Alec Baldwin - A process has been initiated against the actor.
Surprising turn in the trial against US actor Alec Baldwin (66): The judge halted the proceedings at the Santa Fe courthouse in New Mexico on a Friday (local time) due to the prosecution withholding evidence from the defense.
Mary Marlowe Sommer explained her decision by stating that the prosecution had prejudicially withheld evidence from the defense. She made it clear that she was disgusted by the negligence of the prosecution. Furthermore, she ruled that Baldwin could not be charged again due to the prohibition of double jeopardy.
Alec Baldwin broke down in tears
As reported by the industry magazine "Variety," the Hollywood star, who faced up to 18 months in prison if convicted, and his wife, Hilaria Baldwin (40), both wept in the courtroom after the judge's ruling. They left the building hand in hand and without comment.
Baldwin was charged with manslaughter after Halyna Hutchins (1979-2021), the cinematographer, was fatally shot by a bullet from a revolver Baldwin was holding during the filming of the Western "Rust" in October 2021. Joel Souza (51), the director, was also injured by the same bullet.
Bullets not handed over to the defense
The police and prosecution had withheld a batch of bullets from Baldwin's attorneys, which were turned over to investigators in March of this year, approximately two and a half years after the incident. One of these bullets is believed to be the fatal one.
Sommer called the withholding of evidence "prejudicial." She declared, "The prosecution is highly culpable because they failed to inform the defendant of the information." Sommer reprimanded the involved parties.
The armorer on the "Rust" film set, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed (born 1997), was sentenced to 18 months in prison for involuntary manslaughter in April.
The evidence withholding happened in the trial taking place at the Santa Fe courthouse in New Mexico. Mary Marlowe Sommer, the Public Prosecutor's Office, expressed her disdain towards the prosecution's negligence in withholding crucial evidence from Halyna Hutchins' case. This evidence, including a batch of bullets turned over two and a half years after the incident, could potentially have impacted Alec Baldwin's manslaughter charges.
Halyna Hutchins, the cinematographer, tragically lost her life due to a bullet discharged from a revolver held by Alec Baldwin during the 'Rust' movie filming in October 2021. The prosecution's failure to disclose this critical evidence raised questions and led to Sommer's strong reprimand.
Following the judge's ruling to halt the proceedings due to the evidence withholding, both Alec and Hilaria Baldwin wept in the courtroom before leaving hand in hand without comment. The public prosecutor's decision to stop the trial due to the severe mishandling of evidence had significant implications for the case, potentially limiting any future charges against Alec Baldwin due to double jeopardy provisions.
