MOVIE NEWS – Alec Baldwin’s involuntary manslaughter trial has been dismissed by Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer after it was revealed that the prosecution intentionally withheld information that could have explained how live ammunition ended up on the movie set. Baldwin was seen crying in court as the judge ruled in his favor, stating that the concealed evidence would have supported Baldwin’s case.

Judge Sommer concluded,

“The state’s willful withholding of information was intentional and deliberate. There is no way for the court to right this wrong.”

The dramatic turn of events, reminiscent of many Hollywood courtroom dramas, hinged on evidence handed over to New Mexico police following the conviction of Rust’s armorer, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, back in March. This included several live rounds of ammunition allegedly brought onto the movie set by the prop gun supplier Baldwin used, rather than by Gutierrez-Reed.

A witness stated that this evidence was not included with the rest of the case material but was stored in an alternate case file. The witness claimed that Kari Morrissey, one of the special prosecutors on the case, was directly involved in the decision. In light of the new information, Morrissey was removed from the case and replaced by a new special prosecutor, then called to the stand to answer questions about her conduct. The defense’s questioning included asking Morrissey if she referred to Baldwin as an “arrogant prick” and a “c-cksucker” during a conversation with the witness.

What Changed in Alec Baldwin’s Case?

Alec Baldwin’s trial centered on the claim that he was indirectly responsible for the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins as he held the prop gun, which was somehow loaded with live rounds. The prosecution argued that the live rounds were brought onto the set by armorer Gutierrez-Reed, but earlier this year, a “good Samaritan” delivered a box of ammunition that exactly matched the bullet fired on set that day. These bullets came from prop supplier Seth Kenney, contradicting the prosecution’s main argument.

The decision was made not to include the new evidence in the same case file as the existing Rust case evidence, nor to submit the interview transcript related to the source of the ammunition. Baldwin’s lawyers argued that “if this evidence wasn’t as important as we say it is, they would have turned it over.” While Morrissey took the stand to deny the defense’s accusations regarding her involvement and derogatory opinions of Baldwin, Alexandria Hancock’s earlier testimony from the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office made it clear that Morrissey was one of the people responsible for filing the new evidence in a separate case.

Morrissey denied the claims that she had called Baldwin various derogatory names, noting that she “appreciated” the actor’s movies, his work on Saturday Night Live, and his politics. However, the new developments were enough for the judge to see no other option but to dismiss the case and end Baldwin’s criminal prosecution.

The actor has not yet released a statement.

Source: MovieWeb