Judge throws out Alec Baldwin manslaughter case

The charges stem from a 2021 fatal shooting accident on a film set

A New Mexico judge has dismissed involuntary manslaughter charges against Hollywood actor Alec Baldwin, ruling that the prosecution withheld crucial evidence. 

In October 2021, Baldwin fired a revolver while rehearsing a scene on a film set, killing cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and wounding director Joel Souza. Baldwin denied wrongdoing, saying he had been assured the gun did not contain live rounds, and was safe to use.

The prosecutors argued in court that Baldwin “violated the cardinal rules of firearm safety.” The actor’s defense team, meanwhile, described the incident as an “unspeakable tragedy,” but stressed that Baldwin “committed no crime” because live rounds were never supposed to be delivered on set, according to ABC News. 

The defense team asked the court to dismiss the case, arguing that the prosecution failed to disclose that it had been given a batch of rounds when Baldwin’s lawyers requested a review of ballistic evidence. Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer agreed that it was a major flaw in the prosecution’s handling of the case. 

“The state’s wilful withholding of this information was intentional and deliberate,” Sommer said. “This disclosure over the course of trial is so late that it undermines the defendant’s preparation for trial. There is no way for the court to right this wrong.”

The high-profile trial has brought attention to workplace safety across film sets and prompted discussions about the use of firearms during film production.

Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, the armorer on the Western movie Baldwin was working on – named ‘Rust’ – was sentenced to 18 months in prison in April. She was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter after loading Baldwin’s revolver with live ammunition.