Santa Fe, NM – New Mexico prosecutors have officially dropped their appeal to reinstate criminal charges against Alec Baldwin related to the fatal shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of the film Rust. The decision solidifies a previous ruling that dismissed the involuntary manslaughter charges against Baldwin.
Special prosecutor Kari Morrissey, who filed the initial appeal in November, withdrew it on Monday, according to a statement from the First Judicial District Attorney’s Office. The appeal sought to challenge Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer’s dismissal of charges during Baldwin’s trial. The case was dismissed amid accusations that police and prosecutors withheld critical evidence from Baldwin’s defense team.
“The appeal would have challenged the court’s dismissal of criminal charges against Producer and Actor Alec Baldwin, which included involuntary manslaughter in the tragic shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on October 21, 2021,” the prosecutor’s statement read.
Final Vindication for Baldwin
Baldwin’s attorneys, Luke Nikas and Alex Spiro, expressed relief at the decision. In a statement to CBS News, they said, “Today’s decision to dismiss the appeal is the final vindication of what Alec Baldwin and his attorneys have said from the beginning — this was an unspeakable tragedy, but Alec Baldwin committed no crime. The rule of law remains intact in New Mexico.”
The dismissal follows a contentious trial where revelations about the mishandling of evidence emerged. In March, ammunition believed to be related to the shooting was brought to the Santa Fe County sheriff’s office by a third party. Prosecutors deemed it irrelevant, but Baldwin’s lawyers argued it was improperly withheld, successfully moving to dismiss the case.
Ongoing Legal Battles and Fallout
The shooting occurred during a rehearsal for the Western film Rust on October 21, 2021. Baldwin, who was both an actor and producer on the film, was holding a prop gun that discharged a live round, killing Hutchins and injuring director Joel Souza. Baldwin has consistently maintained that he did not pull the trigger and was unaware the gun contained live ammunition.
Other parties involved in the incident faced legal repercussions. Armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, accused of loading the weapon, was convicted of involuntary manslaughter in March. She appealed her conviction, but a judge upheld it in September. Gutierrez-Reed denied knowingly loading the gun with live rounds and argued that the ammunition supplier was not thoroughly investigated. She was acquitted of evidence tampering during her trial.
David Halls, the film’s safety coordinator, pleaded no contest last year to negligent use of a firearm. He served six months of unsupervised parole.
Prosecutors Face Challenges
The district attorney’s office acknowledged the barriers faced in pursuing the appeal, noting that the New Mexico Attorney General’s Office declined to fully support continued litigation. “The state’s efforts to continue to litigate the case in a fair and comprehensive manner have been met with multiple barriers that have compromised its ability to prosecute to the fullest extent of the law,” prosecutors said.
While the criminal charges against Baldwin have been dismissed, the Hutchins family continues to pursue justice in civil court. The First Judicial District Attorney’s Office commended the Hutchins family for their perseverance and pledged to support their fight for accountability.
