Alec Baldwin has spoken out for the first time since the shock dismissal of his Rust shooting case. The actor was facing trial for the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, who was tragically shot on set in October 2021. However, on Friday, a New Mexico judge sensationally dismissed the charges, citing "errors in handling" some of the evidence.
Baldwin cried in the Santa Fe courtroom when the news was revealed and has since shared his thoughts on Instagram. "There are too many people who have supported me to thank just now," the actor, 66, wrote around 12:30 p.m. on Saturday alongside a photo of himself in the Santa Fe courtroom.
Relieved Baldwin Speaks
"To all of you, you will never know how much I appreciate your kindness toward my family," the father of eight added.
The extraordinary decision to dismiss Baldwin's trial came after a day-long hearing, held without the jury, regarding bullets that should have been part of the evidence. Baldwin's lawyers argued these bullets were 'concealed' from them and 'buried' in another case file.
This issue disrupted Baldwin's trial, where he pleaded not guilty to two counts of involuntary manslaughter, being accused of negligence for accidentally firing a live round on set.
Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, the 26-year-old armorer on the 'Rust' set, was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter earlier this year.
She was subsequently sentenced to 18 months in jail, a penalty Baldwin would have faced if found guilty.
Baldwin's case was dismissed with prejudice, which means prosecutors cannot refile the same charges against him, and the trial is permanently closed.
No More Trail for Baldwin
Although he still faces pending civil lawsuits, Baldwin seemed relieved as he celebrated the dismissal of the criminal charges related to the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins in October 2021.
The 66-year-old actor was seen on the streets of Santa Fe, New Mexico, hours after the decision, receiving cheers from fans.
However, Hutchins' widower and the father of her son, Matthew Hutchins, has expressed hope that Baldwin will still be held accountable for his actions.
The extraordinary turn of events occurred during a chaotic hearing on Friday.
Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer requested that the bullets be brought into court, and in an unusual scene, she donned gloves and inspected them herself.
Baldwin's lawyer, Luke Nikas, told the court that former police officer Troy Teske brought the bullets to the Santa Fe police in March this year, claiming they were the same kind used in the shooting of Hutchins.
Nikas claimed that prosecutors "buried" the bullets as evidence by assigning them a different case number than the main Rust investigation.
As a result, when Baldwin's lawyers visited the police in April to examine all the Rust ammunition, they were not shown these bullets, which was a violation of evidentiary rules.
