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New York Post
‘Rust’ armorer wants manslaughter conviction thrown out after case against Alec Baldwin was dismissed mid-trial
By Priscilla DeGregory,
15 hours ago
“Rust” armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed wants her manslaughter conviction thrown out after Alec Baldwin was cleared for the same crime mid-trial last week on the grounds prosecutors withheld evidence.
The 27-year-old filed an expedited motion Tuesday seeking a new trial, arguing that the Baldwin decision proved there had been “egregious posecutorial misconduct.”
“This court stated on July 12 that the integrity of the judicial system demanded that the court dismiss Mr. Baldwin’s case,” her lawyer Jason Bowles wrote in court papers. “How can it be any different with Mr. Gutierrez-Reed’s case … ?”
Gutierrez-Reed had already filed a notice appealing her conviction and 18-month sentence for the shooting death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of Baldwin’s Western in October 2021.
As well as a new trial, she is now seeking immediate release from prison.
Baldwin’s trial was abruptly tossed out Friday just three days into his own involuntary manslaughter case.
Santa Fe, N.M. Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer dismissed the charges and said a new case cannot be brought against the 66-year-old “30 Rock” star after his lawyers presented evidence that live ammunition related to Hutchins’ death was “concealed” from them by prosecutors.
Baldwin’s lawyer Alex Spiro claimed a mysterious “good Samaritan” brought the bullets to the sheriff’s department after Gutierrez-Reed was already sentenced in the case.
Prosecutors argued the good Samaritan was a pal of Gutierrez-Reed’s father and the bullets didn’t match those found on set.
However, Bowles claims in the papers that prosecutor Kari Morrissey lied on the witness stand and “made misrepresentations” to the jury about that ammunition and why it came into the case at such a late stage.
“The intentional withholding of crucial evidence …by the state has compromised the integrity of the entire judicial process,” Bowles wrote.
“Justice demands that Hannah Gutierrez-Reed’s conviction be overturned immediately, ensuring the legal system does not perpetuate this core affront to our system, that has been watched all over the world.”
At both trials, prosecutors claimed that both Baldwin and Gutierrez-Reed flouted gun safety rules and failed to do the proper check for live rounds of the Colt .45 revolver that Baldwin shot, killing Hutchins and wounding director Joel Souza.
Both defendants sought to pass blame to the other during their trials with Gutierrez-Reed, a rookie armorer, claiming she was saddled with two positions on set leaving her with insufficient time to properly oversee weapon safety on set.
Meanwhile, Baldwin’s side alleged that it was inconceivable that live rounds would be present during shooting — and that he was just an actor, acting at the time of the tragic accident.
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