidence that led to the case's dismissal was revealed during the second day of testimony on Thursday. It involved ammunition brought to the Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office in March by a man claiming it could be related to Hutchins' death. Prosecutors deemed the ammo irrelevant, while Baldwin's lawyers accused them of "burying" it. The judge's decision concludes the nearly three-year legal ordeal for the 66-year-old actor, whose career had been put into question.

District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies expressed disappointment that the case did not reach the jury. Baldwin and other producers still face civil lawsuits from Hutchins' family. The film's armorer, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, was previously sentenced to 18 months in prison on an involuntary manslaughter conviction, which she is appealing. Her attorney, Jason Bowles, plans to file a motion to dismiss her case as well.

The trial had only just begun when it was brought to an abrupt end. Prosecutors had barely started presenting their case, and no eyewitnesses from the set had testified yet. The judge had dealt a significant blow to the prosecution's case on the eve of the trial by ruling that Baldwin's role as a producer on the film was irrelevant and had to be excluded. Despite this setback, prosecutors proceeded, portraying Baldwin as a reckless performer who disregarded basic gun safety rules.

Baldwin's attorney argued that he acted as any actor would on the "Rust" set and that necessary safety measures should have been taken before a gun reaches a performer's hand.