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Can Alec Baldwin Still Be Charged With Involuntary Manslaughter After Rust Case Dismissal? Explored
Alec Baldwin, once facing 18 months for involuntary manslaughter of Halyna Hutchins, had his case dismissed. He still faces a civil suit from her husband.
Alec Baldwin, who was facing up to 18 months in prison if found guilty of involuntary manslaughter in the 2021 Rust shooting case, was relieved when a New Mexico judge dismissed the case on Friday, July 12. The actor cried happy tears in the courtroom as he hugged his wife following the ruling.
Since the case was dismissed with prejudice by Judge Marly Marlowe Sommer, Baldwin, 66, cannot be charged with involuntary manslaughter again; hence, his criminal case is over forever, we can confirm.
In court on Friday, the defense argued that the prosecution deliberately withheld a particular piece of evidence related to the case that might have brought relief to Baldwin. This was evidence the defense was entitled to know about per the laws. Below is how the rest of the proceeding went.
For the record, Baldwin’s trial was expected to run for at least two weeks before it was dismissed yesterday, which happened to be only the third day of the trial hearings.
Baldwin permanently free of the involuntary manslaughter charge
The Emmy-winning actor’s attorney, Luke Nikas, asked the court to dismiss the case against his client, claiming that prosecutors intentionally buried evidence — ammunition connected to the Rust shooting case — that would’ve helped authorities determine how real bullets reached the shooting set.
Notably, the prosecution withholding the evidence cited by Baldwin’s legal team on Friday violates the Brady rule, which mandates that prosecutors share any and all material evidence with the defense. “The late discovery of this evidence during the trial has impeded the effective use of evidence in such a way that it has impacted the fundamental fairness of the proceedings,” said Judge Sommer while reading the ruling in the defense’s favor.
For those unversed, Baldwin, the actor and producer of Rust, a Western flick, was rehearsing a scene with a prop gun in October 2021 when the firearm discharged a real bullet instead of a dummy. When the gun fired, Baldwin accidentally fatally shot Hutchins and injured director Joel Souza, who healed after incurring wounds.
Friday's ruling in Baldwin’s favor was a huge setback for the prosecution, which had gained a significant lead in the case when the gun manufacturer of the Colt .45 revolver, the mishap weapon, testified in court on the first day of trials, noting the firearm cannot discharge ammunition until the trigger is pulled. For his part, Baldwin had steadfastly maintained he did not pull it.
Alec Baldwin still faces civil suits from the late Halyna Hutchins’s family
“We respect the court’s decision. We look forward to presenting all the evidence to a jury and holding Mr. Baldwin accountable for his actions in the senseless death of Halyna Hutchins,” the attorney for Hutchins’ husband said following the Friday ruling.
Baldwin's suit from Matthew Hutchins, her husband, remains to be resolved despite the October 2022 settlement between the parties.
On the work front, Baldwin, alongside his wife and many children, will star in a TLC reality series in 2025.
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