Alec Baldwin’s manslaughter case has finally come to an end after a special prosecutor withdrew her appeal of a judge’s order dismissing the case. The decision was made by Kari Morrissey, who had filed a notice of appeal last month after Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer dismissed the case in July due to the prosecution’s failure to turn over key evidence.
The prosecution had intended to show that Baldwin was reckless and criminally negligent when he fired a Colt .45 during filming of the movie “Rust” in 2021. However, Morrissey claimed that she had been misled by the defense about the relevance of the withheld bullets to the case.
Baldwin’s lawyers argued that the prosecution had deliberately withheld the evidence, which could have been used in his defense. The judge had blasted Morrissey’s handling of the case, calling it “so near to bad faith as to show signs of scorching.”
In a statement, Morrissey said that she regretted that Baldwin would not be held accountable for his role in Halyna Hutchins’ death but hoped that the outstanding lawsuits brought some measure of justice to her family. The attorney general’s office declined to pursue the appeal, citing significant procedural irregularities identified by the judge.
Baldwin’s lawyers hailed the decision as a victory, saying it was “the final vindication” of their claims that Baldwin had committed no crime. However, Hutchins’ mother, father, and sister expressed their opposition to the withdrawal of the appeal, and they will continue to pursue a civil case against Baldwin and the film’s producers in state court.
The incident has sparked debate about the legal process and accountability in the “Rust” incident, which resulted in the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and injuries to director Joel Souza. The family of the victim has set up the Halyna Hutchins Foundation to advocate for safer practices in the industry.
Source: https://variety.com/2024/film/news/alec-baldwin-manslaughter-appeal-dropped-1236258765