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“Rust” by Alec Baldwin a case of involuntary manslaughter is officially over.
On Monday, the Santa Fe District Attorney’s office made the announcement press release that special prosecutor Kari Morrissey withdrew the announcement of a state complaint against the actor.
“The appeal would challenge the court’s dismissal of criminal charges against producer and actor Alec Baldwin, which included manslaughter in the tragic shooting of cinematographer Halyne Hutchins on the set of the film rust October 21, 2021,” reads the press release.
Alec Baldwin’s “Rust” manslaughter case is officially over. (Alberto E. Rodriguez)
The move to drop the appeal cements a mid-trial decision by Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer to dismiss the case over claims that police and prosecutors withheld evidence from the defense.
FATAL TIMELINE IN THE FILMING OF ALEC BALDWIN’S ‘RUST’ WHICH LEADS THE ACTORS TO MANSHOULDER CHARGES
Baldwin’s attorneys, Alex Spiro and Luke Nikas, shared a joint statement with The Hollywood Reporter.
“This was an unspeakable tragedy, but Alec Baldwin committed no crime.”
“Today’s decision to dismiss the appeal is a final confirmation of what Alec Baldwin and his lawyers have been saying from the beginning – this was an unspeakable tragedy, but Alec Baldwin committed no crime. The rule of law remains intact in New Mexico,” the statement read.
In July, a Sante Fe judge dismissed the involuntary manslaughter case against Baldwin because the fatal shooting of Halyne Hutchins on the set of the movie “Rust” after ruling that the prosecution withheld evidence from his legal team.
Special Prosecutor Kari Morrissey dismissed the state’s appeal against Alec Baldwin in his “Rust” involuntary manslaughter case. (RAMSAY DE GIVE/Pool via REUTERS)
Baldwin cupped his face in his hands and cried as Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer dismissed the case with prejudice, meaning the actor cannot be charged again.
“The state’s deliberate withholding of this information was deliberate and deliberate,” Sommer said. “If this conduct does not rise to the level of bad faith, it is certainly so close to bad faith as to show signs of burning prejudice.”
The judge added: “There is no way for the court to correct this injustice.”
Judge Mary Marlowe dismissed the case against Baldwin with prejudice in July. (Ramsay de Give-Pool/Getty Images)
After the judge’s verdict, prosecutor Morrissey spoke to the media outside the courthouse.
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“I’m disappointed because I think the defense attorneys misconstrued the importance of the evidence, but I have to respect the court’s decision,” Morrissey said at the time.
The fourth day of the trial in First District Court opened with defense attorney Nikas accusing the state of withholding evidence that prop dealer 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 from a prop. (Associated Press)
Not long after, Morrissey’s co-lawyer Erlinda Ocampo Johnson suddenly resigned.
That move prompted the Santa Fe judge to send the jury home so she could hold an 11 a.m. hearing, which led to lead prosecutor Kari Morrissey calling herself as a witness.
During the session, Morrissey pointed out that she never believed that the evidence in question, which came from former Arizona police officer Troy Teske, was exculpatory because the ammunition that was turned over to the police never left the state of Arizona before the fatal shooting at “Rust”.
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“I decided not to take any steps to collect this ammunition because it was in Arizona, never came to New Mexico and did not match the live rounds on the set of ‘Rust,'” Morrissey testified.
Halyna Hutchins died on the set of “Rust” in October 2021 from a gun Alec Baldwin was holding. (Panish Shea Boyle Ravipudi LLP)
The defense team claimed that investigators and prosecutors withheld evidence related to the source of ammunition linked to the accidental death of cinematographer Halyne Hutchins on the set of the 2021 movie “Rust.”
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Gunsmith Hannah Gutierrez Reed was convicted of loading the live bullet into the revolver, which Baldwin fired, killing Hutchins and wounding director Joel Souza.
Fox News Digital’s Lauryn Overhultz and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
