Victory for Alec Baldwin as Rust’s special counsel drops case

Andrea Reeb, the special prosecutor in the case against Alec Baldwin and Rust for the fatal shooting of a camerawoman in October 2021, has announced that she will step aside, in a victory for Baldwin.

Reeb was elected in November to the New Mexico house, and Baldwin’s lawyers argued that she was therefore ineligible to continue as special counsel.

Reeb investigated the shooting on behalf of the Santa Fe District Attorney’s office and concluded that Baldwin and his team — he was a producer on the film as well as its star — were responsible for the death of 42-year-old Halyna Hutchins.

In his parting statement, Reeb reiterated those views.

It has become clear that the best way I can ensure justice is served in this case is to resign so that the prosecution can focus on the evidence and facts, which clearly show complete disregard for basic security protocols leading up to the death. from Halyna Hutchins,’ he said.

“I will not allow questions about my performance as a legislator and prosecutor to cloud the real issue at hand.”

Alec Baldwin and the film’s gunsmith face two counts of manslaughter stemming from the incident in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Baldwin’s attorney, Luke Nikas, filed a motion last month to have Reeb, a Republican, removed from the case. Baldwin is famous for being a passionate democrat.

‘EM. Reeb’s continued service as special prosecutor in this case is unconstitutional,” Nikas said.

‘The legal question is not a closed one. It must be disqualified.

He pointed to Section 1 of Article III of the New Mexico Constitution, noting that it provides that a sitting member of the Legislature may not ‘exercise any power properly belonging’ to the executive or judicial branch.

It added: “As a special prosecutor, Representative Reeb is vested by law with ‘all the powers and duties’ of a District Attorney, who is considered a member of the judicial or executive branch of New Mexico government.”

Baldwin was indicted on January 31, along with the film’s gunsmith, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed.

He has insisted that the shooting was not his fault because he trusted the gun handlers on the set.

Reeb, a former district attorney for New Mexico’s Ninth Judicial District, said at the time the charges were announced: “We’re trying to make it definitively clear that everyone is equal under the law, including A-list actors like Alec Baldwin. “.

Halyna Hutchins, a 42-year-old married mother of a young son, died at a hospital in New Mexico after the accidental shooting.

Hutchins’ Oct. 19, 2021 Instagram post showed cast and crew members, including Baldwin along with Hutchins herself and gunsmith Gutierrez-Reed (circled from left to right) on the set of Rust. in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

An aerial view of the Bonanza Creek Ranch in Santa Fe, where the movie was being filmed.

On Tuesday, Reeb denied being in conflict with his political role or Baldwin’s stardom.

“After much reflection, I have made the difficult decision to resign as special prosecutor in the ‘Rust’ case,” he said, in a statement issued by the district attorney.

‘My priority in this case, and in every case I’ve prosecuted in my 25-year career, has been justice for the victim.

“However, it has become clear that the best way I can ensure justice is served in this case is to resign so that the prosecution can focus on the evidence and facts, which clearly show complete disregard for basic security protocols that led to the death of Halyna Hutchins.

“I will not allow questions about my performance as a legislator and prosecutor to cloud the real issue at hand.”