Prosecutorsโ attempts to reinstate the charges against Alec Baldwin for the involuntary manslaughter of a cinematographer are officially over. The Hollywood veteran became embroiled in a years-long legal battle over a tragic shooting incident in October 2021. While filming scenes for his Rust movie, the prop gun the actor was holding discharged and killed Halyna Hutchins.
Special prosecutor Kari Morrissey fought tooth and nail to hold Baldwin responsible for the cinematographerโs death. However, a judge dismissed the involuntary manslaughter charge twice over โprosecutorial misconductโ and lack of justifiable arguments. Prosecutors initially planned to appeal but confirmed they had pulled back in a statement on Monday. The statement explained:
“The Special Prosecutor intended to pursue an appeal of the dismissal. However, the Office of the Attorney General notified the Special Prosecutor that the Attorney General did not intend to exhaustively pursue the appeal on behalf of the prosecution.โ
Additionally, the message claimed the prosecution was โmet with multiple barriers that have compromised its ability to prosecute to the fullest extent of the law.โ On that note, Morrissey lamented not being able to hold Baldwin responsible for killing Hutchins. However, she hoped the cinematographerโs family would be able to achieve justice with their civil lawsuit.
The New Mexico Department of Justice spokesperson Lauren Rodriguez echoed similar sentiments in a statement. She explained the agency declined to appeal the dismissal of Baldwinโs criminal case because of โsignificant procedural irregularities.โ Judge Mary Marlowe Sommers identified these problems when she first dismissed the actor’s charges in July, per NBC News.
Critics Displeased by Alec Baldwinโs Legal Victory
Prosecutorsโ decision to not appeal Baldwinโs criminal case did not sit right with his critics. These displeased people aired their feelings on X, with someone claiming he murdered Hutchins in โcold blood.โ Another shared similar sentiments, writing, โIt’s a shame, he should be held accountable for his actions.โ
The withdrawn appeal marked the Boss Baby star’s third major win in the criminal case. We covered in October that prosecutors failed to reinstate his involuntary manslaughter charge after Judge Sommers dismissed it. She slammed their attempt to revive the case with her ruling reading:
โThe Court concludes that the State does not raise any factual or legal arguments that would justify the grant of a motion to reconsider. Therefore, the Amended Motion is not well taken and should be denied.โ
Judge Sommers also shut down the retrial motion because prosecutors failed to bring new arguments. Additionally, she bashed prosecutors for not filing the correct documents on time. When she dismissed the criminal case in July, the legal umpire cited โprosecutorial misconductโ as her reason.
She agreed with Baldwinโs lawyers that prosecutors had concealed vital evidence in the case. The actor’s defense team claimed proof of live ammunition on the set was hidden, thereby hindering their legal preparations. They argued that prosecutorsโ actions were a conflict of interest, and Judge Sommers compensated them with the caseโs dismissal.
Although Alec Baldwin has escaped his criminal nightmare, he still has civil lawsuits to face over the cinematographerโs death.
