Alec Baldwin Will Face No Criminal Charges For Rust Shooting
Criminal charges against Alec Baldwin for the Rust shooting have been dropped.
Deadline reported that all the criminal charges against Alec Baldwin for the Rust shooting will be dropped. Baldwin was previously charged with involuntary manslaughter for the October 2021 death of Rust cinematographer Halyna Hutchins at the Bonanza Creek Ranch in Santa Fe. Special prosecutors Kari Morrissey and Jason Lewis are reportedly filing the paperwork to dismiss the charges without prejudice.
Since the Alec Baldwin charges are reportedly being dismissed ‘without prejudice,’ this means that the case is not dismissed forever, and it can be brought back to court if investigations reveal relevant evidence to the contrary. While Baldwin is temporarily, and possibly permanently, out of the woods for the involuntary manslaughter charges, armorer Hannah Guiterrez-Reed’s charges have yet to be dismissed. Both defendants pleaded “not guilty” to the charges, but there have yet to be reports on the charges against Guiterrez-Reed being dropped.
The news of the dropped charges against Alec Baldwin comes just two weeks ahead of a mini-trial that was set to be held in New Mexico. Baldwin had previously received approval from Judge Mary Marlow Sommer to not attend the preliminary examination, which would determine if there was sufficient evidence to pursue a full trial. The preliminary trial had also put together a 35-person witness list, which included director Joel Souza, who was also injured by the gun that fatally wounded Hutchins.
Other names on the witness list included other crew members, police, and Rust script supervisor Mamie Mitchell. Mitchell also filed a lawsuit against Alec Baldwin and the film’s producers, which is still in the court system. With the recent changes in Baldwin’s situation, it seems unlikely that the preliminary trial will still take place as scheduled.
What also remains unclear is when Alec Baldwin and the rest of the Rust cast and crew will return to filming. The movie was scheduled to get back to business earlier this week, but the ongoing legal situation has pushed that timeline back again. Deadline reported that the filming could pick up again as early as tomorrow, but the ongoing situation makes it seem likely that the schedule is subject to change.
While the criminal charges and various lawsuits around the death of Halyna Hutchins continue to swirl, Alec Baldwin and the Rust producers settled a wrongful death lawsuit with the family of Hutchins back in October 2022. Part of the agreement was to bring her husband Matthew on as an executive producer on Rust, along with a documentary about the life and career of Halyna. The rest of the settlement was sealed to protect their son’s privacy.
While it’s possible that this might be the last time we hear about the criminal charges brought against Alec Baldwin, it likely won’t be the last we hear of the Rust legal saga overall. As mentioned, there are still multiple lawsuits to contend with, along with the potential criminal charges leveled against Guiterrez-Reed. In the meantime, we’ll keep you updated on any more news we hear surrounding the Jensen Ackles-starring film and its ongoing legal implications.
