Justice Department dismisses Alec Baldwin’s manslaughter lawsuit on set of Rust; motive

Monica Rubalcava/EFE
this Friday, Alec Baldwin He walked out of the Santa Fe court in triumph A New Mexico judge dismissed her manslaughter case in the death of a film director of photography. rust, Helena Hudgensdetermining that the prosecutor’s office had failed in its task of “providing critical evidence to the defendants.”

Judge Mary Marlo Sommer found that the prosecutor’s office “bears substantial responsibility” for failing to produce ammunition discovery that could serve as evidence favorable to the defense, and that the only way to remedy the error was to dismiss the case.

The dismissal was with prejudice, so the decision cannot be appealed and Baldwin cannot be retried in the case.

The actor and his wife, Hilaria Baldwin, both broke down in tears after hearing the decision. After the treatment, he was comforted by his wife and siblings Stephen and Beth, who had been with him all week. The actor left the Santa Fe courthouse accompanied by his family and did not make a statement to the media who were waiting for him at the exit.

Photo: Ross D Franklin/AFP Photo

If Baldwin is convicted of manslaughter for Hutchins’ death on the set in October 2021, he faces up to 18 months in prison.

While rehearsing a scene for the film, his Colt 45 revolver (part of a movie prop) fired a live round, killing the film’s director of photography.

As she left the courtroom, prosecutor Carrie Morrissey said she respected the decision but disagreed with the sentence.

Minutes earlier, Morrissey took the witness stand to testify about why evidence claimed by Baldwin’s legal team was not considered evidence in the case, a strategy that surprised those present.

Baldwin’s attorney, Alex Spiro, claimed that last March a “good Samaritan” named Troy Teske brought authorities “a shipment of live ammunition” that was sorted into different case numbers, preventing “critical testing” from being conducted.

Photo: Ross D Franklin/AFP Photo

On the witness stand, the prosecutor assured that she decided to disregard the said ammunition because after seeing the photos, she determined that they “did not look like” the ones found on the set and she knew they were not from Arizona.

The ammunition provided by Teske was taken to court and it was concluded that they were indeed similar to the ammunition found on the set.

Morrissey said he had never met them until today, while another defense attorney, Luke Nicas, accused prosecutors of “burying” evidence.

In opening statements, the defense argued that the state’s investigation focused on Baldwin’s guilt before pointing to possible culprits, such as the production’s supplier or prop master.

Another key moment in the tense meeting came without the jury present, when Spiro asked Morrissey whether special prosecutor Alinda Johnson resigned after the defense motion was filed or when he asked about her grievances against Baldwin.

“You don’t like Mr. Baldwin very much, do you?” Spiro asked sharply, and then the prosecutor shook his head.

Movie weapons, Hannah Gutierrez ReedAccused of using a loaded gun to end Hutchins’ life, he was convicted in March and sentenced to 18 months in prison, while assistant director David Halls accepted a misdemeanor charge in a plea deal.