Alec Baldwin‘s legal troubles over the tragic Rust shooting appear to finally have ended. On Friday, July 12, First Judicial District Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer dismissed the case against the actor, per NBC News.
In a move that surprised both trial spectators and those in the courtroom, the judge agreed with Baldwin’s lawyers that prosecutors hid evidence. According to Baldwin’s legal team, evidence of live ammunition on the set was concealed, leaving the defense unable to adequately prepare. This presented a considerable conflict of interest, and the path forward appeared untenable.
There is no way for the court to right this wrong. The sanction of dismissal is the only warranted remedy.
First Judicial District Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer
Alec and Hilaria Baldwin Both Wept at the News
Alec Baldwin could be seen sobbing into his hands at the news that the case would be dismissed. Rows behind him, his wife, Hilaria Baldwin, also burst into tears. The two embraced each other as people began exiting the courtroom.
At the beginning of the trial, Baldwin pleaded not guilty. He asserted that he was unaware that the revolver on the film’s set contained a live round and that it was discharged accidentally after he followed instructions to point it toward cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, who was killed on the Western’s set.
The couple, married since 2012, have been open about the emotional toll they’ve faced since the horrible on-set accident. They’ve juggled the weight of these legal hurdles while raising their six minor children in New York City.
What was Alec Baldwin facing?
Alec Baldwin’s road with this case has been unusual, as were many of the circumstances around the accident. Although the actor was initially charged with involuntary manslaughter and a firearm enhancement charge, those charges were dismissed. The April 2023 decision came as prosecutors cited “new facts in the case.“
It seemed like the legal matters would end there, but that was not the case. Things changed once again in January 2024 when a grand jury indicted Baldwin on an involuntary manslaughter charge once again. If convicted, the three-time Emmy winner and father of seven faced 18 months in jail.
Ireland Baldwin, the oldest of his children, quietly celebrated her dad’s legal victory. She shared a throwback photo of herself as a toddler, seated on the actor’s stomach as he laid down and looked up at her. She simply captioned the shot, “♥️.”
