A New Mexico judge on Friday brought a sudden and stunning end to the involuntary manslaughter case against Alec Baldwin, dismissing it in the middle of the actor’s trial and saying it cannot be filed again. Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer dismissed the case with prejudice based on the misconduct of police and prosecutors over the withholding of evidence from the defense in the shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of the film “Rust.”
Quick Read
- Judge Dismisses Alec Baldwin’s Involuntary Manslaughter Case Mid-Trial
- A New Mexico judge ended the involuntary manslaughter case against Alec Baldwin, dismissing it with prejudice due to police and prosecutorial misconduct.
- Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer cited the withholding of evidence from Baldwin’s defense as the reason, stating it impacted the fundamental fairness of the proceedings.
- Baldwin, visibly emotional, hugged his attorneys and his wife, then left the courthouse without speaking to the media.
- The defense argued that prosecutors hid evidence about ammunition potentially related to the 2021 shooting on the set of the film “Rust.”
- The prosecution contended the ammunition was not connected to the case and was not hidden.
- The dismissal followed the revelation of the evidence during the trial, which Baldwin’s lawyers claimed they should have had the opportunity to evaluate.
- This evidence emerged during defense questioning of a sheriff’s crime scene technician, which raised questions about its relevance to the case.
The Associated Press has the story:
Alec Baldwin weeps in court as judge dismisses his involuntary manslaughter case
Newslooks- SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) —
A New Mexico judge on Friday brought a sudden and stunning end to the involuntary manslaughter case against Alec Baldwin, dismissing it in the middle of the actor’s trial and saying it cannot be filed again. Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer dismissed the case with prejudice based on the misconduct of police and prosecutors over the withholding of evidence from the defense in the shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of the film “Rust.”
Baldwin cried, hugged his two attorneys, gestured to the front of the court, then turned to hug his crying wife Hilaria, holding the embrace for 12 seconds. He climbed into an SUV outside the Santa Fe courthouse without speaking to media.
Baldwin, 66, could have gotten 18 months in prison if convicted. “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,” Marlowe Sommer said. “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.”
Sommer put a pause on the trial earlier Friday while she considered the defense motion to dismiss the case over the evidence.
The defense argued that prosecutors hid evidence from them about the ammunition that may be related to the shooting on the set of the Western “Rust” in 2021. The defense said they should have had the ability to determine its importance.
The prosecution said that the ammunition was not connected to the case and was not hidden.
The issue emerged Thursday on the second day of the actor’s trial during defense questioning of sheriff’s crime scene technician Marissa Poppell.
Baldwin lawyer Alex Spiro asked whether a “good Samaritan” had come into the sheriff’s office with the ammunition earlier this year after the trial of Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, the film’s armorer, for her role in Hutchins’ death.
She was sentenced to 18 months in prison on an involuntary manslaughter conviction, which she is now appealing.
