Alec Baldwin cried in a New Mexico court when a judge dropped the involuntary manslaughter case against him.
The case was about a fatal shooting on the set of the movie Rust. The trial ended three days after it started in Santa Fe, near where Halyna Hutchins, a cinematographer, was shot during rehearsals.
This is the second time the case against Baldwin has been dropped since the shooting in October 2021; he will not be tried again.
On Instagram, Baldwin thanked his supporters, saying he appreciated their kindness towards his family.
Baldwin’s lawyers said the police and prosecutors hid important evidence. This evidence was a batch of bullets that might be linked to the shooting.
A major question in the case was how live bullets ended up on the movie set. Baldwin’s lawyers criticized the investigation and pointed out mistakes made by the authorities.
The motion to dismiss the case led to significant events. One of the two special prosecutors resigned, and Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer sent the jury away to hear from multiple witnesses.
Baldwin’s lawyer said the bullets could be connected to Hutchins’ death, but they were filed under a different case number.
Prosecutors argued that the bullets were not related and did not match those found on the Rust set. However, the judge decided that the defense team should have seen this evidence.
The judge said the prosecutors deliberately hid this information, which was wrong. Because of this, the judge dismissed the case completely, meaning Baldwin cannot be charged again for this incident.
Baldwin, known for his role in the TV show 30 Rock and his portrayal of Donald Trump on Saturday Night Live, was emotional as the judge explained her decision.
His wife, Hilaria, and other family members also showed strong emotions. Baldwin hugged his lawyers and left the court without speaking to the press.
The hidden evidence was revealed when a crime-scene technician testified about a retired police officer, Troy Teske, who turned over live ammunition that might be related to the case.
Teske is friends with the stepfather of Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, the film’s armorer, who was convicted of involuntary manslaughter earlier this year. Teske was working with Seth Kenney, who handled props and ammunition for the movie.
After the judge sent the jury home, several witnesses spoke about the bullets. One of the prosecutors, Kari Morrissey, testified about why the evidence was not shared with the defense. She said the bullets had “no evidentiary value” from her perspective.
She also explained that her co-prosecutor, Erlinda Ocampo Johnson, resigned because she disagreed with having a public hearing about the evidence claims.
