July 18, 2024Case against actor dismissed after crucial evidence withheld, lawyers say.
The grave of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins Grave in California. CREDIT: Barry King/Alamy Stock Photo
The involuntary manslaughter charges brought against actor Alec Baldwin following the fatal shooting of a crew member have been dropped.
The case, which was expected to last for several weeks, was sensationally dismissed after just three days after when it came to light the prosecution had concealed evidence that would have been favourable to the 66 year-old Actor. “The state’s willful withholding of information was intentional and deliberate,” Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer said in a New Mexico courthouse. “There is no way for the court to right this wrong.”
In October 2021, cinematographer Haylna Hutchins was fatally shot by a live gun wielded by Alex Baldwin while rehearsals took place for the film Rust on a New Mexico film set.
Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, the film’s armorer, was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter in April after it was ruled she had failed to check the the gun was only loaded with dummy rounds before passing it to the actor.
However, in March 2024, a box of live munitions was handed over to New Mexico police. It suggested the rounds came from the prop supplier rather than Guiterrez-Reed, and matched those that killed Hutchins. Baldwin’s attorney Alex Spiro claimed the prosecution team led by Kari Morrisey had “buried” the new evidence.
Testimony from Alexandria Hancock, an official at the Santa Fe county sherrif’s office, told the court she and other colleagues had filed it separately from other Rust case evidence and in a different case file completely. Then under questioning from Judge Sommer, Hancock sensationally revealed that prosecutor Kari Morrisey was involved in the decision to mis-file the evidence. This was eventually confirmed by a special witness, triggering the case’s dismissal.
The judge’s ruling made with “prejudice” means means prosecutors can no longer bring the same case against Baldwin, essentially ending the involuntary manslaughter charges brought against the actor. It could also Guitierrez-Reed’s conviction is overturned given the outcome.
According to research by the Associated Press, more than 150 people have been left with life-altering injuries from accidents occurring on US film sets since 1990. Safe Elephant, entertainment safety consultants, released an industry whitepaper in May aimed at improving safety practices in the sector.
