What’s next for Alec Baldwin after manslaughter case dismissal
LOS ANGELES — A New Mexico judge has dismissed the involuntary manslaughter case against Alec Baldwin about the sudden death of camerawoman Halyna Hutchins on Friday.
Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer the case was dismissed based on police and prosecutorial misconduct in withholding evidence from the defense. She said the case cannot be retried.
Baldwin, the lead actor and co-producer of the film “Rust,” was pointing a gun at Hutchins during a rehearsal on the set outside Santa Fe in October 2021 when the gun went off, killing her and wounding director Joel Souza. Baldwin has said he pulled the hammer — but not the trigger — and the gun went off.
He and other producers still face civil lawsuits from Hutchins’ parents and sister, who is a white-collar crime defense attorney. Mark Sedlander told The Associated Press that such accidents are common in workplace accidents like the fatal shooting.
“Under civil law standards, it is common for someone like Mr. Baldwin to be held responsible for what happened, but in the criminal context it is relatively unusual,” Sedlander said in an interview before the case was dismissed.
It is still unclear whether “Rust” will actually be released. The plot follows Baldwin as a Western outlaw who tries to free his grandson from prison after he is convicted of an accidental murder. Filming is set to wrap in 2023 and producers have said finish the movie was intended to honor Hutchins’ artistic vision and generate funds for her young son.
The career of the “30 Rock” star and frequent “Saturday Night Live” host — who has been a household name for more than three decades — had been in doubt and he could have faced up to 18 months in prison if convicted.
In June, amid the looming lawsuit, Baldwin and his wife Hilaria announced that they were in a reality series about their large family. He shares seven young children with Hilaria and one adult daughter, Ireland Baldwin, with his ex-wife, Kim Basinger.
The TLC series, tentatively titled “The Baldwins,” is expected to debut in 2025.