'Alleged Negligent Homicide Charge Against Alec Baldwin in "Filming Set Shooting" Dismissed'

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Hollywood actor Alec Baldwin was acquitted of negligent homicide charges related to the incident in which a prop gun he handled during a film shoot discharged a live round, resulting in the death of the cinematographer.

On the 12th (local time), the US daily New York Times (NYT) and others reported that Mary Marlowe Sommer, a judge at the US District Court in New Mexico, dismissed the case against Baldwin, unexpectedly accepting the defense attorney's claim that the prosecution had concealed evidence. The incident occurred in October 2021 in Santa Fe, New Mexico. At the 'Rust' movie set installed there, Baldwin, the lead actor, was rehearsing a scene with a prop gun when a live bullet was fired, fatally wounding cinematographer Halyna Hutchins in the chest.

On the 12th (local time), actor Alec Baldwin is shedding tears after the charge of involuntary manslaughter was dismissed.
[Photo by Reuters Yonhap News]

The New Mexico prosecutor's office investigating the case indicted Baldwin and Hannah Gutierrez Reed (26), the weapons handler on set, for negligent homicide in January last year. Three months later, the prosecution dropped charges against Baldwin due to insufficient evidence but re-indicted him in January after further investigation.

Baldwin has maintained that while he cocked the hammer of the gun, he did not pull the trigger. However, the prosecution, after expert examination, concluded that the trigger must have been pulled for the gun to fire, thus asserting that Baldwin did pull the trigger.

The decisive factor in the unexpected dismissal after three days of trial was the 'bullet.' Baldwin's defense argued that the Santa Fe Sheriff's Office, which first investigated the case, had secured the live bullet as evidence but failed to include it in the investigation file or inform the defense of its existence. Judge Sommer, acknowledging this, stated, "The state's concealment of evidence was intentional," and ruled that "dismissal due to prejudice is justified to ensure the integrity of the judicial system and efficient administration of justice."

Alec Baldwin and his wife are embracing after the dismissal decision was made.
[Photo by Reuters Yonhap News]

Upon the dismissal, Baldwin removed his glasses and wiped his eyes with his hand, sobbing. He then hugged his attorneys seated beside him and tearfully embraced his wife, who was sitting just behind the defendant's bench. Had Baldwin been found guilty in this trial, he could have faced up to 18 months in prison. Meanwhile, Hannah Gutierrez Reed, the weapons handler who was also indicted alongside Baldwin, was sentenced in April to 18 months in prison, the maximum sentence for negligent homicide, and is currently serving her term.

The NYT explained, "Baldwin, who had been under the looming threat of criminal liability for nearly three years due to this case, has now been relieved of a significant burden by this ruling."

However, the dismissal of the criminal case does not end all difficulties. Baldwin is also being sued in a civil lawsuit filed by the husband of the late cinematographer Hutchins. The attorney for Hutchins' husband stated in a press release that "while we respect the court's decision, we hope to present all evidence to a jury to hold Baldwin accountable for his actions leading to Hutchins' innocent death."

Meanwhile, the film 'Rust,' whose shooting was halted due to Hutchins' death, reportedly relocated its set to Montana and resumed filming last spring.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.