Actor Alec Baldwin has filed a lawsuit against New Mexico prosecutors and sheriff’s office officials, accusing them of engaging in a “malicious” prosecution in connection with the 2021 fatal shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of the movie “Rust.” The legal action targets special prosecutor Kari Morrissey and others and is part of a series of civil lawsuits stemming from Hutchins’ tragic death, which sent shockwaves through Hollywood and led to calls for enhanced firearms safety protocols on film sets.
The lawsuit was filed in a Santa Fe court following the abrupt dismissal of Baldwin’s case during his manslaughter trial in July in the New Mexico capital. A judge ruled that the special prosecutor and sheriff’s office had intentionally withheld crucial evidence from Baldwin regarding the origin of the live round that resulted in Hutchins’ death.
According to Baldwin’s attorneys, New Mexico officials had been pursuing the actor for nearly three years with ulterior motives, aiming to bring him to trial as part of a “conspiracy” driven by “political” and “personal” objectives. The complaint seeks financial damages through a jury trial, asserting that the defendants need to be held accountable for their alleged wrongful and malicious actions.
The lawsuit highlights various alleged misconduct, from special prosecutor Andrea Reeb’s purported statement suggesting that the case could boost her political aspirations as a Republican state representative to Morrissey’s alleged presentation of “false and incomplete” testimony to secure a grand jury indictment. Morrissey acknowledged that prosecutors had foreseen Baldwin’s intention to file a retaliatory civil lawsuit and expressed readiness to address the matter in court.
On the tragic day of the incident, the Ukrainian-born cinematographer lost her life when Baldwin, handling a pistol, unintentionally discharged a live round while preparing for a camera shot on the movie set near Santa Fe. The firearm in question, a replica 1873 single-action army revolver, had been mistakenly loaded with live ammunition by Hannah Gutierrez, the weapons handler for the film. Gutierrez was subsequently convicted of involuntary manslaughter and sentenced to 18 months in prison.
Baldwin, who also served as a producer on “Rust,” has consistently maintained that live ammunition should never have been present on the set and disclaimed responsibility for weapons safety lapses. The focus of his legal action revolves around the decision by Morrissey and sheriff’s office officials to file evidence related to the live rounds under a distinct case number separate from that of the “Rust” incident.
The case was dismissed by New Mexico First Judicial District Court Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer on the basis that the “willful withholding of this information” bordered so closely on bad faith as to suggest inherent bias. Morrissey has refuted any allegations of misconduct, setting the stage for Baldwin to substantiate his claim that the defendants are not shielded by state laws offering immunity to officials facing legal actions arising from their official duties.
As the legal battle unfolds, the spotlight remains fixed on the intricate details of the case, shedding light on the complexities
