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
Your support helps us to tell the story
My recent work focusing on Latino voters in Arizona has shown me how crucial independent journalism is in giving voice to underrepresented communities.
Your support is what allows us to tell these stories, bringing attention to the issues that are often overlooked. Without your contributions, these voices might not be heard.
Every dollar you give helps us continue to shine a light on these critical issues in the run up to the election and beyond
Eric Garcia
Washington Bureau Chief
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.
How does a gun shoot without pulling the trigger? Here’s what Baldwin’s defense is saying
The ‘Rust’ movie budget was tight. How does that play into Halyna Hutchins death?
Opening statements to give roadmap to involuntary manslaughter case against Alec Baldwin
Alec Baldwin heads to trial over Rust shooting death. Here’s who’s who in the case
From ‘Red October’ to ‘30 Rock,’ a look at Alec Baldwin’s career on eve of ‘Rust’ shooting trial
Gloria Allred says Halyna Hutchins’ family cannot travel for trial
Gloria Allred, the attorney for the family of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, told CNN that they will not be able to travel to the United States for Alec Baldwin’s trial.
Hutchins’ mother, father and sister all live in Kyiv, Ukraine.
She added that the family does not speak English. But that she is thankful the family did not have to see the footage played in court on Wednesday of the aftermath of the shooting.
“That would have been too painful,” she said. “I’m here to be able to communicate with them what is happening in this criminal case.”
Baldwin abruptly leaves courtroom
Alec Baldwin abruptly left the courtroom briefly while the prosecutor argued during a motion to include Baldwin’s phone call with his wife in evidence.
The actor is back in the courtroom and Poppell is back on the stand.
Judge allows Baldwin’s call with wife as evidence
During a hearing following lunch break, Judge Sommer approved the prosecution’s motion to include Alec Baldwin’s phone call with his wife as evidence.
The call was made following the shooting of Hutchins.
Prosecutor Morrissey claimed in the motion that the call contradicts the defense’s portrayal of a grieving and traumatized Baldwin because it involves him telling his family to still come to New Mexico and that they’d “have fun.”
At the time, he was aware Hutchins had been severely injured, but did not yet know she had died.
“And if the defense hasn’t spent all of this time saying how, how, how panicked and upset he was, I’m not sure that it would be relevant, but he is actually planning basically a vacation,” Morrissey told the judge on Thursday.
Baldwin’s attorney said his client’s demeanor after the shooting is not relevant to involuntary manslaughter.
“You all made that fact very important through Officer LeFleur yesterday,” Sommer said in court.
“So, I do find that it’s relevant to basically respond to you all talking about how upset Mr Baldwin was, and certainly you considered that fact of consequence.”
Armorer Hannah Gutierrez Reed to plead the fifth
Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, the armorer for “Rust,” plans to plead the fifth, her attorney Jason Bowles told CNN.
Gutierrez-Reed was called to testify and will be transported from prison to the courthouse in Santa Fe on Friday but Bowles said she will not corporate.
Live bullet found in prop holster of actor Jensen Ackles, crime scene tech says
Crime scene technician Marissa Poppell testified on Thursday that one of the live bullets found on the set of Rust following the 2021 shooting was located in the bandolier – or prop holster – of actor Jensen Ackles.
Live bullets were found on the prop cart and in two prop gun holsters.
One was worn by Alec Baldwin and the other was worn by Ackles.
“Mr. Ackles, another actor on the set, turns out that he — as he acted, as he performed — had a live bullet in his bandolier, correct?” Spiro asked Poppell who responded “yes.”
“You have no reason to think Mr. Ackles had any idea that was there, right?” Spiro pushed.
Poppell told him: “Correct.”
How long is Alec Baldwin’s trial supposed to last?
Alec Baldwin’s involuntary manslaughter trial at the First Judicial District Court of New Mexico — about 20 miles northeast of the ‘Rust’ movie set and the shooting of Halyna Hutchins — is projected to last nine days.
Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer insists that she’ll keep the lawyers in line and on schedule.
A jury was selected on Tuesday and opening statements were presented on Wednesday.
The state’s first four witnesses testified on Wednesday but on Thursday, cross-examination of crime scene tech Marissa Poppell has lasted most of the day.
The projected end is the following Friday.
Once the jurors get the case, however, they can deliberate as long as needed.
Defense questions why it took a week to search ‘Rust’ prop truck
Defense attorney Alex Spiro questioned crime scene tech Marissa Poppell why it took a week to search the prop truck on the set of Rust.
The truck is where the blank ammunition and dummy rounds were kept. Live ammo was found on the set, but none was found in the truck.
“You’re finding these live rounds all over the set, right? Sort of seemed to be a little bit of everywhere without much cohesion between where you’re finding them,” Spiro said.
“And they’re housed originally in the truck. And so you go a week later to the prop truck, which has all of the ammunition. And there’s not a single live round there, right? Why did law enforcement wait a week to go to the prop truck?”
Poppell responded: “The search warrant needed to be written.”
She added: “I’m not sure of why the time difference occurred exactly.”
He claimed that a search warrant for the church on set was written and filed the same day of the shooting. Poppell clarified the search warrant was done the next day.
Piece of paper collected from scene reads ‘Rust Colt cocked quietly now’
A piece of paper collected from the scene of the shooting at the church is displayed.
There appear to be directions on the paper and it reads: “Rust Colt cocked quietly now.”
Poppell says on the stand that she photographed the paper because she felt it was important because it mentioned a firearm.
Crime scene tech says live bullets were found among dummy bullets
Marissa Poppell testified on the stand that live bullets were found mixed with dummy bullets in a prop cart on the set of Rust.
In photos shown in court, the live rounds appear to have a silver dot at the bottom of the casing rather than a dull orange shade.
"Your working theory, as you evaluated the ammunition and looked at the similarity between the Starline nickel live and the Starline nickel dummies is that they could have been easily commingled there?” defense attorney Alex Spiro asked.
“Yes,” she responded.
“In other words, somebody could have mistaken one for the other, right?” he asked. She said: “Yes.”
Spiro also questioned Poppell about the damage caused by the state’s forensic analysis of the gun. The team previously tried to have the cases dismissed because they were unable to examine the gun.
”As to the firearm, I think where you left off yesterday is ultimately that firearm was destroyed in the testing there,” Spiro said.
”Not destroyed, but broken,” Poppell responded.
She later agreed that the gun could likely be fixed with replacement parts, but it could not be restored to the condition it was on the day of the shooting.
Alec Baldwin’s family back in court to support him
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.