Alec Baldwin’s manslaughter case reveals hidden evidence and courtroom drama
Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer decided that the accusations against Baldwin should be dropped just a few days after the legal process started
Friday marked the dramatic end of Alec Baldwin’s involuntary manslaughter trial following a New Mexico judge’s dismissal of the case against the actor and ruling that the state had unlawfully omitted material pertaining to how live rounds of ammunition ended up on the film set where Halyna Hutchins was fatally shot.
Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer decided that the accusations against Baldwin should be dropped just a few days after the legal process started. The move sparked a wave of emotion through the courtroom, with Baldwin himself weeping in the arms of an adviser at the ruling.
Here’s every major bombshell that marked the case that left the actor in tears by the time it closed.
US actor Alec Baldwin and his wife Hilaria Baldwin embrace during his trial on involuntary manslaughter at Santa Fe County ( Image: POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
Baldwin’s attorneys moved to dismiss the case early on Friday, claiming the prosecution withheld a crucial piece of evidence-a collection of bullets-from the defense. How live ammo got on the movie set has been a major focus of the case, and Baldwin’s attorneys have questioned the investigation and errors made by the authorities who processed the scene.The court dismissed the jury in order to hear testimony from several witnesses, and one of the two special prosecutors overseeing the case resigned as a result of the motion.
Baldwin’s attorney stated that although the bullets were submitted in a different case with a different number, they might be connected to Hutchins’ death.The ammunition did not match the rounds discovered on the Rust set, according to the prosecution, and was unrelated to the crime. The evidence was revealed on Thursday during the trial when a crime-scene technician testified that a retired police officer named Troy Teske had turned over live ammo that might have been connected to the case.
Baldwin storms out of court
Alec Baldwin walked from the court room on day three of the trial ( Image: POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
After the prosecutors revealed embarrassing comments the actor had made to a detective, Alec Baldwin left the courtroom.The actor started to sway back and forth as he listened to the prosecution. As they went on, his manner kept becoming more agitated. The star abruptly stood up and exited the room, leaving his defense lawyers completely perplexed. Alex Spiro, the defense attorney, had a shocked expression on his face while searching for Alec.
On Thursday, the event took place without the presence of the Santa Fe jury. Despite Alec’s insistence that he did not pull the trigger and was simply holding the firearm, the gun maker testified before the jury when they were finally called back to deliberate.
Special prosecutor resigns
By the end of the day, Kari Morrissey, the special prosecutor, had called herself to the witness stand and Erlindo Ocampo Johnson, one of the two special prosecutors in the case, had resigned.
The verdict of the trial was the result of a prosecution plagued by errors for a considerable amount of time. Following prosecutorial errors that resulted in the dismissal of an earlier accusation against Baldwin, the prosecutors were replaced, and this year’s grand jury indictment followed. Baldwin’s involvement as a producer on "Rust" was not allowed to be taken into consideration by the jury, a decision that dealt a blow to the prosecution earlier this week.There are still several pending civil cases pertaining to "Rust."
Baldwin breaks down in tears
A weary-looking Baldwin began to sob and was comforted by his lawyer next to him as the presiding judge said she was tossing out the case. Hilaria Baldwin, who was seated behind him, began to show signs of sadness as well. When Judge Sommer threw everyone out of the courtroom, the two exchanged hugs.
The judge said: "The state’s willful withholding of this information was intentional and deliberate. 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." The judge added: "There is no way for the court to right this wrong."
However, Luke Nikas argued vehemently before the court: "If this material was not as essential as we claim, they would have turned it over. The fact that they disguised it, assigned it a different document number, did not disclose a supplemental report, did not disclose the bullets, and did not bring them to the April 6th evidentiary viewing. If it was so irrelevant and had no evidentiary value, it would have been there."
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