Quoted by Yahoo News
Alec Baldwin’s Consolation Judge Drops ‘Rust’ Manslaughter Charges Following Allegation of Evidence Suppression.
In a stunning turn of events, Alec Baldwin’s involuntary manslaughter charges were dropped by Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer on Friday.
This choice was made in the hours following accusations by Baldwin’s attorneys against the police and prosecutors for allegedly concealing important information about the 2021 live round that killed “Rust” cinematographer Halyna Hutchins. Two days into the trial, the announcement signaled a major turn in the case.
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“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,” Judge 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.”
Baldwin, 66, was obviously distressed as he sobbed and hugged his wife, Hilaria Baldwin, upon getting the news that he would face up to 18 months in prison if convicted. Because the dismissal was made with prejudice, Baldwin will be unable to be prosecuted again for the same accusations.
Lauren Johnson-Norris, a criminal defense lawyer, told Yahoo Entertainment, “I’m not surprised this case ultimately ended up as a complete embarrassment to the prosecution. Not only was their theory against Baldwin untenable, but they also withheld exculpatory evidence in an effort to convict him.”
She predicted that Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, the armorer on the set, will file a motion for a new trial shortly.
The jury was sent home early Friday after Baldwin’s defense attorneys filed a motion to dismiss, accusing the prosecution of hiding evidence. Key testimony indicated that ammunition delivered into the sheriff’s office in March 2024 was not reported in a timely manner.
Baldwin’s team successfully contended that this evidence should have been shared, which undermined the prosecution’s case. The trial began slowly on July 10, with the state attempting to prove Baldwin’s negligence in Hutchins’ death. Johnson-Norris stated that the prosecution needed to prove Baldwin behaved recklessly when shooting the rifle, which was a difficult challenge given that Gutierrez-Reed, who loaded the gun, had already been convicted of the same offense and sentenced to 18 months in jail.
Johnson-Norris emphasized the prosecution’s ethical responsibility to present all exculpatory evidence to the defense. “The prosecutors’ failure to notify Baldwin’s attorneys of this evidence could be misconduct,” she told reporters. This failure prompted the judge to dismiss the case with prejudice, guaranteeing Baldwin would not face these charges again.
