Washington:

Actor Alec Baldwin has broken his silence following the dismissal of involuntary manslaughter charges against him by a New Mexico judge in connection with the tragic shooting incident on the set of the film ‘Rust’. In a statement obtained by Deadline, Baldwin expressed gratitude amidst a tumultuous legal battle.

“I am grateful for the tremendous support I have received during this challenging time,” he said.

He also shared a photo of him taken inside the courtroom on Instagram.

Alongside the picture, he wrote, “There are too many people who have supported me to thank just now. To all of you, you will never know how much I appreciate your kindness toward my family.”

The decision, announced on Friday by Judge Marlowe Sommer, not only dismissed the charges against Baldwin but also barred any possibility of retrial, effectively concluding the criminal proceedings against him, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

The ruling followed a day-long hearing filled with heated arguments regarding alleged mishandling of evidence by authorities.

Judge Marlowe Sommer underscored the impact of procedural errors on the fairness of the trial, stating unequivocally, “The late discovery of this evidence has compromised the fundamental fairness of these proceedings. There is no remedy but to dismiss the charges.”

During the hearing, the judge personally inspected a bag of ammunition central to the case, which Baldwin’s legal team asserted had been withheld from them until recently.

This development triggered significant repercussions, including the resignation of a special prosecutor and the testimony of another, as per The Hollywood Reporter.

Initially projected to span two weeks, the trial abruptly ended on its third day, leaving Baldwin visibly moved but choosing to remain silent as he departed the courthouse.

Prosecutor Kari Morrissey acknowledged the judge’s decision while maintaining that there was no conclusive evidence linking the discovered ammunition to the tragic incident involving cinematographer Halyna Hutchins.

The motion for dismissal, filed by Baldwin’s defense team, highlighted critical evidence that emerged post-trial of the film’s armorer, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed.

This included ammunition allegedly matching the fatal bullet, disclosed belatedly to authorities by retired officer Troy Teske in March but not presented to the defense during trial preparations, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

The fatal incident occurred during a rehearsal at a New Mexico church set, where Baldwin inadvertently discharged a loaded revolver he was assured was unloaded.

The incident resulted in the death of Halyna Hutchins and injured director Joel Souza, sparking widespread scrutiny over safety protocols on film sets.

Legal proceedings against Baldwin have been turbulent, marked by conflicting forensic reports and witness testimonies since charges were first filed in January 2023, dropped, and later reinstated.

Following the dismissal, attorney Brian Panish, representing Matthew Hutchins, Halyna’s widower, expressed disappointment while reaffirming their commitment to holding Baldwin accountable.

“We respect the court’s decision. 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,” Panish stated in an official statement obtained by The Hollywood Reporter.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Actor Alec Baldwin hugs his attorney Alex Spiro at the conclusion of Baldwin’s trial on involuntary manslaughter at Santa Fe County District Court in Santa Fe, New Mexico, on July 12, 2024.
| Photo Credit: via Reuters

A New Mexico judge in the U.S. on Friday brought a sudden and stunning end to the involuntary manslaughter case against Hollywood actor Alec Baldwin, dismissing it in the middle of the actor’s trial and saying it cannot be filed again.

Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer dismissed the case based on the misconduct of police and prosecutors over the withholding of evidence from the defence in the 2021 shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of the film Rust.

Baldwin cried, hugged his two attorneys, gestured to the front of the court, then turned to hug his crying wife Hilaria, the mother of seven of his eight children, holding the embrace for 12 seconds. He climbed into an SUV outside the Santa Fe courthouse without speaking to the media.

“The late discovery of this evidence during trial has impeded the effective use of evidence in such a way that it has impacted the fundamental fairness of the proceedings,” Marlowe Sommer said. “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.”

The evidence that sank the case, revealed during the trial’s second day of testimony Thursday, was the existence of ammunition that was brought into the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office in March by a man who said it could be related to Hutchins’ killing. Prosecutors said they deemed the ammo unrelated and unimportant, while Baldwin’s lawyers alleged they “buried” it. The defence filed one of many motions they had made to dismiss the case over evidence issues. All the others were rejected. But this one took.

The judge’s decision ends the criminal culpability of the 66-year-old Baldwin after a nearly three-year saga that began when a revolver he was pointing at Hutchins during a rehearsal went off, killing her and wounding director Joel Souza.

“Our goal from the beginning was to seek justice for Halyna Hutchins, and we fought to get this case tried on its merits,” District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies said in a statement. “We are disappointed that the case did not get to the jury.”

The career of the Hunt for Red October and 30 Rock star and frequent Saturday Night Live host — who has been a household name for more than three decades — had been put into doubt, and he could have gotten 18 months in prison if convicted.

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

Prosecutors did get one conviction for Hutchins’ death. Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, the film’s armorer, was sentenced to 18 months in prison on an involuntary manslaughter conviction, which she is now appealing.

Her attorney Jason Bowles said Friday that he would be filing a motion to dismiss his client’s case as well.

“The judge upheld the integrity of the system in dismissing the case,” he told The Associated Press in an email.

Los Angeles:

Alec Baldwin’s trial for involuntary manslaughter collapsed in spectacular fashion Friday as a judge found key evidence over a fatal shooting on the set of “Rust” had been withheld from the defense, and dismissed the case.

Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer, presiding over the trial in Santa Fe, New Mexico, said bullets potentially linked to the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins that could have been favorable to Baldwin’s case had not been shared with his lawyers by police and prosecutors.

The Hollywood A-lister immediately burst into tears, as the case — which could have seen him sentenced to 18 months in prison if found guilty — was abruptly tossed out in sensational scenes.

“The state’s willful withholding of this information was intentional and deliberate. If this conduct does not rise to the level of bad faith, it certainly comes so near to bad faith as to show signs of scorching prejudice,” said Marlowe Sommer.

“The court concludes that this conduct is highly prejudicial to the defendant.”

Baldwin was holding a gun in the direction of Hutchins during a rehearsal in October 2021 when the weapon fired, killing Hutchins and wounding the film’s director.

The movie’s armorer Hannah Gutierrez, who loaded the fatal weapon, is already serving 18 months in prison for involuntary manslaughter.

Baldwin was facing the same charge. Prosecutors claim he ignored basic gun safety laws and acted recklessly on set.

Baldwin’s celebrity lawyer Alex Spiro argued the actor had no responsibility for checking the weapon’s deadly contents and did not know it contained live rounds.

But the defense’s case also rested heavily on discrediting the police investigation.

And Spiro on Thursday introduced evidence that live bullets potentially linked to the shooting had been handed to police, but not disclosed to Baldwin’s lawyers.

‘Buried’

The bullets were handed into police by a “Good Samaritan” earlier this year, more than two years after the “Rust” tragedy.

The “Good Samaritan” was a former police officer and a family friend of Gutierrez, the armorer. He told police the bullets matched the rounds that killed Hutchins.

Spiro accused police of having “buried” evidence by not filing it under the “Rust” case, depriving the defense of a chance to see it.

“Which was a perfect plan,” he told the court.

Crime scene technician Marissa Poppell, under questioning from Spiro, said she had catalogued the bullets, but had been told not to file them under the “Rust” case.

Special prosecutor Kari Morrissey scrambled to respond, telling the court she had never seen or heard of the bullets before this week.

But when it emerged that Morrissey had been present for discussions in which it was decided not to submit the bullets into the “Rust” case file, Morrissey voluntarily called herself as a witness in a last-ditch attempt to salvage the state’s case.

She claimed the allegedly “buried” bullets did not match the live rounds on the set of “Rust,” and had been stored in a different state, Arizona, up to the day of the tragic shooting.

Marlowe Sommer was not convinced and dismissed the case, prompting the emotional scenes among Baldwin and his family.

‘Dumbfounded’

Baldwin is highly unlikely to see the inside of a criminal court again over the shooting, legal experts said, though he could still face civil suits.

“As far as the criminal proceedings, it’s over. They can’t refile,” said Los Angeles lawyer Tre Lovell.

“It’s been dismissed with prejudice. To try to do it again would be double jeopardy. You can’t do that.”

University of Richmond law professor Carl Tobias agreed that “on the criminal side, I think it’s done.”

“The prosecutors could try to somehow mount an extraordinary appeal. But I don’t think any appellate court is going to agree with the prosecutor,” he said.

The withheld evidence could benefit Gutierrez, the film’s armorer who has already launched an appeal, and David Halls, the movie’s first assistant director who took a plea deal and admitted negligence.

Christopher Melcher, a Los Angeles-based attorney, told AFP he was “dumbfounded” by the case’s sudden collapse.

“The case unfolded as quickly as I’ve ever seen a case… It was just absolutely amazing to watch.”

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)