In a surprising development, Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer has dismissed the involuntary manslaughter case against actor Alec Baldwin.
Baldwin’s defense team had submitted a motion to dismiss the case at the last minute, arguing that they were not given the opportunity to review what could be crucial evidence: a collection of ammunition turned in around the time the film’s armorer, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, was on trial for involuntary manslaughter. Gutierrez-Reed is currently serving an 18-month sentence.
This ammunition was central to Baldwin’s case, with much of the testimony focusing on how live ammunition could have ended up on the set of “Rust.” During an October 2021 rehearsal, Baldwin was holding a gun that discharged, killing cinematographer Halyna Hutchins.
Judge Sommer agreed that the prosecution should have provided details about the new ammunition to Baldwin’s team. This failure led to the case being dismissed with prejudice, meaning it cannot be refiled against Baldwin.
“There is no way for the court to right this wrong,” Judge Sommer stated in her ruling. Baldwin and his family were visibly emotional in the courtroom, having been supported by his wife and siblings since the testimony began.
The evidence that concluded the case involved a man named Troy Teske, who handed over a collection of bullets to the Santa Fe Sheriff’s Office, claiming they were from the same batch as the live ammunition used on the set. Prosecutor Kari Morrissey indicated that Teske was a close friend of Gutierrez-Reed’s father, Thell Reed, a well-known armorer. She believed those bullets were different from the one that killed Hutchins.
Morrissey later testified that she did not consider this evidence relevant to Baldwin’s trial. However, Baldwin’s legal team saw it differently, alleging a potential cover-up because this evidence was not disclosed to them.
Judge Sommer concurred. “The state is highly culpable for its failure to provide this discovery to the defendant,” she ruled.
Earlier on Friday, the jury was dismissed while the judge deliberated on whether to continue with the case.
Baldwin had been facing up to 18 months in prison for involuntary manslaughter.