In a surprising twist, Alec Baldwin’s involuntary manslaughter case was dismissed due to significant prosecutorial errors.

This decision followed a day-long hearing in Santa Fe, New Mexico, where evidence handling issues were brought to light.

The judge ruled that the prosecution’s mishandling of evidence impacted the fundamental fairness of the case.

Baldwin’s legal team argued that crucial bullets were concealed from them, buried within another case file.

This mishap disrupted the trial for Baldwin, who faced charges of involuntary manslaughter for the accidental shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of the movie “Rust” in October 2021.

Baldwin, 66, had pleaded not guilty to two counts of involuntary manslaughter.

The accusations stemmed from an incident where he allegedly fired a live round that resulted in Hutchins’ death.

Earlier this year, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, the armorer on the set, was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter and received an 18-month jail sentence, a fate Baldwin could have faced if convicted.

Chaotic Courtroom Scenes

During the heated hearing, Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer took an unusual step by personally inspecting the bullets in question.

Baldwin’s lawyer, Luke Nikas, revealed that the bullets were brought to Santa Fe police in March by former officer Troy Teske, who claimed they matched those used in the shooting.

However, the prosecution had assigned a different case number to this evidence, leading to its concealment from Baldwin’s defense team, a clear breach of evidentiary rules.

Prosecution’s Defense

Prosecutor Kari Morrissey argued that they were skeptical of Teske due to his close ties with Thell Reed, Gutierrez-Reed’s father.

Morrissey suggested Teske might be trying to divert blame from Gutierrez-Reed. When Teske offered the ammunition in November, Morrissey asked for a photo instead of collecting it, as they did not match the live rounds from the “Rust” set.

Judge’s Frustration

Judge Marlowe Sommer expressed frustration with the handling of the bullets, questioning why they weren’t included in the main “Rust” investigation file. Cpl. Alexandria Hancock of the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office explained that the decision was made after discussions with prosecutors.

In an unexpected move, Morrissey provided evidence during the hearing, insisting that Teske’s bullets did not match those found on set, hence no further analysis was pursued.

The dismissal of Baldwin’s case underscores the critical importance of proper evidence handling and the potential consequences of prosecutorial errors in the judicial process.

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