Alec Baldwin’s 'Rust' shooting trial dismissed over withheld evidence; all you need to know about it

Alec Baldwin was seen getting teary-eyed as a New Mexico judge dismissed the involuntary manslaughter case against him for a fatal shooting on the set of the film 'Rust' which led to the death of a cinematographer. The trial collapsed on its third day after the judge granted the defence's motion to dismiss the case. It is the second time the case against the actor has been dismissed since the October 2021 shooting. He will not be tried again.

Alec Baldwin's manslaughter trial dismissed

In a stunning turn of events, the involuntary manslaughter trial against the Hollywood veteran took a turn on Friday, 12 July, as the judge found that key evidence in the fatal shooting on the sets of 'Rust' was withheld from the defence, which led to the dismissal of the case.

The trial was being overseen by Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer in Santa Fe, New Mexico. She stated that police and prosecutors had not given Baldwin's attorneys access to bullets that might have been connected to the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and could have been in his favour.

Actor breaks down in tears

After the judge pronounced her verdict, the Hollywood A-lister was seen bursting into tears, as the case, which could have landed him in prison for 18 months, took a massive turn on the 3rd day of the trial. He rushed to embrace his attorney before sharing an emotional exchange with his wife Hilaria, who was sitting right behind him.

Addressing the media, Judge Marlowe Sommer said, "The late discovery of this evidence during the trial has impeded the effective use of evidence in such a way that it has impacted the fundamental fairness of the proceedings. If this conduct does not rise to the level of bad faith it certainly comes so near to bad faith to show signs of scorching."

About the 'Rust' shooting case

In October 2021, Baldwin was rehearsing on the set of the Western near Santa Fe, New Mexico. He was practising a cross-body draw of the gun after the director asked him to point it at the camera in an upcoming scene. As he pointed the revolver during the rehearsal, it went off. A bullet from the weapon hit Hutchins in the chest, also striking director Joel Souza in the shoulder. She was flown to hospital by helicopter but died of her injuries.

Hannah Gutierrez, the movie's armourer, who loaded the fatal weapon, is already serving 18 months in prison for involuntary manslaughter. Baldwin was facing the same charge as prosecutors claimed he ignored basic gun safety laws and was reckless in his approach while using the weapon, which led to the fatal accident.

Actor's lawyer's argument

Alex Spiro, Baldwin's lawyer, had argued that the actor had no responsibility for checking the deadly contents, adding that the actor was not made aware that it contained live rounds. On the second day of trial, Spiro introduced the evidence to the court that live bullets potentially linked to the shooting had been handed to the police, but not disclosed to his lawyers.

He then went on to accuse police of 'burying' the evidence by not filing it under the 'Rust' case, depriving the defence of a chance to see it, which, he said, was a perfect plan. Special prosecutor Kari Morrissey told the court she had never seen or heard of the bullets before this week. However, when it was revealed that she was present for discussions in which it was decided that the bullets would not be submitted in the case, she voluntarily called herself a witness. She further claimed that the alleged 'buried' bullets did not match the ones used on the sets of the 'Rust' and were stored in a different state. However, Marlowe Sommer did not find Kari's argument convincing and dismissed the case.

Is the case over for Baldwin?

Alec Baldwin will not be tried again, as per legal experts, but he is still at threat of civil lawsuits from Hutchin's family. However, as far as criminal proceedings are concerned, they can't be filed.

“We respect the court’s decision,” a lawyer for Hutchins, Brian J. Panish, said in a statement on Friday. “We look forward to presenting all the evidence to a jury and holding Mr Baldwin accountable for his actions in the senseless death of Halyna Hutchins.”

Alec Baldwin did not interact with the media after his trial.

Also watch: Eddie Murphy marries Paige Butcher in intimate Caribbean ceremony, see pics