SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — A judge in New Mexico has thrown out actor Alec Baldwin’s complaint alleging civil rights abuses and malicious prosecution in connection with the 2021 shooting death of a cameraman on the set of the Western film Rust.
In a decision made public on Wednesday, the judge dismissed the case without prejudice since the claim, which was filed in state district court earlier this year, had not been significantly addressed. Baldwin’s lawyers have thirty days to submit a motion for reinstatement.
Since his team has been waiting to pursue the case, Baldwin’s primary lawyer, Luke Nikas, told The Associated Press via email that the dismissal was a nonevent.
According to him, we have been in sincere talks with the lawsuit’s parties about a settlement, and if those talks are not swiftly and amicably concluded, we will be filing again right away.
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Three detectives from the Santa Fe County sheriff’s office and the county board of commissioners are among the defendants, along with special prosecutor Kari Morrissey and Santa Fe District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies.
Baldwin’s involuntary manslaughter charge was dropped during the trial last year due to claims that the defense was not given access to evidence by the police and prosecutors. The discovery that ammunition had been brought into the Santa Fe County sheriff’s office months prior by a guy who claimed it might be connected to the murder of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins disrupted the trial.
Defamation is one of the accusations in Baldwin’s tort suit; according to his lawyers, the actor and coproducer were singled out by investigators and prosecutors for political or professional reasons.
In October 2021, Hutchins was injured during a filming session for the movie Rustin at a ranch outside of Santa Fe, New Mexico. He passed away soon after.
Director Joel Souza was wounded and Hutchins was killed when Baldwin’s revolver fired while he was pointing it at him. According to Baldwin, the gun shot when he pulled back the hammer but left the trigger unpressed.
The actor recently told The Associated Press at Comic-Con International in San Diego that he was shocked by the events of that day in court, where the trial ended abruptly, and that the past year has been much better for him than the years before.
Nevertheless, Hutchins’s parents and younger sister are suing Baldwin and other Rust manufacturers in a New Mexico state court. According to court documents, Baldwin’s deposition in that matter was postponed in May and has not yet been rescheduled.
