December 24, 2024: The legal case against Alec Baldwin in connection with the tragic shooting on the set of Rust has officially come to an end. Nearly six months after a Santa Fe judge dismissed the involuntary manslaughter charges against Baldwin, the Santa Fe District Attorney’s Office announced that the case is now closed, with the state’s appeal being withdrawn. This move effectively concludes the legal proceedings against Baldwin over the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, as reported by The Hollywood Reporter.
In a significant development on Monday, special prosecutor Kari Morrissey decided to withdraw the state’s appeal, which had been filed in November. Had the appeal gone forward, it would have contested the decision made by the court to drop the charges against Baldwin. With the appeal now dismissed, Baldwin’s legal team views this as a final exoneration.
In a joint statement issued to The Hollywood Reporter, Baldwin’s attorneys, Luke Nikas and Alex Spiro, emphasized that the decision to drop the appeal affirmed their long-standing position that Baldwin was not responsible for the tragedy. “Today’s decision to dismiss the appeal is the final vindication of what Alec Baldwin and his attorneys have said from the beginning – this was an unspeakable tragedy but Alec Baldwin committed no crime,” they said. They further added, “The rule of law remains intact in New Mexico.”
The charges against Baldwin had been initially dismissed on July 12, 2023, when Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer ruled to drop the case with prejudice after a court hearing. During the hearing, Baldwin’s lawyers presented evidence that they claimed had been improperly withheld by police and prosecutors, including ammunition that was relevant to the case. This led to the resignation of a prosecutor, and another prosecutor was called to testify as a witness. Judge Sommer concluded that the late discovery of this evidence had undermined the fairness of the proceedings, making dismissal the only appropriate course of action.
A few weeks after the dismissal, Judge Sommer went further, criticizing the prosecution for misconduct. She accused prosecutor Kari Morrissey and her team of “intentionally and deliberately” withholding key evidence. The judge also pointed out inconsistencies in Morrissey’s testimony regarding the suppressed evidence, further adding to the mounting issues with the case. The judge’s statements highlighted the serious flaws in the prosecution’s handling of the case.
With the case now officially closed, Alec Baldwin has been cleared of any criminal wrongdoing in the tragic shooting incident, which occurred in October 2021 during the filming of Rust on a ranch in New Mexico. Baldwin had discharged a prop gun that accidentally killed Hutchins and injured director Joel Souza. Although Baldwin has always maintained that he did not pull the trigger and had been assured the weapon was safe to use, the legal saga has stirred significant public attention and debate.
The conclusion of the case marks a major turn in a case that has been mired in legal complexities, evidence disputes, and public scrutiny.
