In a shocking turn of events, Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer abruptly dismissed the involuntary manslaughter case against actor Alec Baldwin in the middle of his trial. The case, stemming from the tragic shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of the film “Rust,” was dismissed with prejudice, meaning it cannot be filed again. Baldwin, visibly emotional, hugged his attorneys and his wife Hilaria after the judge’s ruling.
The dismissal came as a result of the misconduct of both police and prosecutors, who were found to have withheld crucial evidence from the defense. Judge Marlowe Sommer stated that the late discovery of this evidence during the trial had compromised the fairness of the proceedings. She expressed her concern that the conduct exhibited by the prosecution bordered on bad faith.
Had Baldwin been convicted, he could have faced up to 18 months in prison. The defense argued that prosecutors had concealed evidence related to the ammunition used in the shooting, which they believed was vital to their case. The prosecution, however, maintained that the ammunition was unrelated and had not been hidden.
The issue regarding the ammunition arose during the defense’s questioning of sheriff’s crime scene technician Marissa Poppell on the second day of the trial. Baldwin’s lawyer, Alex Spiro, inquired about a “good Samaritan” who had allegedly brought the ammunition to the sheriff’s office after the trial of Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, the film’s armorer. Gutierrez-Reed had previously been convicted of involuntary manslaughter and was sentenced to 18 months in prison.
