The court dropped the charge of negligent homicide and dropped the criminal proceedings against film actor Alec Baldwin, which was initiated due to the 2021 tragedy that ended in the death of the cameraman on the set of a western film.

On the fourth day of Friday's criminal trial in Santa Fe, New Mexico, the judge announced that he would comply with the request of the defense attorneys, who initiated the dismissal of the charges and the termination of the proceedings, citing withholding of evidence.

The defense presented its submission on Friday, according to which the prosecution did not provide the lawyers with the information about live ammunition related to the case, and withheld it. The ammunition in question was delivered to the police by a former police officer, claiming that it might be related to the tragedy on the set of the film.

The judge adjourned the hearing for the day to consider the request, sent the jurors home, and ordered a hearing. After hearing the arguments of the prosecutor and the lawyer, he announced a bias in the case and dropped the prosecution against Alec Baldwin.

The finding of bias also means that the actor-director cannot be charged again in the case.

The judge's decision ended a legal process that lasted several years and consisted of two indictments.

In announcing the decision, Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer said that the prosecution's withholding of information was deliberate and willful.

According to MTI, prosecutor Kari Morrisey expressed his disappointment after the judge's announcement and said that in his opinion the importance of the evidence in question was presented by the lawyer in a misleading way, but added that he must accept the decision.

Endless litigation

The court proceedings began in October 2021, due to what happened on the set of the western film Rust, when a gun used as a prop in Alec Baldwin's hand went off on the set of the film in New Mexico, killing cameraman Halyna Hutchins and injuring director Joel Souza.

During the investigation, the actor claimed that he did not pull the trigger of the gun, it went off by itself. The investigation also covered why there was live ammunition in the gun that killed the cameraman.

Alec Baldwin was first indicted for negligent homicide in January 2023, when the film's master-at-arms, Hannah Guttierez Reed, was also on trial for the same charge. The actor pleaded not guilty.

In April 2023, the prosecutors dropped the charge against the actor citing the emergence of new facts, stating that it could be renewed later. The gunsmith was found guilty by the court and sentenced to 18 months in prison in March 2023.

The second indictment against Alec Baldwin took place in January this year, after which he again pleaded not guilty. The court hearing began at the beginning of the week and was scheduled to last 9 days, which was closed by the judge's decision to terminate the proceedings.

Index / MTI

Featured image: Ramsay de Give/Pool Photo via AP