Alec Baldwin has shared his first public response to the dismissal of his Involuntary Manslaughter case in relation to the shooting on the set of the movie Rust.
"There are too many people who have supported me to thank just now," Baldwin wrote on Instagram on Saturday, July 13. "To all of you, you will never know how much I appreciate your kindness toward my family." Baldwin, 66, thanked supporters alongside a photo of him in court, seemingly getting emotional over the judge's response.
On Friday, July 12, a New Mexico judge ruled to dismiss the case against Baldwin regarding the 2021 shooting on the set of Joel Souza's Rust that claimed the life of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins. The case was to determine if he could be held responsible for being the person who fired the revolver during a rehearsal for the film. Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer cited police and prosecutor misconduct behind the dismissal, saying they withheld evidence from the defense, per Page Six.
"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. If this conduct does not rise to the level of bad faith it certainly comes so near to bad faith to show signs of scorching," Judge Sommer said.
The "bad faith" she was referring to involved ammunition evidence the defense said the prosecution had hidden from them, denying them the opportunity to determine its importance to their case. The prosecution refuted such claims, and said the ammunition was not relevant to the case. In addition to dismissing Baldwin's case, the judge ruled that it cannot be filed again.
Had he been convicted, Baldwin could have faced up to 18 months in prison. Following the news, the 30 Rock star became emotional, crying as he hugged his attorneys, before hugging his wife Hilaria, who was also in tears. The dismissal was reportedly a surprise, arising due to a line of defense questioning in the second day of the trial, Page Six reported.
He and his wife were seen kissing after a long embrace to celebrate the news. Baldwin was smiling as he left the courthouse and headed to the bar at the El Dorado Hotel in Santa Fe in pictures obtained by Page Six. He was joined there in celebration by his wife, and his lawyers, Alex Spiro and Luke Nikas.
Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, the armorer for Rust, was found guilty on March 6, 2024 of involuntary manslaughter in the fatal 2021 shooting. She was convicted after three hours of jury deliberation, having been ultimately found responsible for there being live rounds on the movie set, the New York Post reported. Gutierrez-Reed faces up to 18 months in prison, and has already shared plans to appeal the decision.
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