A Santa Fe judge dismissed Alec Baldwin's involuntary manslaughter case with prejudice after a dramatic hearing where the late discovery of crucial evidence impacted the fairness of the proceedings. The judge, Mary Marlowe Sommer, stated that there was no way to rectify the situation other than dismissing the case.
During the hearing, the judge examined evidence bags containing ammunition that Baldwin's attorneys claimed had been withheld by the Santa Fe Sheriff's Office and prosecutors. This led to the resignation of one of the special prosecutors involved in the trial.
The case revolved around the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of the movie 'Rust.' Baldwin was accused of involuntary manslaughter in connection with the incident.
Baldwin's attorneys filed a motion to dismiss the case after it was revealed that the sheriff's office had failed to disclose the existence of certain live ammunition that could be linked to the fatal shooting. This evidence emerged after the trial of the movie's armorer, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed.
The shooting occurred when a prop gun Baldwin was handling discharged, resulting in the death of Hutchins and injury to director Joel Souza. The presence of live rounds mixed with dummy rounds on set raised questions about how they were introduced.
Baldwin was initially charged in January 2023 but the charges were dropped three months later. However, they were refiled in 2024 after a forensic expert's report conflicted with Baldwin's account of the shooting.
The dismissal of the case marked a significant turn in the legal proceedings surrounding the tragic incident on the 'Rust' movie set.
