Alec Baldwin’s manslaughter case has been dismissed after Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer criticized prosecutors for failing to provide a batch of bullets to the defense.
The case, related to the fatal shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of “Rust” in 2021, was thrown out as the judge ruled that no other sanction was sufficient.
Gasps filled the courtroom as Baldwin received hugs and congratulations from his family and supporters. He and his wife, Hilaria, left the courthouse without addressing the media.
The defense argued that prosecutors deliberately hid bullets that were turned over to investigators in March, which were relevant to the case. Erlinda Johnson, one of two special prosecutors, resigned from the case amid the controversy over the evidence.
The trial began on Wednesday, and the jury was scheduled to hear testimony from the lead detective on Friday. However, the judge sent the jury home to delve more deeply into the failure to turn over the bullets.
In an afternoon hearing, Judge Marlowe Sommer questioned Cpl. Alexandria Hancock about why the bullets were logged under a separate case number, making them inaccessible to the defense.
Hancock responded that she made the decision in consultation with her supervisors and Kari Morrissey, the lead prosecutor. In a rare move, Morrissey then took the witness stand to explain her actions, stating she did not believe the bullets had evidentiary value.
Leading up to the trial, the defense repeatedly charged that the prosecution had hidden reams of information, including forensic reports, emails, and lapel videos, until the eve of the trial.
On Friday morning, Marlowe Sommer donned blue rubber gloves and opened an evidence envelope containing the bullets, displaying them on a table in front of the judge’s bench. Some of the bullets appeared to match the Starline Brass live bullets found on the set of “Rust.”
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