See The Moment The Judge Tosses The Case Against Alec Baldwin

Judge Dismisses Alec Baldwin’s Involuntary Manslaughter Case Citing Withheld Evidence

Santa Fe, NM – In a dramatic turn of events, the involuntary manslaughter case against actor Alec Baldwin was dismissed on Friday. The decision came after the judge agreed with Baldwin’s legal team that prosecutors had concealed evidence related to the fatal shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of the Western film “Rust” in 2021.

“There is no way for the court to right this wrong,” declared 1st Judicial District Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer. “The sanction of dismissal is the only warranted remedy.” This dismissal was with prejudice, meaning the charges cannot be refiled against Baldwin.

Upon hearing the decision, Baldwin, 66, broke down in tears, covering his face with his hands. He then embraced his wife, Hilaria Baldwin, as the courtroom began to clear out.

The actor had faced a potential sentence of up to 18 months in prison if convicted. The incident in question occurred on October 21, 2021, when Baldwin, while rehearsing a scene at the Bonanza Creek Ranch in Santa Fe County, accidentally discharged a prop revolver, resulting in Hutchins’ death and the injury of director Joel Souza.

Best known for his roles on “30 Rock” and his numerous appearances on “Saturday Night Live,” Baldwin had pleaded not guilty, asserting that he was unaware the revolver contained a live round and that the discharge was accidental.

Baldwin’s defense argued that the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office had collected live rounds of ammunition as evidence but failed to document them or disclose their existence to Baldwin’s defense team.

Kari Morrissey, the special prosecutor, contended that the disputed ammunition was neither pertinent to the case nor deliberately hidden. She expressed disappointment in the court’s ruling but respected the judge’s decision. “I believe the importance of the evidence was misconstrued by the defense attorneys,” Morrissey commented outside the court. “We did everything humanly possible to bring justice to Halyna and her family, and we’re proud of the work that we did.”

The revelation about the evidence emerged when Marissa Poppell, a crime scene technician, testified that a “good Samaritan” had delivered ammunition to authorities earlier in the year. The Colt .45 rounds were brought in by Troy Teske, a former police officer and acquaintance of Thell Reed, the stepfather of “Rust” armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, on the day she was convicted of involuntary manslaughter in Hutchins’ death.

Baldwin’s attorneys argued that they should have been informed about the rounds to determine their relevance to the case. This led to their request for dismissal, which was ultimately granted.

Baldwin’s legal team had already achieved a significant victory earlier in the week when Judge Sommer ruled that Baldwin’s role as a co-producer on “Rust” was not relevant to the trial, thus preventing prosecutors from arguing that he bore a special responsibility on set.

Baldwin, a three-time Emmy winner, is renowned for his roles in NBC’s “30 Rock” and his record 17 hosting stints on “Saturday Night Live.” His film credits include “Beetlejuice,” “The Hunt for Red October,” “Glengarry Glen Ross,” and “The Cooler,” for which he received an Oscar nomination.

The path to the trial was fraught with complications, including the resignation of co-special prosecutor Erlinda Ocampo Johnson, who later expressed disagreement with the decision to hold the hearing given the evidence issues.

Initially charged with involuntary manslaughter and a firearm enhancement charge, Baldwin saw the latter charge dropped. The charges were dismissed altogether in April 2023 due to “new facts in the case,” but a grand jury re-indicted him on involuntary manslaughter in January.

Baldwin’s lawyers had previously sought to have the case dismissed last month, arguing that the firearm was damaged during FBI forensic testing, but that motion was denied.

Jason Bowles, attorney for Gutierrez-Reed, announced plans to seek her release following Baldwin’s dismissal, citing a pattern of government misconduct.

Ocampo Johnson, while maintaining that the evidence was not withheld intentionally, admitted, “I think it was just something that wasn’t turned over, and it should have been.”

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