Alec Baldwin’s Rust manslaughter charges dropped

Alec Baldwin Breaks Into Tears as Judge Dismisses Involuntary Manslaughter Case

In a dramatic turn of events, actor Alec Baldwin broke into tears as a New Mexico judge dismissed the involuntary manslaughter case against him for the fatal shooting on the set of the film Rust. The dismissal came three days into Baldwin’s trial in Santa Fe, just miles from where cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was tragically shot with a revolver Baldwin was using in rehearsals.

This is the second time the case against the actor has been dismissed since the October 2021 shooting, and he will not be tried again. Baldwin’s lawyers alleged that police and prosecutors hid evidence – a batch of bullets – that could have been connected to the shooting on set. The key aspect of the case has been how live ammunition ended up on the set, and Baldwin’s lawyers have questioned the investigation and mistakes made by authorities who processed the scene.

The motion to dismiss set off a series of events, with one of the special prosecutors resigning and the judge dismissing the jury to hear from multiple witnesses. Baldwin’s lawyer claimed that the bullets could be related to Hutchins’ death but were filed in a different case with a different number. Prosecutors argued that the ammunition was not connected to the case and did not match the bullets found on the Rust set.

The judge ruled that the information should have been shared with Baldwin’s defense team, stating, “The state’s willful withholding of this information was intentional and deliberate. There is no way for the court to right this wrong.” Prosecutors will not be able to lodge the charge against Baldwin again, as the judge outright dismissed it with prejudice.

As the judge read from a lengthy statement detailing her reasons for the dismissal, Baldwin broke into tears, with his wife, Hilaria, covering her mouth. Other family members cried and smiled as the actor hugged his lawyers and then embraced his wife before leaving hand-in-hand without making any comments to the press.

The evidence that led to the dismissal came to light when a crime-scene technician revealed that a man named Troy Teske, a retired police officer, had turned over live ammunition that could be related to the case. Teske is friends with the step-father of Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, the film’s armorer who was convicted of involuntary manslaughter earlier this year.

In a twist of events, prosecutors had previously dismissed an involuntary manslaughter charge against Baldwin in 2023, citing new evidence and the need for further investigation. They refiled the charge in January, leading to the recent trial and subsequent dismissal.