Judge Boots Manslaughter Case Against Alec Baldwin

Variety reports:

Alec Baldwin‘s manslaughter case has been dismissed, after the judge blasted prosecutors for failing to turn over a batch of bullets to the defense. Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer threw out the case, ruling that no other sanction was sufficient.

“The state is highly culpable for its failure to provide discovery to the defendant,” Marlowe Sommer said. “Dismissal with prejudice is warranted.”

The defense argued that prosecutors deliberately hid bullets that were turned over to investigators in March, and which are relevant to the case.

The New York Times reports:

It was a stunning end to the trial of Mr. Baldwin, who was accused of involuntary manslaughter after a gun he was rehearsing with fired a live round on the “Rust” film set. Mr. Baldwin had been told the gun was “cold,” meaning it should have been impossible to fire.

The judge’s order lifted a significant weight from Mr. Baldwin, a television and movie star whose life and career has been under a shadow of potential criminal liability for nearly three years, as the case against him has gone through a series of twists and turns. If convicted, he would have faced up to 18 months in prison.

Alec Baldwin’s involuntary manslaughter trial came to a sudden and surprising halt Friday, while the judge considered a defense motion to dismiss the case over disputed ammunition evidence in the killing of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins. pic.twitter.com/3fCZRhLujd

— AP Entertainment (@APEntertainment) July 12, 2024