ALBAWABA - Alec Baldwin's trial yesterday was filled with emotion as the judge in the Rust case dismissed the manslaughter charge against him.
His attorneys had shown that the prosecution had concealed evidence, leading Judge Mary Marlow Sommer to dismiss the case and reject the prosecution's assertion of behavior "similar to bad faith."
The cancellation of the Hollywood celebrity's trial marked a significant change in the case because the public prosecution failed to provide the defense team with the bullets related to the file.
"The late discovery of this evidence during the trial impeded the effective use of the evidence in a way that affected the fundamental fairness of the proceedings," Judge Mary Sommer noted, explaining her decision to dismiss the case.
Shortly after the announcement of the judgment, the 66-year-old actor broke down in tears in Hilaria's arms, displaying his obvious distress. The tragedy could potentially result in a jail sentence of up to 18 months.
Baldwin and Hilaria embraced many times, as Hilaria shared a grin and a chuckle with her courtroom companions.
On October 21, 2021, while filming the scene for the US film "Rust" on a farm in New Mexico, Baldwin—who was indicted by a grand jury in January—activated a weapon that was supposed to contain caliber bullets, but it actually discharged live ammunition.
Despite the incident injuring both cinematographer Halena Hutchins and director Joel Souza, Baldwin has maintained in previous interviews that he was unaware of the gun's contents and did not pull the trigger.
Given the many changes that occurred during the case, the investigators failed to establish how the "Rust" site came to possess live bullets, which are strictly forbidden on filming locations.
Because, as is well known in the film industry, performers are not responsible for ensuring the weapon is safe to use, this tragedy and the decision to charge Baldwin both startled Hollywood.
