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A Judge Dismissed Alec Baldwin's Involuntary Manslaughter Charge — What Happens Next?
Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer decided that dismissing the case was the “only warranted remedy” after new revelations.
Nearly three years after Rust cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was shot to death on set of the western movie, the involuntary manslaughter case against actor Alec Baldwin was abruptly dismissed mid-trial Friday in a shocking turn of events.
First Judicial District Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer made the decision to dismiss the case with prejudice — meaning that the charges can not be brought against Baldwin again — after agreeing with Baldwin’s defense team that prosecutors failed to disclose evidence that may have helped the actor’s case, according to NBC News.
“There is no way for the court to right this wrong,” Sommer said. “The sanction of dismissal is the only warranted remedy.”
Upon hearing the decision, Baldwin openly sobbed in court before embracing his wife Hilaria Baldwin.
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What happened to Halyna Hutchins?
Hutchins was killed during a rehearsal on the set of the western on Oct. 21, 2021, when an antique revolver Baldwin was holding discharged, striking her in the chest, according to documents previously obtained by Oxygen.com. The same bullet lodged into the shoulder of director Joel Souza, who survived the shooting.
How a live round got into the gun has been a continued point of contention since Hutchins was killed. The film’s armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed — who had been tasked with maintaining the weapons on set — was found guilty in March of involuntary manslaughter and sentenced to 18 months behind bars, according to People.
In their opening statements, Wednesday prosecutors argued that Baldwin, who was facing up to 18 months in prison if convicted of the charge, recklessly pointed a gun at another person while playing make-believe on the set, leading to the fatal gunshot wound, The Associated Press reported.
His attorneys, however, insisted he did not realize there was a live round in the chamber and claimed the gun accidentally discharged when he was being instructed on how to carry out the scene. They argued it was the responsibility of others on the set that day to ensure the weapon was safe.
Why were the charges against Alec Baldwin dismissed?
Just three days into the trial, the judge granted a defense motion to dismiss the case after Baldwin’s attorneys argued that state investigators did not disclose to the defense that a man linked to Gutierrez-Reed’s stepfather, Thell Reed, delivered a box of Colt .45 rounds of ammunition to the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office, reportedly linked to the shooting, the same day Gutierrez-Reed was convicted, according to reports from CNN and NBC News.
The sheriff’s office took possession of the ammunition, but did not record the evidence in the Rust case file or notify Baldwin’s attorneys to give them an opportunity to examine it themselves.
Defense attorneys argued the failure to disclose the evidence resulted in a violation of the Brady rule, a rule that requires prosecutors to hand over any material or exculpatory information to the defense.
Sommer concluded that a Brady violation had occurred, noting that the evidence could have been favorable to Baldwin’s case had it been disclosed earlier.
“The late discovery of this evidence during trial has impeded the effective use of evidence in such a way that it has impacted the fundamental fairness of the proceedings,” she said, according to CNN.
Kari Morrissey, the special prosecutor in the case, argued in court that the ammunition was not linked to the case or hidden by authorities.
“I believe the importance of the evidence was misconstrued by the defense attorneys,” she later told reporters, according to NBC News.
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The judge’s decision was just the last in a series of setbacks to the prosecutors’ case. Earlier that day, co-special prosecutor Erlinda Ocampo Johnson resigned.
She later told NBC News that she made the decision to step back from the case because she believed the charges should have been dismissed in light of the late discovery.
Could Alec Baldwin face other legal action?
While Friday’s decision ends the criminal case against Baldwin, the actor and father of eight is still facing civil litigation lodged by Hutchins’ family members in the wake of the tragedy.
In a statement to Oxygen.com, Brian J. Panish, the attorney representing Hutchins’ husband Matthew Hutchins, said he is still hopeful there will be consequences for Baldwin in civil court.
“We respect the court’s decision,” the statement read. “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."
Attorney Gloria Allred, who is representing Hutchins’ parents and sister in a civil suit filed in 2023, held a press conference Saturday to stress that the case’s dismissal was “in no way, shape or form an exoneration” for Baldwin, who she still plans to take to court in a civil trial.
“We are going to fight to the end for Halyna Hutchins,” she said, according to CNN.
What does the decision mean for Hannah Gutierrez-Reed?
Gutierrez-Reed’s attorney Jason Bowles is hoping the judge’s decision in Baldwin’s case could have some positive ramifications for the armor’s own legal battle. He has said he plans to file a motion to dismiss her case in light of the ruling.
“The judge found intentional misconduct and we also have had the same failures in Hannah’s case, by the State,” Bowles told CNN.
Alec Baldwin Issues Statement
Baldwin was unable to hold back the emotions when the judge handed down her ruling Friday, openly sobbing in court.
He broke his silence on social media the next day, sharing a photo of himself in court on Instagram and thanking those who stood in his corner during the trial.
“There are too many people who have supported me to thank just now,” he wrote. “To all of you, you will never know how much I appreciate your kindness toward my family.”
