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Alec Baldwin has not gotten past the traumatic set gun incident that rocked his world. After a tumultuous year in court over the Rust shooting trial, the legendary director counts his losses. Baldwin’s concerns come after the prosecutors ditched their appeal days before the holiday season kicked off. Sources close to the actor claimed his lawyers assured him the attempt to reawaken the manslaughter charges was done. Despite his melancholy, Baldwin is reportedly holding on to his lawyers’ reassuring words. The source added:
“He Is Hoping They’re Right and Doing His Best To Let It Sink In That He’s Past the Worst of This, but It Still Hangs Over His Head.”
The insider explains that the “more than three years” incident left a huge scar in his heart. He also suffers from “post-traumatic stress” over the case as prosecutors tried to play their hands on September 4. Their attempt was unsuccessful, as the judge, to the delight of Baldwin’s lawyers, denied the appeal the next day.
After the denial, Baldwin’s attorneys, Luke Nikas and Alex Spiro, declared that it was evidence of Baldwin’s “final vindication.” In Touch shared that last September’s appeal marked the prosecution’s third attempt to nab Baldwin for the incident. Sources claimed the attempt reopened a sore wound for the actor, but he knows he has no public sympathy.
Inside The Actor’s Heated Involuntary Manslaughter Trial
Baldwin’s world changed in 2021 when cinematographer Halyna Hutchin was killed by a bullet fired from a revolver prop. The bullet, fired from the on-set prop from Baldwin, also hit director Joel Souza, leading to injuries. Following the unfortunate incident, Baldwin and armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Redd bagged one count of involuntary manslaughter each. Gutierrez Reed also received one more charge of tampering with evidence during the trial. The armorer allegedly tried to conceal cocaine from law enforcement during the arrest after the incident.
Baldwin pled innocent to the charge, and his trial began on July 9. Three days later, the charges were dismissed. The judge threw out the actor’s manslaughter charges, citing prejudice due to a Brady disclosure violation. The judge reportedly discovered the prosecution had deliberately hidden evidence from Baldwin’s defense team. Gutierrez Reed, although pled not guilty, was eventually found guilty of involuntary manslaughter. She was, however, acquitted of tampering with evidence and bagged an 18-month sentence for the former.
Prosecutors Recant Their Decision to Appeal Alec Baldwin’s Involuntary Manslaughter Acquittal
Baldwin heaved a sigh of relief as the year wrapped up in what would have been another appeal attempt. We reported that the Special Prosecutor announced that the Attorney General will not pursue the appeal. The statement also claimed that the prosecution encountered multiple barriers that undermined its ability to prosecute fully.
Special prosecutor Kari Morrissey is very displeased that Baldwin walked away unscathed for killing Hutchins. She hoped the Hutchins family would make headway in their civil lawsuit and bring Baldwin to book. The New Mexico Department of Justice spokesperson, Lauren Rodriguez, also mirrored Morrissey’s angle. Rodriguez noted that “significant procedural irregularities” were responsible for the agency’s refusal to appeal Baldwin’s criminal case dismissal.
Judge Mary Marlow Sommers identified these problems when dismissing the actor’s charges last July. Sommers shut down the motion for retrial due to a lack of new arguments from prosecutors. She also slammed prosecutors for not filing the correct documents on time. The judge agreed with Baldwin’s lawyers that prosecutors had intentionally concealed crucial evidence in the case.
Baldwin’s defense team claimed proof of live ammunition on the set was not provided, thereby altering their legal preparations. The actor’s team argued that prosecutors’ actions represented a conflict of interest. Baldwin’s legal team efforts earned Judge Sommers’ nod with a case dismissal in response.
What will the new year hold for Alec Baldwin?