Judge throws out case against Alec Baldwin

Santa Fe Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer has dismissed actor Alec Baldwin’s case for involuntary manslaughter.

During a hearing Friday morning, Baldwin’s attorneys motioned to dismiss the case. They argued that the state failed to disclose what could be key evidence, something prosecutors denied. Judge Sommer dismissed the jury earlier today and, this afternoon, agreed that this key evidence was enough to end the trial.

“There is no way for the court to right this wrong,” Sommer said when making her ruling this afternoon.

“The state has repeatedly made representations to the defense and to the court that they were compliant with all their discovery obligations,” the judge said.

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The case was dismissed with prejudice, meaning the case can’t be brought against Baldwin again.

Baldwin and his family broke down in tears in the courtroom.

How we got here

• Baldwin was indicted earlier this year, after earlier charges against him were downgraded and later dropped.
• Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, the armorer on the set of Rust in New Mexico, was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter earlier this year.
• Halyna Hutchins’ widower, Matthew Hutchins, settled in court with Baldwin and other Rust producers. Hutchins became an executive producer on the Rust film, which continued production and wrapped up filming in Montana last year.
• Halyna Hutchins’ death during a rehearsal for Rust re-opened a debate about whether or not real guns belong on movie sets at all, and drew renewed attention to broader challenges of on-set safety.

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