Manslaughter Charges Abruptly Dismissed Against Alec Baldwin After Judge Finds Prosecutor Withheld Evidence During ‘Rust’ Trial

Whoa... Alec Baldwin was on trial in New Mexico for the deadly shooting on the set of Rust back in 2021. (Notice I said "was.") The actor has been charged with involuntary manslaughter after the shooting that took the life of cinematographer Halyna Hutchens and wounded director Joel Souza. The tragic accident occurred during preparation for a scene in which Baldwin was supposed to draw his gun in a church, but not actually fire it. Unfortunately, the gun had somehow been loaded with a live round, as opposed to the dummy round that was supposed to be in it, and wasn’t properly checked before being brought to set. Baldwin claims that he never pulled the trigger – though prosecutors say that’s not possible . But on day three of the trial, the defense attorney alleged that the prosecutor had withheld evidence from Baldwin and his attorneys - specifically, bullets that had been presented to investigators and then logged under a separate case number and not disclosed to the defense. After sending the jury home early today without hearing any evidence, the judge held a hearing to determine whether the evidence was withheld, and whether it was material to the case. And just now, the court made her ruling - and dismissed the case against Baldwin with prejudice. "Dismissal with prejudice is warranted to ensure the integrity of the judicial system and the efficient administration of justice." Baldwin was seen crying as the judge issued her order, and hugged his wife and family in the courtroom after the case was dismissed. Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, the armorer on the set, was convicted in March of involuntary manslaughter and sentenced to 18 months in prison.