Is Alec Baldwin responsible for the death of Halyna Hutchins in 2021? We may never fully know the answer, because the judge dismissed Baldwin’s case just three days into the involuntary manslaughter trial. Here is everything you need to know about the trial, and why it was tossed out so suddenly.

The unexpected turn in the case began with Alec Baldwin’s defense team filing a motion to dismiss late on Thursday, July 11th. The motion stemmed from accusations that the prosecution had intentionally withheld evidence from the defense team. After reviewing the motion, and hearing arguments from both defense and prosecution, Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer announced that she would be dismissing the case with prejudice, which means that prosecutors Baldwin can not be retried for this crime at any point. The judge had this to say:

“There is no way for the court to right this wrong… The sanction of dismissal is the only warranted remedy.”

The History of the ‘Rust’ Case

On October 21, 2021 cinematographer Halyna Hutchins died as a result of an accidental shooting on the set of the movie Rust in New Mexico. Actor Alec Baldwin was rehearsing for a scene when the Colt .45 he was holding fired a live round, hitting Halyna Hutchins in the chest and director Joel Souza in the shoulder. Hutchins died of her wound after being airlifted from the scene. 

The Sheriff’s Department investigation that followed was, by many accounts, less than professional. However, after it was concluded, prosecutors charged Alec Baldwin, the film’s armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, and the assistant director David Halls with involuntary manslaughter. Each was set to be tried separately in a New Mexico court.

David Halls, who was the last one to handle the gun before Alec Baldwin, pleaded no contest to a lesser charge of “negligent use of a deadly weapon” as part of a plea deal. In April of 2024 armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, the one responsible for securing and checking all firearms on set, was tried and convicted of involuntary manslaughter and sentenced to the maximum 18 months in prison. Initially, the district attorney’s office dropped the case against Baldwin, but in January of 2023, he was charged again and indicted by a grand jury. The trial was set for July 2024

The Baldwin Trial

Initially, the prosecution sought to argue that, as a co-producer, Alec Baldwin bore the responsibility for all events that happened on set, including any dangerous or negligent actions taken by the crew. Prosecutors had to pivot quickly, however, as Judge Sommer ruled that that argument was irrelevant before the trial even began. It was then decided to move ahead with the trial asserting Alec Baldwin had neglected to follow proper gun safety, which led to the death of Halyna Hutchins.

The trial began on Wednesday, July 10th, 2024 with opening statements and witness testimony. On July 11th, Baldwin’s defense attorneys were cross-examining a Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office crime scene technician, when it was revealed that a piece of evidence had not been disclosed. Later that same day, the defense team filed a motion to dismiss, accusing prosecutors of “burying” this evidence.

The Missing Evidence

The evidence in question was several .45 caliber rounds which were given to the sheriff’s department as potentially connected to the case but filed under a different case number. This meant that when the defense team was given access to all evidence related to the Rust case, a process called “discovery”, these .45 caliber rounds were not included. This process is intended to allow both sides to exercise their right to consider all available evidence and plan their arguments accordingly.

On Friday, July 12th, during a hearing to determine the validity of the motion, Alec Baldwin’s defense attorneys alleged that this omission was an intentional move by the prosecution. Prosecutors argued that the evidence, which had never been directly connected to the set of the film Rust, was not connected to the case and was therefore not required to be included in the discovery process. In an unusual move, special prosecutor Kari Morrissey called herself to testify, where she explained “When I received this photograph from Mr. Bowles, I could immediately tell that these are very dissimilar from the live rounds that were found on the set of ‘Rust.”, but Defense attorney Alex Spiro countered her argument saying “Miss Morrissey does not get to determine what has evidentiary value and what doesn’t.”

The Judge’s Decision

Judge Sommer called for a recess to consider the arguments. When the motion hearing resumed she announced her decision to dismiss the case, calling the prosecution’s actions regarding the undisclosed evidence “intentional and deliberate”, and adding that “If this conduct does not rise to the level of bad faith, it certainly comes so near to bad faith as to show signs of scorching prejudice.” Her decision to dismiss the case “with prejudice”, meaning Alec Baldwin is free from criminal prosecution for this crime. However, Baldwin can still face civil lawsuits relating to the shooting.

From the very beginning, the case of the Rust shooting has been anything but clear-cut, with a messy investigation, a situation of unclear liability, and late-stage decisions that hampered prosecutors. Even so, I’m not sure anyone could have predicted how quickly things would turn. This case will likely be looked upon in future cases and classrooms as a unique example, and a cautionary tale.