Process against Hollywood-Star Baldwin dropped
Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer stated that the police and the prosecution had withheld bullets from Baldwin's lawyers, which possibly could be connected to the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins. She spoke about this being deliberate. This harms the defendant greatly.
During the filming of the western "Rust" in 2021, the cinematographer Hutchins was fatally shot by a bullet from a revolver held by Baldwin. The director Joel Souza was also injured by the same bullet. The armorer on the film set, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, was already sentenced to 18 months in prison for negligent manslaughter.
Baldwin faced the same accusation. The prosecution accuses him of disregarding fundamental firearms safety regulations and recklessly endangering his colleagues. The actor insists on his innocence and claims he did not pull the trigger.
Baldwin's lawyer Alex Spiro argued that the actor had no responsibility for checking the deadly content of the weapon. Even if he had accidentally pulled the trigger, this would not justify a conviction from his perspective.
The defense relied heavily on discrediting the police investigations. Spiro presented evidence that the police might have handed over potentially incriminating live ammunition to the Baldwin defense team, which they were not informed about.
It was later discovered that the Santa Fe sheriff received a set of bullets from a former police officer at the beginning of the year, nearly three years after the incident. These bullets allegedly included the fatal bullet. However, they were never passed on to the defense, who therefore could not examine them.
Baldwin's lawyers filed a motion to dismiss the case on Thursday. "It's time to put this case to bed," demanded another of Baldwin's lawyers, Luke Nikas, on Friday morning. The lawyers accused the police of hiding evidence regarding the explanation of the fatal shot by not filing it in the "Rust" case file and thus denying the defense the opportunity to view it.
The prosecutor Kari Morrissey told the court that she had neither seen nor heard of the bullets before this week. However, when it was revealed that Morrissey was present at the meetings where it was decided not to include the bullets in the "Rust" case file, she volunteered as a witness in a last-ditch attempt to save her case. She, however, did not provide a sufficient statement to the judge as to why the defense was not informed.
From a legal expert's perspective, it is highly unlikely that Baldwin will be charged with the fatal shooting again. However, civil lawsuits could still pose a threat to him.
The criminal proceedings are over, they cannot be reopened, said attorney Tre Lovell from Los Angeles. Similarly, Carl Tobias, a law professor at the University of Richmond, opined that the case was settled on the side of criminal law.
- The Public Prosecutor's Office is currently dealing with the case against Alec Baldwin, who has been accused of negligently discharging a firearm on the set of "Rust," leading to the death of Halyna Hutchins.
- In Hollywood, the trial surrounding the incident involving Baldwin and Hutchins has been a topic of interest, with many following the legal process closely.
- Alex Spiro, Baldwin's lawyer, argued during the trial that the actor had no responsibility for checking the deadly content of the weapon, even if he accidentally pulled the trigger.
- The case in Santa Fe, New Mexico, has been a significant event for the Hollywood-Star Baldwin, as he faces accusations of disregarding fundamental firearms safety regulations.
- Mary Marlowe Sommer, the judge overseeing the trial, stated that withholding bullets from Baldwin's lawyers potentially connected to Hutchins' death harms the defendant greatly and could be seen as deliberate.
- The prosecution, led by Kari Morrissey, accused Baldwin of recklessly endangering his colleagues by negligently handling the weapon, leading to the fatal shooting of Hutchins and the injuring of director Joel Souza.
- Following the reveals of police withholding information, Baldwin's lawyers filed a motion to dismiss the case, accusing the Santa Fe Police of hiding evidence related to the fatal shot, which was never included in the "Rust" case file.
