The Alec Baldwin trial took a shocking turn as Baldwin heard the words “dismissal with prejudice,” in relation to the 2021 fatal shooting of Rust cinematographer Halyna Hutchins. The tragic shooting occurred while rehearsing the scene inside an old church on the film set at Bonanza Creek Ranch. Ever since then, life has been a roller coaster for Baldwin. The Hutchins want justice for their daughter and the fingers were pointing at him, drowning him in civil lawsuits and the latest trial.
The Prosecution’s Efforts Against Alec Baldwin
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In the opening statements, the prosecution portrayed Alec Baldwin as a reckless weapon handler. They claimed that Baldwin declined to do standard safety checks with armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed before the rehearsal.
Additionally, they added that the evidence will point out Baldwin playing “make-believe with a real gun” and violating “the cardinal rules of firearm safety.” The defense, on the other side, argued with all these allegations. “On a movie set, safety has to occur before a gun is placed in an actor’s hand,” Alex Spiro, Baldwin’s lawyer, told the jury, that what happened wasn’t on Baldwin but on the props handlers.
Prosecution Withholds Evidence Leading to Dismissal With Prejudice
As the trial unfolded, it turned out that the prosecution had withheld evidence that was of significant importance to the defense. The evidence in question? Live rounds of ammunition were turned over to New Mexico police in March, following Hannah Gutierrez-Reed’s conviction. This evidence suggested that the live ammunition that made its way onto the set came from the prop supplier and not the film’s armorer. Furthermore, a witness confirmed that special prosecutor Kari Morrissey was directly involved in the decision to file the evidence in a separate case file from the other Rust materials.
The evidence came to light when a crime scene technician told the court that a man named Troy Teske, a retired police officer, had turned over live ammunition that could be related to the case. In a move that’s rarely seen, Kari Morrissey, a special prosecutor, took the stand to testify about the bullets and why they weren’t shared with the defense. Ms. Morrissey testified that she deemed the ammunition of “no evidentiary value,” and that she had “no idea” it wouldn’t be filed under the Rust case number.
The Defense Files a Motion to Dismiss, Which is Granted
The defense filed for a motion to dismiss as they stressed the fact that the bullets in question could be related to Halyna Hutchins’ death. Furthermore, they should’ve been made aware of such crucial evidence, even if as the prosecution claims, that the ammunition did not match bullets found on the set. This all led Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer to rule in the defense’s favor. She found that the state had concealed evidence that would have been favorable to Alec Baldwin. She put an end to the case, saying:
“The state’s willful withholding of information was intentional and deliberate. There is no way for the court to right this wrong.”
She dismissed the case with prejudice, meaning that Baldwin could never be tried for this case again.
Alec Baldwin’s Reaction to the Dismissal
Alec Baldwin was emotional after hearing these words, hugging his attorneys and wife, and left without making a statement. However, he broke his silence with an Instagram post made on July 13th, saying:
“There are too many people who have supported me to thank just now. To all of you, you will never know how much I appreciate your kindness toward my family.”
After the case’s dismissal, he is expected to lead a more peaceful life and prepare for the reality show he’s planning with his family.
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