ALEC BALDWIN BREAKS DOWN IN TEARS AFTER INVOLUNTARY MANSLAUGHTER CASE DISMISSED

Sat 13 July 2024:

New Mexico Judge Dismisses Involuntary Manslaughter Charges Against Alec Baldwin

A New Mexico judge dismissed involuntary manslaughter charges against Alec Baldwin on Friday, agreeing with his lawyers that prosecutors and police withheld evidence regarding the live round that killed “Rust” cinematographer Halyna Hutchins in 2021.

A New Mexico judge dismissed involuntary manslaughter charges against Alec Baldwin, agreeing with his lawyers that prosecutors and police withheld evidence on the source of the live round that killed ‘Rust’ cinematographer Halyna Hutchins in 2021 https://t.co/Xofzm71tb3 pic.twitter.com/JCAyfeoB9i

— Reuters (@Reuters) July 13, 2024

Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer threw out the case three days into Baldwin’s trial, following allegations from Baldwin’s lawyers of a “cover-up” by prosecutors. Baldwin, visibly emotional, embraced his wife Hilaria as other family members wept in the courtroom.

The dismissal was based on the claim that evidence was willfully and deliberately withheld by the state. “Dismissal with prejudice is warranted to ensure the integrity of the judicial system and the efficient administration of justice,” Sommer stated.

Baldwin’s lawyer, Alex Spiro, highlighted that live rounds taken as evidence were not properly inventoried or disclosed. Lead prosecutor Kari Morrissey defended herself, stating she did not intend to mislead the court.

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The case, criticized for prosecutorial missteps, was seen as a flawed effort by the Santa Fe County District Attorney’s Office. Legal analyst Duncan Levin commented, “The prosecution felt it had to cheat to get the result it wanted.”

Hutchins died when Baldwin, following directions, pointed a revolver that fired a live round inadvertently loaded by the film’s armorer, Hannah Gutierrez. The Colt .45 rounds central to the case were handed to the sheriff’s office on the day of Gutierrez’s conviction for involuntary manslaughter.

Cinematographer Halyna Hutchins [File: Swen Studios/Handout via Reuters]

Prosecutors had claimed Baldwin mishandled the gun, while his lawyers argued he was let down by those responsible for on-set safety. Prop supplier Seth Kenney denied allegations of supplying live rounds to “Rust.”

The impact of Baldwin’s case dismissal on Gutierrez’s conviction, which is under appeal, remains uncertain.

Breaking down in tears, the multiple Emmy Award-winning actor hugged his wife Hilaria Baldwin as other family members wept in the public gallery.

Baldwin and other producers still face civil lawsuits from Hutchins’s parents and sister and other crew members.

Hutchins’s widower and young son agreed to settle their lawsuit about a year after the shooting, with the widower becoming an executive producer on the then-unfinished film.

SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES

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