Involuntary Manslaughter Charge Dismissed with Prejudice
In a stunning decision, a New Mexico judge dismissed the involuntary manslaughter charge against actor Alec Baldwin on Friday afternoon, with prejudice. The revelation that the state withheld ammunition evidence saw the case against the movie star unravel in front of observers' eyes.
On Friday morning, defense attorneys brought a major flub by law enforcement to the court's attention during a hearing on a motion to dismiss. As it turns out, the state withheld ammunition evidence related to the shooting that claimed the life of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, 42, on the set of “Rust” in October 2021.
“We don't know if it's the live ammunition match or not,” attorney Luke Nikas said. “But what we do know is the state had it.”
The state said the ammunition in question was not collected during the actual “Rust” investigation and, therefore, was not relevant to it. The defense claims the decision about the bullets' relevance was simply not one law enforcement was allowed to make — and in any event should have disclosed the issue before the trial began.
“This is critical evidence in the case that was never disclosed to us,” the defense attorney argued during the motions hearing. “Continuance is not a remedy. This case should be dismissed.”
Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer agreed, blasting prosecutors for failing to turn over the bullets to the defense.
The decision to drop the charge “with prejudice” means that Baldwin cannot be charged again for this incident. Sommer's ruling comes after months of legal battles and particularly heated exchanges between defense attorneys and prosecutors on Friday.
The case against Baldwin, centered on a tragic incident on the set of the low-budget Western “Rust,” where cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was fatally shot.
The shooting occurred during a rehearsal for a scene in which Baldwin was practicing drawing a revolver. The gun discharged, resulting in the death of Hutchins and injuring director Joel Souza. Baldwin maintained that he did not pull the trigger and was unaware the gun contained live ammunition.
Unlike Baldwin, “Rust” armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed received 18 months in jail for involuntary manslaughter.
Insights from Special Prosecutor Erlinda Ocampo Johnson
Special Prosecutor Erlinda Ocampo Johnson, who resigned earlier on Friday after discovering the withheld evidence, spoke with NewsNation's Chris Cuomo.
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