The judge in Alec Baldwin’s involuntary manslaughter trial dismissed the case on Friday July 12th 2024.
The Judge agreed with Baldwin's lawyers, who argued that prosecutors had not shared important evidence about the ammunition related to the shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of the movie "Rust" in 2021.
Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer stated, "The only fair action is to dismiss the case."
Baldwin, 66, cried and covered his face with his hands when the judge made the announcement.
Baldwin could have faced up to 18 months in prison if the jury had unanimously found him guilty of the felony.
The incident happened on October 21, 2021, while he was rehearsing a scene at Bonanza Creek Ranch in Santa Fe County. During this, the prop gun he was holding fired, killing cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, 42, and injuring director Joel Souza.
Baldwin, 66, pleaded not guilty and said he didn’t know the gun had a live round in it. He followed instructions to point it at Hutchins when the gun went off accidentally.
Baldwin's lawyers claimed that the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office had live rounds as evidence but didn’t include them in the official case file or tell Baldwin’s defense team about them.
The special prosecutor, Kari Morrissey, argued that the disputed ammunition was not connected to the case and wasn’t hidden. She said the bullets were different in size and type from the live rounds found on the "Rust" set, including the one that killed Hutchins, and called the dispute a pointless “wild goose chase.”
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