In court, Alec Baldwin and his wife Hilaria began openly weeping as it became evident the judge was dismissing the Rust shooting case.
In a stunning development, Baldwin’s manslaughter trial abruptly ended when the judge dismissed the Rust case. The dismissal came after the judge discovered that law enforcement had concealed evidence, hindering the 30 Rock star’s ability to prepare his defense.
Relief washed over Baldwin’s face, and he began to weep as the judge dismissed the case. He had faced a potential 18-month prison sentence if convicted in the death of Rust cinematographer Halyna Hutchins.
Meanwhile, Police investigator Marissa Poppell testified that her superiors had directed her to create a report documenting the receipt of ammunition and to file it under a different case number, separate from the Rust case. Of course, this made it difficult for the defense to have access to all the relevant evidence.
The presence of live ammunition on set is a game-changer in the case, potentially strengthening Baldwin’s claim that those around him failed to uphold safety standards.
‘No way for the Court to Right this Wrong’ the Judge Said Before Dismissing Alec Baldwin’s Case
The judge determined that concealing crucial evidence significantly undermined Baldwin’s ability to mount a defense. As a result, the only suitable recourse was to dismiss the case with prejudice. “There is no way for the court to right this wrong,” the judge admitted.
During Friday’s hearing, prosecutor Erlinda Ocampo Johnson unexpectedly resigned amid the allegations of an evidence cover-up. She later admitted that dismissing the case was the correct move.
“As prosecutors, we have obligations to disclose all the evidence,” Ocampo Johnson later told TMZ. “When I learned this morning of the existence of the evidence that had not been disclosed, I believed that the right decision was to dismiss the case. When my voice was not heard, I asked to withdraw from the case. We not only owe a duty to the people, but to the defendants accused of crimes as well. The prosecution must always be above reproach.”
However, Special Prosecutor Kari Morrissey had a different point of view.
“I believe that the importance of the evidence was misconstrued by the defense attorneys,” she told the outlet. “But I have to respect the court’s decision.”