Alec Baldwin's 'Rust' Case Dismissal Might Impact Armorer's Conviction Too
No one expected the stunning turn of events in the Alec Baldwin case, but Friday, July 12’s decision might have ripple effects that carry over to armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed’s appeal. Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer dismissed the 66-year-old actor’s involuntary manslaughter case with prejudice because the prosecutor withheld evidence from his defense team.
“The state’s discovery violation has injected a needless, incurable delay into the jury trial,” Sommer remarked. “Dismissal with prejudice is warranted to ensure the integrity of the judicial system and the efficient administration of justice. Your motion to dismiss with prejudice is granted.” Now, legal experts are weighing in on what that means for Gutierrez-Reed’s case since she’s currently in jail serving 18 months for involuntary manslaughter.
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“I fully expect Hannah Gutierrez Reed to make the same argument for her conviction to be overturned,” former federal prosecutor Neama Rahmani explained to CNN. “I think this case wasn’t won by Alec Baldwin as much as it was lost by the prosecution. … This evidence is more exculpatory and exonerates Gutierrez Reed even more than Baldwin.” The evidence in question is a box of ammunition that was given to the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office after her trial — the bullets could have answered the question to how live rounds made it onto the film set.
That mystery was not answered during Gutierrez-Reed’s trial and as New Mexico attorney John Day told the Associated Press, “You can’t redo a bad investigation. Once it’s done, it’s done like this. There’s really nothing else that can be done.” He was not affiliated with the case, but his legal opinion seems to be shared by many. At this point, the armorer’s legal team is working overtime to get her conviction overturned.
This shocking turn of events will not be the end of Baldwin’s legal issues, though. Gloria Allred is representing Halyna Hutchins’ parents and sister in a civil case. “It does not change the fact that Alec Baldwin killed Halyna Hutchins on the set of Rust,” Allred said in a press conference on Saturday, July 13. “It does not change the fact that he fired a loaded gun while pointing it at a human being.”
Matthew Hutchins, Halyna’s widow, settled with Baldwin and the Rust team in 2022, but they have allegedly failed to hold up their end of the bargain. “We look forward to presenting all the evidence to a jury and holding Mr. Baldwin accountable for his actions in the senseless death of Halyna Hutchins,” Matthew’s lawyer Brian Panish said in a statement to Variety. It sounds like there’s still a long legal road ahead.
Before you go, click here to see the most important celebrity lawsuits over the past 15 years.
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