Prosecutors Drop Appeal for Dismissed Case Against Alec Baldwin in Deadly Movie Set Shooting

SANTA FE, N.M.—Prosecutors in New Mexico have decided not to move forward with an appeal regarding a court’s ruling that dismissed involuntary manslaughter charges against Alec Baldwin, following the tragic shooting that resulted in the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of the Western film “Rust.” This announcement was made by the Santa Fe district attorney’s office on Monday.

Special Prosecutor Kari Morrissey has rescinded the appeal of a trial ruling from July that dismissed the charges against Baldwin in relation to the fatal incident during a rehearsal outside Santa Fe in October 2021.

“Today’s decision to drop the appeal finally affirms what Alec Baldwin and his legal team have asserted from the start—this was a horrendous accident, but Alec Baldwin did not commit a crime,” stated defense attorneys Luke Nikas and Alex Spiro. “The rule of law stands firm in New Mexico.”

Officials from the state attorney general’s office were not immediately available for comment.

This choice to abandon the appeal reinforces the determination made by Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer midway through the trial to dismiss the case, concluding that evidence was improperly withheld from the defense by law enforcement and prosecutors.

The case against Baldwin faced significant disruption after it was revealed that a man had brought ammunition to the Santa Fe County sheriff’s office in March, claiming it may be connected to Hutchins’ death. Prosecutors stated the ammunition was deemed unrelated and insignificant, while Baldwin’s lawyers alleged that investigators concealed the evidence under a different case file and successfully sought a dismissal.

The district attorney’s office indicated that under state law, the New Mexico attorney general would typically handle the continuation of the appeal but “did not plan to thoroughly pursue the appeal for the prosecution.”

“Consequently, the State’s aim for fair and comprehensive litigation of the case has encountered numerous hurdles that have impeded its capacity to prosecute fully,” local prosecutors expressed.

Baldwin, who is both the star and co-producer of “Rust,” was pointing a firearm at Hutchins during a rehearsal when the weapon discharged, resulting in her death and injuring director Joel Souza. Baldwin has claimed he pulled back the hammer but did not pull the trigger, which caused the gun to fire.

In April, a judge sentenced Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, the film’s armorer, to the maximum of one and a half years in a state prison following her conviction of involuntary manslaughter in connection with Hutchins’ death.

Prosecutors held Gutierrez-Reed accountable for inadvertently introducing live rounds to the “Rust” set, where their presence was strictly forbidden, as well as for not adhering to basic gun safety regulations.

Additionally, assistant director and safety coordinator David Halls entered a no contest plea regarding the negligent use of a deadly weapon, resulting in a sentence of six months of unsupervised probation. A no contest plea is not an admission of guilt but is treated as such in sentencing.

There are several civil lawsuits against Baldwin and the producers of “Rust,” including one filed by Hutchins’ family.

Prosecutors noted that Hutchins’ death has prompted widespread examination of safety protocols within the industry, particularly concerning firearms and live ammunition on set.

By Morgan Lee