In a significant development concerning the tragic “Rust” movie set shooting, a New Mexico judge has officially dismissed a lawsuit filed by actor Alec Baldwin for malicious prosecution and civil rights violations. This high-profile legal battle stems from the October 2021 incident where cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was fatally wounded.
The judge’s ruling, made public on Wednesday, cited a lack of significant action with the claim, which Baldwin’s team had initially filed in state district court earlier this year. Crucially, the dismissal was made without prejudice, granting Baldwin’s attorneys a 30-day window to potentially file a motion seeking reinstatement of the case.
Luke Nikas, lead attorney for Alec Baldwin, characterized the dismissal to The Associated Press as a “nonevent,” asserting that his team had been anticipating this outcome while engaged in good-faith settlement discussions. Nikas affirmed their readiness to promptly refile the lawsuit if those ongoing discussions do not yield a favorable resolution.
This dismissal follows a previous attempt to prosecute Baldwin, where involuntary manslaughter charges against him were thrown out last year. That trial was upended by startling revelations that ammunition pertinent to the “Rust” shooting had been brought into the Santa Fe County sheriff’s office months prior by an individual claiming a connection to the Halyna Hutchins killing, raising questions about evidence handling.
Baldwin’s tort claim had leveled serious accusations, including defamation, with his legal team contending that prosecutors and investigators deliberately targeted the actor, who also served as a co-producer, for either professional or political gain. These allegations underscored the contentious nature of the ongoing legal fallout from the tragic incident.
The fatal event itself occurred in October 2021 during a rehearsal on the film-set ranch located on the outskirts of Santa Fe, New Mexico. Alec Baldwin was holding a pistol which discharged, resulting in Halyna Hutchins’ death and injury to director Joel Souza. Baldwin has consistently maintained that he pulled back the hammer — but not the trigger — asserting the revolver fired unexpectedly.
Despite this recent dismissal, Alec Baldwin and other producers of “Rust” continue to face a civil lawsuit in New Mexico state court, brought forth by the parents and younger sister of Halyna Hutchins. Court records indicate that a scheduled deposition for Baldwin in this ongoing case, initially slated for May, has yet to be rescheduled, leaving another facet of this complex legal saga unresolved.
Leave a Reply