Alec Baldwin breaks down in tears as his ‘Rust’ shooting trial is thrown out: Updates
Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer dismissed the case with prejudice based on the misconduct of police and prosecutors over the withholding of evidence from the defense
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Alec Baldwin’s involuntary manslaughter case in the fatal shooting of a cinematographer Halyna Hutchins has been thrown out after just a week of testimony.
The Hollywood actor, 66, broke down in tears and hugged his attorneys and his wife Hilaria after Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer announced her decision at the end of a chaotic day in the New Mexico courtroom.
Judge Sommer dismissed the case with prejudice based on the misconduct of police and prosecutors over the withholding of evidence from the defense. The prosecution will not be able to file charges against Baldwin again in Hutchins’ death.
Nearly three years have passed since a prop gun Baldwin was holding went off during a rehearsal of the film’s shooting scene in 2021, striking and killing Hutchins and injuring director Joel Souza.
Baldwin was charged with involuntary manslaughter and faced 18 months in prison. Now, he walks free.
Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, the film’s armorer, has already been convicted of involuntary manslaughter and was sentenced to 18 months in prison. Her attorney says he plans to move to have her case dismissed.
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JUST IN: Armorer to testify in Alec Baldwin’s trial on Friday
Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, the armorer on the ‘Rust’ movie set who was convicted, is expected to testify on Friday morning.
Gutierrez-Reed will be transported from prison to the courthouse on Friday morning, Attorney Jason Bowles confirmed to Court TV as court resumed on Thursday.
BACK TO COURT! 👀⚖️ Convicted #RustMovie armorer Hannah Gutierrez will be transported to the courthouse in Santa Fe where #AlecBaldwin is being tried on Friday! @CourtTV #RustTrial pic.twitter.com/SjT6duBay0
— Julie Grant (@JulieCourtTV) July 11, 2024
Alec Baldwin watches footage of Halyna Hutchins's final moments
Alec Baldwin, along with a Santa Fe court, watched footage of Halyna Hutchins’s final moments.
When authorities arrived on the scene, body cam footage showed how Hutchins moved her head from side to side while paramedics tried to stabilize her.
“Deep breath, Halyna. Deep breath,” a paramedic told Hutchins in the video.
Joel Souza, the director who survived his injuries after being shot could be heard screaming.
Baldwin remained expressionless as he watched and several jurors took notes.
His brother Stephen watched, but their sister Beth Keuchler and Baldwin’s wife did not.
Alec Baldwin’s sister cries in court
The actor’s sister, Beth Keuchler, and his brother, Stephen Baldwin, were both in court to support their brother on Wednesday.
An eyewitness told Entertainment Tonight that Stephen Baldwin was seen “consoling his sister, who was crying during opening statements.”
During the break, “Elizabeth and Stephen went out into the hallway, where Stephen continued to console his sister, who was visibly emotional, crying and wiping away tears.”
Baldwin then joined his family and hugged his sister, it was reported.
Baldwin’s wife, Hilaria Baldwin, was also in the courtroom for opening statements.
Deputy says Baldwin was instructed not to speak to others
In video footage played in court, Baldwin is shown smoking a cigarette as he answered LeFleur’s questions and asked about the location of the two victims.
The deputy instructed Baldwin instructed not to speak to others. He said he had concerns about witnesses potentially tainting their statements about what happened.
But the prosecution pointed out that despite LeFleur’s instruction, Baldwin continued to talk about it.
Baldwin pulled the trigger, prosecution says
Johnson tells the jury that they will see video footage during the trial of Baldwin using the gun on set.
“You’ll see the video footage of the multiple occasions during which the defendant used this firearm on the set, and each time he fired it, it was working just fine,” Johnson said.
“And in fact, you’ll hear evidence that the defendant himself admitted in December of 2021 that this gun didn’t have any mechanical problems.”
This comes after Baldwin stated that he did not pull the trigger the day Hutchins was shot.
Johnson also said the firearm was repeatedly tested by a forensic expert at the FBI, which determined that the gun had no defects and was in working order.
Prosecutor says Baldwin asked to be given the ‘biggest gun’
Prosecutor Johnson said Baldwin asked to be given the “biggest gun” available for the movie.
She told the jury during her opening that they would hear evidence that firearm was sold to the “Rust” set in “perfect” working order.
Alec Baldwin arrives at court for opening statements
#AlecBaldwin arrives at court for opening statements in his trial @LawCrimeNetwork #HalynaHutchins pic.twitter.com/WPwrg4IK06
— Angenette Levy (@Angenette5) July 10, 2024
Jury seated in Alec Baldwin ‘Rust’ manslaughter trial
Hollywood star is on trial for involuntary manslaughter in New Mexico for the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of the Western movie in 2021.
Jury seated in Alec Baldwin ‘Rust’ manslaughter trial
Hollywood star is on trial for involuntary manslaughter in New Mexico for the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of the Western movie in 2021
Veteran armorer turned down ‘Rust’ job over ‘red flags’
In an exclusive interview with NewsNation’s guest host Brian Entin on Banfield | NewsNation this week, Hollywood prop master Neal Zoromski said he was set to work on the Alec Baldwin film “Rust” but backed out after noticing some budgetary red flags.
On that movie set, Baldwin ended up firing a prop gun filled with real bullets, killing the film’s cinematographer.
He now faces trial.
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