A judge has dismissed the involuntary manslaughter case against actor Alec Baldwin in New Mexico. The decision came after Baldwin’s defense team claimed that prosecutors were hiding important evidence.
Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer dismissed the case due to misconduct by police and prosecutors related to the 2021 shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of the film “Rust.”
Things got strange before the dismissal when prosecutor Erlinda Johnson resigned, and another prosecutor, Kari Morrissey, called herself as a witness. Earlier that day, the judge sent the jury home while lawyers debated the dismissal request.
Baldwin, 66, was emotional, hugging his lawyers and his wife Hilaria after the ruling. He left the courthouse without speaking to the media.
If convicted, Baldwin could have faced 18 months in prison. The defense argued that prosecutors did not share evidence about ammunition related to the shooting, which was not included in the main case file.
This issue arose during questioning of a crime scene technician about whether someone had brought ammunition to the sheriff’s office earlier this year. Baldwin’s lawyer said they should have been allowed to assess its importance.
The prosecution claimed the ammunition was unrelated to the case and not hidden, but the judge agreed with the defense, saying the late discovery of evidence affected the fairness of the trial.
It’s still unclear who brought live rounds to the set that killed Hutchins. Prosecutors in the earlier trial of Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, the film’s armorer, claimed she was responsible.
Baldwin has stated in interviews that he never pulled the trigger on the gun during rehearsals. He and other producers of “Rust” are still facing civil lawsuits from Hutchins’ family.