Baldwin’s Lawsuit Dismissed by New Mexico Judge
A judge in New Mexico has thrown out a lawsuit brought by actor Alec Baldwin, who accused others of malicious prosecution and civil rights violations related to the tragic shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of the Western film “Rust” in 2021.
The ruling, made public on Wednesday, dismissed Baldwin’s case without prejudice, primarily due to insufficient developments concerning the state district court claim filed earlier this year. Baldwin’s legal team now has 30 days to submit a motion for recovery.
Luke Nikas, Baldwin’s main attorney, mentioned via email to the Associated Press that pursuing the lawsuit felt fruitless, considering they were awaiting official charges in the matter.
Nikas added, “We’ve engaged in good-faith settlement discussions with the parties involved, but if we can’t reach a prompt and favorable resolution, we’ll be back in court soon.”
The defendants in Baldwin’s lawsuit include special prosecutor Kari Morrissey, Santa Fe District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies, along with three investigators from the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office and the county board.
Previously, Baldwin faced involuntary manslaughter charges which were dropped after the court found that police and prosecutors had withheld evidence from the defense. The trial gained attention when a man came forward claiming to have delivered ammunition to the sheriff’s office several months earlier, suggesting a potential link to Hutchins’ death.
Baldwin’s tort claims include allegations related to honor and reputation, with his lawyers arguing that prosecutors and investigators unfairly targeted the actor and co-producers for personal or political reasons.
Hutchins passed away shortly after being shot during a rehearsal for “Rust” at a ranch near Santa Fe in October 2021.
During the incident, Baldwin pointed the weapon when Hutchins was shot, which also injured director Joel Sousa. Baldwin has stated that he pulled back the hammer rather than pulling the trigger and that the gun discharged unexpectedly.
Recently, at Comic-Con International in San Diego, Baldwin shared his thoughts with the Associated Press, commenting on how abruptly the trial ended and expressing disbelief over the events of that day, noting that his life now is better than it was a year ago. Nonetheless, Baldwin and other producers of “Rust” are still facing a lawsuit in New Mexico from Hutchins’ family, with Baldwin’s deposition in that case previously postponed to May without a new date set yet.
