Alec Baldwin’s involuntary manslaughter trial came to an abrupt end on Friday when the judge dropped the case after discovering that the defense had been denied access to crucial evidence regarding a fatal shooting on the “Rust” set.
Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer, who is overseeing the trial in Santa Fe, New Mexico, stated that police and prosecutors had not given Baldwin’s attorneys access to bullets that might have been connected to cinematographer Halyna Hutchins’ death and could have been advantageous to his case.
The Hollywood A-lister immediately burst into tears, as the case — which could have seen him sentenced to 18 months in prison if found guilty — was abruptly tossed out in sensational scenes.
“The state’s willful withholding of this information was intentional and deliberate. If this conduct does not rise to the level of bad faith, it certainly comes so near to bad faith as to show signs of scorching prejudice,” said Marlowe Sommer.
“The court concludes that this conduct is highly prejudicial to the defendant.”
During a rehearsal in October 2021, Baldwin was pointing a gun towards Hutchins when it shot, killing Hutchins and injuring the director of the movie.
Hannah Gutierrez, the armorer in the film who loaded the lethal weapon, is already incarcerated for eighteen months for involuntary manslaughter.
Baldwin was charged with the same offense. The prosecution says he acted carelessly on set and disregarded basic gun safety regulations.
Baldwin’s celebrity lawyer Alex Spiro argued the actor had no responsibility for checking the weapon’s deadly contents and did not know it contained live rounds.
But the defense’s case also rested heavily on discrediting the police investigation.
And Spiro on Thursday introduced evidence that live bullets potentially linked to the shooting had been handed to police, but not disclosed to Baldwin’s lawyers.
