The process against Alec Baldwin surprising stopped
The proceedings against Hollywood star Baldwin for manslaughter charges have been dropped. Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer ordered that the case cannot be reopened. Baldwin broke down in tears in court. The actor hugged his attorney and his wife, Hilaria Baldwin, who was also present in the courtroom. Shortly afterwards, he left the building as a free man.
The proceedings against actor Alec Baldwin for manslaughter allegations have been dropped. Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer ruled that the case could not be reopened. Baldwin cried in court. The actor hugged his attorney and his wife, Hilaria Baldwin, who was also present in the courtroom. A few minutes later, he left the building as a free man.
The proceedings took an unexpected turn in the morning. Baldwin's attorney Alex Spiro presented evidence that the police had been given sharp ammunition in connection with the fatal shot, but this information had not been disclosed to Baldwin's lawyers. Therefore, Judge Sommer ruled that the withholding by the prosecution was deliberate. This greatly harmed the defendant, she said. The late discovery of these pieces of evidence would influence the "fundamental fairness" of the trial, Sommer added. There was no way for the court to correct this oversight. The dismissal of the case was the only legal remedy.
There was a series of cartridges that had surfaced a few months ago and were presented in court by the judge on Friday. From the defense's perspective, these cartridges should have been part of the ballistic investigation - the prosecution had withheld them, according to the "New York Times" report by Baldwin's lawyers. This represented a significant procedural error on the part of the state, as possible new evidence was not made available to the defense.
An 18-month prison sentence threatened
During a rehearsal in October 2021 on the set of the Western "Rust," a shot went off from a weapon that Baldwin was handling, which fatally struck cinematographer Halyna Hutchins. Director Joel Souza was injured. If Baldwin had been found guilty of involuntary manslaughter, he could have faced up to 18 months in prison. The prosecution accused Baldwin of disregarding fundamental firearms safety regulations and recklessly endangering his colleagues. The actor maintains his innocence and insists he did not pull the trigger.
The question of where the live ammunition that reached the Western film set in 2021 came from remains unanswered to this day. In the spring, young armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed stood trial in Santa Fe. She was responsible for safety during the handling of weapons at the shoot. In addition to blank cartridges and so-called dummy cartridges, investigators found six live cartridges. One was loaded into the revolver cylinder. The prosecution accused Gutierrez-Reed of neglecting safety precautions and failing to check the ammunition. The jury found the young woman guilty of involuntary manslaughter in March. Judge Sommer sentenced her to the maximum term - 18 months in prison.
"Evidence deliberately hidden"
The evidence was deliberately hidden from Baldwin's lawyers, according to the New York Times report. The late discovery of these cartridges would have influenced the outcome of the trial, as they could have provided crucial evidence for the defense. The prosecution's failure to disclose this information constituted a significant procedural error, potentially jeopardizing the fairness of the trial.
The defense argued that the live ammunition should have been part of the ballistic investigation, but the prosecution had withheld it. This oversight could have led to the discovery of new evidence that could have potentially exonerated Baldwin. The judge's ruling to dismiss the case was a significant blow to the prosecution's case, as it left many unanswered questions regarding the source of the live ammunition and its role in the tragic incident.
A former police officer had handed over the sharp ammunition, now presented in court, to investigators in Santa Fe in March. The lead prosecutor, Kari T. Morrissey, however, decided that this had nothing to do with the case, as she saw a distinct difference between these bullets and those from the "Rust" set. The judge raised the issue. Furthermore, Morrissey was sharply reprimanded for failing to include this potential evidence in the "Rust" trial documents and denying it to the defendants. The evidence had been deliberately hidden from them, claimed Luke Nikas, attorney for Baldwin.
Even after the Baldwin trial concluded, there are still open questions. Gutierrez-Reed had filed an objection against the guilty verdict against her weeks ago, the armorer is demanding a new trial. The public may soon learn more about the Baldwins as well. In June, the couple had announced a new family project. The reality show "The Baldwins" is expected to air on US network TLC next year.
Baldwin's attorney Luke Nikas argued that the live ammunition found on the "Rust" set should have been included in the ballistic investigation, but it was withheld by the prosecution. This led to a significant procedural error, as it could have potentially exonerated Baldwin.
Despite the dismissal of the manslaughter charges against Alec Baldwin, the question of where the live ammunition that reached the Western film set in 2021 came from remains unanswered. The failure to disclose this evidence to Baldwin's lawyers could have influenced the outcome of the trial and raised concerns about the fairness of the proceedings.
