Alec Baldwin “Rust” Manslaughter case It's officially over.
The Santa Fe District Attorney's Office announced Monday press release Special Prosecutor Carrie Morrissey has withdrawn the state's notice of appeal against the actor.
“The appeal would have challenged the court’s dismissal of criminal charges against producer and actor Alec Baldwin that included manslaughter in the tragic shooting of cinematographer Halina Hutchins on the set of the film.” Rust on October 21, 2021, according to the press release.
Alec Baldwin's manslaughter case in “Rust” has officially ended. (Alberto E. Rodriguez)
The move to drop the appeal reinforces Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer's decision midway through the trial to dismiss the case based on allegations that police and prosecutors withheld evidence from the defense.
Baldwin's attorneys, Alex Spiro and Luke Nikas, shared a joint statement with Hollywood Reporter.
“This was an unspeakable tragedy, but Alec Baldwin committed no crime.”
“Today's decision to deny the appeal is the ultimate proof of what Alec Baldwin and his attorneys have said from the beginning – this was an unspeakable tragedy, but Alec Baldwin committed no crime. The rule of law will remain intact in New Mexico,” the statement read. He reads.
In July, a Santee judge dismissed the manslaughter case against Baldwin for manslaughter. The fatal shooting of Halina Hutchins On the set of the film “Rust” after ruling that the prosecution concealed evidence from its legal team.
Special Prosecutor Carrie Morrissey has dismissed the state's appeal against Alec Baldwin in the “Rust” manslaughter case. (Ramsay de Jeff/Pool via Reuters)
Baldwin put his face in his hands and cried as Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer dismissed the case with prejudice, meaning the actor could not be charged again.
“The state’s deliberate withholding of this information was intentional and deliberate,” Sommer said. “If this conduct does not rise to the level of bad faith, it certainly comes so close to bad faith as to show signs of vitriolic bias.”
The judge added: “There is no way for the court to correct this error.”
Judge Mary Marlowe dismissed the case against Baldwin with prejudice in July. (Ramsay D. Jeff Paul/Getty Images)
After the judge's ruling, Prosecutor Morrissey spoke to the media outside the courtroom.
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“I am disappointed because I believe the defense attorneys misunderstood the significance of the evidence, but I must respect the court’s decision,” Morrissey said at the time.
The fourth day of the trial in First Judicial District Court Defense attorney Nikas opened by accusing the state of withholding evidence that distributor Seth Kenney was the source of the live ammunition.
An aerial photo from Bonanza Creek Ranch in New Mexico shows the church where actor Alec Baldwin shot a gun. (Associated Press)
Not long afterward, Morrissey's co-counsel, Erlinda Ocampo Johnson, suddenly resigned.
The move prompted a Santa Fe judge Send the jury home So she could hold an 11-hour hearing, prompting prosecutor Carrie Morrissey to name herself as a witness.
Morrissey stressed on the stand that she never believed the evidence in question, which came from former Arizona police officer Troy Teske, was exculpatory because the ammunition turned over to law enforcement never left Arizona before Rust's fatal shooting. ” hiring.
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“I decided not to take any steps to collect this ammunition because it was in Arizona, had never come to New Mexico and did not match live ammunition on the set of the movie Rust,” Morrissey testified.
Halena Hutchins died while filming “Rust” in October 2021 from a gun carried by Alec Baldwin. (Panish Chia Boyle Ravipudi LLP)
The defense team said investigators and prosecutors concealed evidence related to the source of ammunition linked to the accidental shooting death of cinematographer Halina Hutchins during the filming of “Rust” in 2021.
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Gunsmith Hannah Gutierrez Reid was convicted of loading a live round into a gun that Baldwin fired. Hutchins was killed Director Joel Souza was injured.
Fox News Digital's Lauren Overholtz and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
