In her ruling, Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer said the prosecution had failed to properly inform the defense about live ammunition that may have been involved in the shooting. “The State’s concealment of this information was deliberate and willful,” she said.
The actor has been on trial since Tuesday for manslaughter, with prosecutors arguing that his reckless behaviour Handling prop guns The footage, shot on the set of a low-budget Western, made him responsible for the fatal shooting.
Dismissal The trial, which was marked by courtroom drama, effectively ended the threat of criminal prosecution for Baldwin, one of America’s best-known actors whose career was ruined by the shooting. He won an Emmy award. Donald Trump He is known for his starring role on “Saturday Night Live” and as Jack Donaghy on “30 Rock.”
Baldwin, who remained calm and composed for much of the hearing, buried his face in his hands when he heard the judge’s verdict and then hugged his lawyer and wife before leaving the courtroom without answering questions from dozens of reporters who have flocked to New Mexico to discuss the case.
Baldwin’s lawyers filed a motion late Thursday to dismiss the case, arguing that prosecutors concealed evidence that could help identify the source of live ammunition found in Baldwin’s handgun on the film set, which was supposed to use only blank rounds.
Possible evidence of a problem is Troy Teske is a friend of “Last” gunsmith’s stepfather, Tel Reed, who provided live ammunition to Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Department deputies after the manslaughter trial of gunsmith Hannah Gutierrez Reed earlier this year. She concluded with confidenceThe defense argued that despite demanding that all ballistic evidence be examined, no information was provided about the bullets.
“The State seeks to establish a link between Baldwin and the supplier of live ammunition. The State argues that Baldwin should have been aware of his youth and inexperience and therefore may have brought live ammunition onto the set, but the only way the State can achieve this is to prove that live ammunition was brought onto the set by the film’s gunman,” the defense wrote in the motion. “Not only has the State failed to disclose evidence, but it has actively suppressed it with file numbers unrelated to the Rust case.”
As those concerns were addressed in court on Friday, the judge, donning blue gloves, cut open the manila bag containing the ammunition and asked a crime scene technician to identify each bullet. When Sommer questioned the technician, it became clear that at least one bullet resembled an imitation bullet found on the set of “Lust.”
On Friday, after the judge sent the jury home to investigate the matter, special prosecutor Kari Morrissey took the unusual step of testifying herself: The ammunition in question did not match any live rounds recovered from the “Lust” set and was never brought to New Mexico before filming, much less onto the set.
Morrissey argued that the defense was aware of the ammunition in question, but that it was not formally presented as evidence to the defense because it did not match bullets found on the set of the Western movie. “It has no probative value whatsoever,” Morrissey said.
However, Judge Sommer didn’t think so and harshly criticised the prosecution in his ruling.
“Even if this conduct does not rise to the level of malice, it clearly borders on malice and shows signs of extreme prejudice,” she wrote in her ruling. She said Baldwin’s defense should have known about the bullets sooner, but it was now too late to incorporate them into their defense. Therefore, even a declaration of a mistrial could not remedy the situation, and the case had to be dismissed with prejudice, meaning Baldwin cannot receive a new trial.
As Sommer began explaining her reasons for dismissing the case, Baldwin’s sister, Beth Keuchler, began crying in the audience.
The dismissal marks the second major prosecutorial blunder in the Baldwin case. Baldwin was originally accused of felony assault with Gutierrez Reed. Two counts of negligent homicide It’s January 2023, and more than a year has passed since the shooting. But Baldwin’s charges, which initially carried a five-year prison sentence, were later amended. Reduced to 18 months The defendant’s defense argued successfully that the sentence was based on enhanced firearms laws passed just months after the shooting.
The special prosecutor in charge of the case at the time, Andrea Reeve, resigned last March following a complaint by Baldwin’s lawyers, who argued that his appointment violated the New Mexico Constitution because he served in another branch of government while also being a state representative.
About a month later, The charges against the actor were dropped. Prosecutors said at the time that “new facts have come to light that require further investigation and forensic analysis” and suggested the charges might be refiled.
In January, A grand jury indicted Baldwin He was again charged with manslaughter, leading to a trial that was dismissed on Friday.
The incident began on October 21, 2021, while the cast and crew of Lust were rehearsing at Bonanza Creek Ranch near Santa Fe, New Mexico. Baldwin’s handgun accidentally discharged, striking Hutchinson in the chest and director Joel Souza in the shoulder with a live round. Hutchinson was transported by helicopter from the scene and pronounced dead at a hospital in Albuquerque, while Souza is expected to make a full recovery.
Baldwin, who is also a producer on the yet-to-be-released film, has denied pulling the trigger. He has now been cleared of criminal charges but faces civil lawsuits related to the shooting, including a suit alleging negligence and intentional infliction of emotional distress. Submitted by Hutchins’ father, mother and sister.
In October 2022, Baldwin, along with the film’s production company and several staff members, A settlement was reached The agreement was reached after Hutchins’ husband, Matthew, and son filed a lawsuit against the cinematographer for wrongful death. As part of the agreement, Matthew Hutchins became an executive producer on The Last.
Baldwin said CNN In 2022, he said that “Rust” had “shortened years from my life.”
William Triplett in New Mexico contributed to this report. This story has been updated.
