The Alec Baldwin trial came to a dramatic end on Friday, setting the A-lister free after shooting and killing cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of “Rust.”
Alec Baldwin was the co-producer and star of a western movie called “Rust,” which was in the process of being filmed in Santa Fe, New Mexico. During a filming of a scene Baldwin pointed a gun at the camera. Unbeknownst to the actor, the firearm was loaded with a live round. The live round discharged, hitting and killing Hutchins. Baldwin claimed he did not pull the trigger on the revolver, but prosecutors argued he did exactly that. Mr. Baldwin would be charged with involuntary manslaughter.
The set of “Rust” was plagued with safety concerns from the crew. According to New Mexico’s Occupational Health and Safety Bureau, numerous safety violations existed on the set. The Bureau stated that production managers took limited or no action when there were two misfires of blank ammunition before the fatal accident. They also said the production staff dismissed the crew’s safety concerns about firearms handling. The production staff also banned the weapons specialists on set from making decisions on additional safety training.
The case ended when the judge dismissed the charges against Baldwin with prejudice, meaning he could not be tried again. Mr. Baldwin hugged his attornies with tears in his eyes. There were audible gasps from the gallery as the judge made her decision. Still, his hands might have been tied due to allegations that the prosecution hid exculpatory evidence from the defense.
The alleged hidden evidence was rounds from the “Rust” set. Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office crime scene technician Marissa Poppell testified under cross-examination that a “good Samaritan” turned over the ammunition to investigators. The “good Samaritan” who handed in Colt .45 rounds is believed to be Troy Teske. Mr. Teske is a good friend of Thell Reed, the stepfather of “Rust” armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed. Ms. Gutierrez-Reed was convicted of involuntary manslaughter and is serving 18 months behind bars.
The Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office consulted with lead prosecutor Kari Morrissey about the ammunition. The Sheriff’s Office and Morrissey decided to file the ammunition under a separate case number, effectively putting them out of reach by the defense. In an unusual move, Ms. Morrissey called herself to the stand to address the allegations. She admitted that the rounds were booked into evidence under a different case number but insisted it wasn’t to hide evidence. She emphasized that the ammo was not linked to the case against Baldwin.
Alec Baldwin’s ‘Rust’ criminal trial was a ‘comedy of errors,’ legal expert says https://t.co/FY9iNTDBSE
— Fox News Entertainment (@FoxNewsEnt) July 15, 2024
Mr. Baldwin’s attorneys insisted that Morrissey was not responsible for deciding whether the ammunition was essential to the case, and the evidence should have been turned over to the defense. The defense asked the judge to dismiss the case due to the mishandling of evidence. The judge felt her hands were tied, so she dismissed the case with prejudice, meaning it could not be retried.
“There is no way for the court to right this wrong,” said 1st Judicial District Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer. “The sanction of dismissal is the only warranted remedy.”
Ms. Morrissey was defiant after the case. She believes the defense attorneys exploited the missing rounds to get the case thrown out but did say she respects the judge’s decision.
“I believe the importance of the evidence was misconstrued by the defense attorneys,” Morrissey told reporters outside court.
In an interview with Deadline, Halyna Hutchins’ widower, Matthew Hutchins, through attorney Brian J. Parish, said he respects the court’s decision but wants to see the 66-year-old actor held accountable for his actions. Mr. Parish hinted that further actions would be taken against Baldwin in a civil case.
“We respect the court’s decision,” Brian J. Parish said. “We look forward to presenting all the evidence to a jury and holding Mr. Baldwin accountable for his actions in the senseless death of Halyna Hutchins.”
Alec Baldwin thanked everyone who supported him throughout the case. Some of the Hollywood elites openly supported Baldwin, including former CNN host Don Lemon, Amy Sedaris, and actor Anthony Hopkins.
“There are too many people who have supported me to thank just now,” Baldwin said. “To all of you, you will never know how much I appreciate your kindness toward my family.”
Mr. Baldwin celebrated Friday night in Santa Fe at a local restaurant with his brother Stephen and an entourage of others.
About John Crump
John is an NRA instructor and a constitutional activist. John has written about firearms, interviewed people of all walks of life, and on the Constitution. Mr. Crump lives in Northern Virginia with his wife and sons and can be followed on Twitter at @crumpyss, or at www.crumpy.com.
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