Prosecutors in New Mexico will not proceed with an appeal of a trial court’s decision to dismiss a manslaughter charge against actor Alec Baldwin in the fatal shooting of a cameraman on the set of a western movie, the Santa Fe district attorney’s office announced Monday.
Special prosecutor Kari Morrissey has withdrawn an appeal of a July court order to dismiss charges against Baldwin in the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins during a shoot. Rust out of Santa Fe in October 2021.
“Today’s decision to dismiss the plea is the final proof of what Alec Baldwin and his lawyers have been saying from the beginning – this was an unspeakable tragedy but Alec Baldwin did not commit a crime,” said defense attorneys Luke Nikas and Alex Spiro. “The law remains the same in New Mexico.”
Representatives for the state’s attorney were not immediately available for comment.
The reversal decision reinforces a decision by Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer during Baldwin’s trial that dismissed the case over allegations that police and prosecutors withheld evidence from the accusers.
Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer dismissed charges of involuntary manslaughter against actor Alec Baldwin in New Mexico. His defense attorneys accused Santa Fe law enforcement of concealing evidence of the live circuit source that killed photographer Halyna Hutchins in 2021, failing to list the circuits in Rust’s investigative file or notify defense attorneys of their existence.
Baldwin’s trial was prompted by the revelation that bullets were brought to the Santa Fe County sheriff’s office in March by a man who said he may be connected to Hutchins’ murder.
Prosecutors said they saw the letters as unrelated and irrelevant, while Baldwin’s lawyers said investigators “buried” the evidence in another case file and successfully filed a motion to have it dismissed.
The district attorney’s office said that under state law, the New Mexico attorney general would have pursued a complaint but “did not intend to pursue a complaint on behalf of the prosecution.”
“Because of this, the State’s efforts to continue prosecuting this case in a fair and complete manner have encountered many obstacles that have jeopardized its ability to fully prosecute the law,” said local prosecutors.
Baldwin faces several charges
Baldwin, lead actor and co-producer Rusthe was pointing a gun at Hutchins during rehearsals when the gun went off, killing Hutchins and wounding director Joel Souza. Baldwin said he pulled the hammer — but not the trigger — and the revolver fired.
In April, a jury sentenced movie gunsmith Hannah Gutierrez-Reed to a year and a half in state prison for involuntary manslaughter in Hutchins’ death.
Prosecutors accused Gutierrez-Reed of unknowingly bringing live ammunition onto the set. Rustwhere it was expressly prohibited, and failing to follow basic gun safety rules.
Assistant director and security coordinator David Halls pleaded not guilty to reckless use of a deadly weapon and was sentenced to six months of unsupervised probation. A plea of ​​no contest is not an admission of guilt but is taken as such for sentencing purposes.
Several lawsuits were brought against Baldwin and Rust producers, including a complaint by Hutchins’ parents and sister.
Prosecutors say Hutchins’ death has prompted industry-wide scrutiny of safety policies, particularly the use of firearms and ammunition.
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