New Mexico prosecutors have announced that they will not pursue an appeal of a court's decision to dismiss an involuntary manslaughter charge against Alec Baldwin in the fatal shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of the movie 'Rust.' The decision was made by the Santa Fe district attorney's office on Monday.
The appeal was withdrawn by Special Prosecutor Kari Morrissey following a July ruling to dismiss the charge against Baldwin. Defense attorneys Luke Nikas and Alex Spiro expressed that this decision serves as a final vindication for Baldwin, emphasizing that he committed no crime in the tragic incident.
The trial was disrupted by revelations that ammunition possibly related to the shooting was brought to the sheriff's office, but prosecutors deemed it unrelated. This led to allegations that evidence was withheld from the defense, resulting in the case being dismissed halfway through trial by Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer.
Under state law, the New Mexico attorney general would have pursued the appeal, but the decision not to exhaustively pursue it was made by the district attorney's office. They cited barriers compromising their ability to prosecute fully.
In a separate development, movie weapons supervisor Hannah Gutierrez-Reed was sentenced to one and a half years in prison for involuntary manslaughter in Hutchins' death. Assistant director David Halls received six months of unsupervised probation for negligent use of a deadly weapon.
The tragic incident has prompted industry-wide scrutiny of safety protocols, particularly regarding the use of firearms and live ammunition on set. Several civil lawsuits have been filed against Baldwin and the producers of 'Rust,' including a complaint by Hutchins' family.
