Alec Baldwin Trial Pauses After Alleged Government Misconduct

Today, Alec Baldwin’s trial was suddenly brought to a standstill when the defense accused the prosecution of failing to turn over evidence related to the case. Yesterday, a witness testified that live ammunition brought to the set had never been tested because it wasn’t submitted as evidence. This led the defense to demand the case be dismissed while the prosecution argued that the ammunition in question didn’t pertain to the case. 

Judge Marry Marlowe Summer temporarily dismissed the jury to determine the merit of the defense’s claims. The Alec Baldwin trial may be significantly delayed by this process, with the witness who talked about the ammo being brought back to testify again without the jury present. Other witnesses will be called on to testify before the judge decides if the case needs to be dismissed. 

The incident that led to Alec Baldwin’s trial was the accidental shooting and killing of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins. On the set of Rust, a western starring Baldwin, the actor was practicing drawing a prop gun mistakenly loaded with live rounds. When the gun went off, it killed Hutchins and injured director Joel Souza. 

Alec Baldwin and his defense team say that the accidental shooting happened while he was behaving normally for an actor preparing for a role in a Western. The prosecution, however, claims that the actor was behaving recklessly by not following firearm safety protocols. Regardless of how the case goes, it’s expected to have a dramatic effect on gun safety rules on movie sets. 

Rust armorer Hannah Guiterrez-Reed, whose trial has been intertwined with Alec Baldwin’s trial since the beginning, is currently serving an 18-month sentence for her role in the tragic on-set incident. Jason Bowles, Guiterrez-Reed’s attorney, is expected to testify as a witness for the defense regarding the government’s mishandling of the evidence. There is currently no timeline, and Bowles is expected to advocate for his client in light of the recent turn of events.

The Alec Baldwin trial has been notably tumultuous, with several attempts by the defense to have the case thrown out. The defense has tried to have the case dismissed four times before today, which has caused the case to drag on much longer than expected. With so many interruptions it’s hard to estimate how much longer the legal battle will continue. 

As the long Alce Baldwin trial stretches on, its connections to Hollywood will certainly keep the story in the headlines. No matter what happens with the case, the Rust tragedy and the multi-year legal battle that followed are sure to become an enduring part of Baldwin’s legacy. The actor faces up to 18 years in prison if he is convicted.