Alec Baldwin cleared of manslaughter as concealed evidence surfaces
Alec Baldwin appeared in court to answer for involuntary manslaughter related to the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, whom he inadvertently shot on the set of the movie Rust. The court made its decision, and afterward, Baldwin went to celebrate.
The tragic incident on set happened three years ago. Alec Baldwin, unaware that he was holding a prop gun loaded with live rounds instead of blanks, fired in the direction of the camera, behind which Halyna Hutchins was standing. She was quickly taken to the hospital, but the doctors couldn't save her. Hutchins' death shocked the film industry, and voices criticising the lapses on the Rust set were heard from all sides. After years of investigation, charges were brought against Alec Baldwin and Hanna Gutierrez-Reed, the armorer responsible for gun safety on set.
"I would never, ever point a loaded gun at anyone, nor pull the trigger", Baldwin stated in a now-famous interview with ABC. "I have no idea how live ammunition got on the set of the film." Despite his statements, at the beginning of 2024, Alec Baldwin was charged by prosecutors with involuntary manslaughter of Hutchins. The actor faced 18 months of imprisonment.
On 10 July, Baldwin's trial began. Three days later, the court made its decision. The proceedings against Baldwin were dismissed. Charges against the actor were dismissed without the possibility of reopening the case due to deliberate and gross negligence by the prosecution. "There is no way for the court to remedy the harm that has occurred," stated Judge Sommer, quoted by the New York Times. After the verdict was announced, the visibly moved 66-year-old Alec Baldwin burst into tears in the courtroom.
The main reason for dismissing the case was that the prosecution had concealed information proving they possessed bullets that were crucial to the evidence. Baldwin's defence team had no chance to examine them. The media revealed that the formal dismissal of the case came after a dramatic scene when a package of previously unexamined evidence was brought into the courtroom. Judge Sommer stepped down from the bench to personally examine the delivered evidence.
For several years, Alec Baldwin was accused of involuntary manslaughter of Halyna Hutchins. It's understandable that his emotions ran high in the courtroom, and he cried in front of the cameras. According to TZM.com, that same evening, he celebrated the end of the case with his wife, lawyers, and friends.
The actor was seen in a hotel bar in New Mexico. A cameraman accompanied the group - it is rumoured that Baldwin is preparing a documentary about the tragedy on the set of Rust, but American media suggest that the Baldwin family's reality show for TLC, The Baldwins, is also in production.
