New Mexico prosecutors have withdrawn their appeal. restore charges Alec Baldwin in relation to the fatal shooting on the set of his film “Rust”.
Special Prosecutor Kari Morrissey on Monday withdrew the state's appeal, which was originally filed in November, according to a statement from the First Judicial District Attorney's Office.
“The appeal will challenge the court's dismissal of criminal charges against producer and actor, Alec Baldwin, involving involuntary manslaughter in the tragic shooting of cinematographer, Helena Hutchins, on the set. War on October 21, 2021,” the statement said.
The District Attorney's Office said, “FJDA commends Morrissey for prosecuting two cases of such magnitude and garnering national attention, including the successful prosecution against Hannah Gutierrez Reed.” “FJDA supports Hutchins' family and their continued fight for justice in civil court.”
Luke Nikas and Alex Spiro, the attorneys representing Baldwin, told CBS News in a statement, “Today's decision to dismiss the appeal is the final confirmation of what Alec Baldwin and his lawyers have said from the beginning – this was an unspeakable tragedy. But Alec Baldwin committed no crime. The rule of law remains intact in New Mexico.”
The decision to reject the appeal reinforces Judge Mary Marlow Sommer's decision to dismiss the case midway through the trial over allegations that police and prosecutors withheld evidence from the defense.
Baldwin's trial was overshadowed by the revelation that ammunition was brought to the Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office in March by a man who said it might be related to the Hutchins murder. Prosecutors said they considered the gunpowder unrelated and insignificant, while Baldwin's lawyers say investigators “buried” the evidence in a separate case file and filed a successful motion to dismiss.
The district attorney's office said the New Mexico Attorney General would pursue an appeal but “did not intend to pursue a comprehensive appeal on behalf of the prosecution.”
“As a result, the state's efforts to continue prosecuting the case in a fair and comprehensive manner have faced numerous obstacles, compromising its ability to prosecute to the fullest extent of the law,” the statement from local prosecutors said. “