In a surprising turn of events, a New Mexico judge dismissed Alec Baldwin's manslaughter case on Friday, the third day of his trial. The judge ruled in favor of the defense's motion, which argued that critical live ammunition evidence was concealed from them during the investigation into the fatal on-set shooting.
Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer cited the state's discovery violation regarding the late disclosure of a supplemental report on the ammunition evidence, calling it "highly prejudicial" to the defendant and indicative of "bad faith."
"There is no way for the court to right this wrong," Sommer declared, granting the motion to dismiss with prejudice. This ruling prevents Baldwin from being retried on the manslaughter charge.
An emotional Baldwin was seen hugging his wife, Hilaria Baldwin, in the courtroom following the judge's decision. Had he been convicted, Baldwin faced up to 18 months in prison.
The ruling came after a day-long motion hearing amid Baldwin's trial for the death of "Rust" cinematographer Halyna Hutchins. Hutchins was fatally shot by Baldwin on the Santa Fe set in October 2021 when his revolver discharged a live round.
During the hearing, the court addressed the defense's motion without the jury present. Special prosecutor Kari Morrissey testified, revealing that co-prosecutor Erlinda Ocampo Johnson had resigned, disagreeing with the decision to hold a public hearing.
The issue was initially raised on Thursday when defense attorney Alex Spiro questioned Marissa Poppell, a crime scene technician with the Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office, about ammunition handed over to the sheriff's office in March. This occurred during "Rust" armorer Hannah Gutierrez's trial. Gutierrez was convicted of involuntary manslaughter in Hutchins' death, as prosecutors argued she failed to follow safety protocols, resulting in the fatal shooting.
Poppell testified that she documented the ammunition in a report filed under a different case number. Spiro accused her of burying the evidence, to which Poppell responded that the report was submitted into evidence.
Judge Sommer emphasized that a dismissal with prejudice is an "extreme sanction" but justified due to the state's intentional withholding of potentially exculpatory evidence. The nondisclosure undermined Baldwin's trial preparation, leading Sommer to describe the state's conduct as near bad faith, causing "scorching prejudice" to the defendant.
This ruling marks a significant conclusion to Baldwin's legal battle over the tragic incident on the "Rust" set, ensuring he will not face further prosecution for the manslaughter charge.