Alec Baldwin officially cleared in ‘Rust’ shooting case

The case was initially dismissed in July after a contentious hearing revealed significant prosecutorial missteps, including the withholding of evidence from Baldwin’s defense team

The legal saga surrounding Alec Baldwin and the fatal Rust shooting has come to a definitive end. The Santa Fe District Attorney’s Office announced the withdrawal of its appeal challenging the dismissal of involuntary manslaughter charges against Baldwin in the tragic death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins.

Special prosecutor Kari Morrissey’s decision not to pursue the appeal confrimed Baldwin’s exoneration. “Today’s decision to dismiss the appeal is the final vindication of what Alec Baldwin and his attorneys have said from the beginning — this was an unspeakable tragedy but Alec Baldwin committed no crime,” attorneys Luke Nikas and Alex Spiro stated.

The case was initially dismissed in July after a contentious hearing revealed significant prosecutorial missteps, including the withholding of evidence from Baldwin’s defense team. Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer criticized the prosecution for “willful and deliberate misconduct,” ruling that the late discovery of evidence had undermined the fairness of the proceedings.

Following the dismissal, Baldwin expressed optimism about his career, despite the intense scrutiny he faced. Speaking on David Duchovny’s Fail Better podcast, Baldwin noted, “I do believe that… things are coming back my way to work, and I’m happy about that because I’ve got seven kids.”

The Rust case, which stemmed from the 2021 on-set shooting that claimed Hutchins’ life, brought heightened awareness to safety protocols in film production.

Published - December 24, 2024 12:01 pm IST