Judge throws out Alec Baldwin 'Rust' movie shooting lawsuit against prosecutors
Alec Baldwin, who was charged with manslaughter in the fatal shooting of "Rust" cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, sued New Mexico law enforcement and public officials for their handling of the case.
A New Mexico judge has thrown out a misconduct lawsuit filed by Alec Baldwin against local prosecutors and sheriff's officials over their pursuit of criminal charges against him for the fatal 2021 shooting on the set of the Western movie "Rust."
Judge Casey Fitch dismissed Baldwin's complaint on Tuesday, July 29, for lack of "significant action" in the case over the past 180 days. The one-page order allows any party in the lawsuit to seek reinstatement within 30 days.
In a statement on July 29, Baldwin's lawyer Luke Nikas told Reuters that settlement discussions were underway and the case could be refiled if they were unsuccessful.
Baldwin sued special prosecutor Kari Morrissey, District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies, Santa Fe County law enforcement investigators and other public officials in January, accusing them of malicious abuse of process, defamation and mishandling of evidence.
In the lawsuit, the "Boss Baby" actor claimed prosecutors and others had conspired to manufacture a criminal case against him for political and personal gain. Baldwin was charged with manslaughter in the fatal shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins.
The case was dismissed in 2024 after a judge ruled then that the special prosecutor and sheriff's office had deliberately withheld evidence from Baldwin on the source of a live round that killed Hutchins and wounded director Joel Souza. Morrissey later said that prosecutors had long known the actor would file a retaliatory civil lawsuit.
Hutchins' death, Hollywood's first on-set fatal shooting in nearly 30 years, shocked the movie industry and sparked calls for an overhaul of firearms safety on film productions.
The Ukrainian-born cinematographer died when Baldwin pointed a pistol at her while rehearsing, cocked the weapon and possibly pulled the trigger as they set up a camera shot on a movie set near Santa Fe, his lawyers said.
The gun, a reproduction 1873 single-action army revolver, fired a live round inadvertently loaded by Hannah Gutierrez, the production's weapons handler. Gutierrez was convicted of involuntary manslaughter in March and sentenced to 18 months in jail.
Baldwin, also a "Rust" producer, has always said live rounds should not have been allowed on set, and he was not responsible for weapons safety.
Contributing: Steve Gorman, Donna Bryson, REUTERS