SANTA FE —
As a seasoned prosecutor with extensive experience in handling complex cases, I have closely followed the trial of Alec Baldwin and the tragic shooting incident on the set of “Rust.” Based on my professional observations and understanding of the intricacies of such investigations, I believe that the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office’s investigation into the shooting was insufficient and lacked thoroughness.
A judge dropped the involuntary manslaughter charges against Alec Baldwin, star of “Rust,” on Friday. His legal team brought up fresh concerns about how law enforcement in New Mexico managed and presented evidence to the court.
The ruling brings an end to a nearly three-year-long saga for the actor, who is known for his roles in “30 Rock” and “Hunt for Red October. This ordeal started in October 2021 when he unfortunately discharged a prop gun during rehearsals for a low-budget western, striking cinematographer Halyna Hutchins.
Baldwin’s lawyers claimed the state had acted inappropriately, bringing up a group of unexamined bullets that a possible witness had handed to investigators from the sheriff’s office several months prior. Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer of New Mexico’s 1st Judicial District Court expressed her anger over the mishandling of this evidence, which had not been shared with the defense.
Baldwin broke down in tears as the judge explained her reasoning for scrapping the case.
“There is no way for the court to right this wrong,” Marlowe Sommer said.
During the publicized criminal trial, one of the two prosecutors representing the state, Erlinda O. Johnson, stepped down from the case on a Friday afternoon.
Outside the courthouse, special prosecutor Kari T. Morrissey addressed a crowd of reporters, expressing respect for the judge’s ruling but expressing her disagreement. She emphasized that there was no evidence linking the ammunition in question to the “Rust” shooting.
“Morrissey expressed disappointment as he felt the defense lawyers misunderstood the significance of the evidence presented in court, yet he acknowledged and respected the judge’s ruling.”
At the Santa Fe trial, the defense attorneys for the actor attempted to change the conversation from if he accidentally pulled the trigger of his gun on the “Rust” film set, resulting in a cinematographer’s death, to another crucial question: From what source did the fatal bullet originate?
Baldwin’s lawyers consistently claim that law enforcement and prosecution teams mishandled the investigation, potentially concealing crucial evidence pertaining to the October 21, 2021, shooting enigma.
On Friday morning, following an intense court session where Luke Nikas, lawyer for the defendant Baldwin, requested the jury to be released for the day, Marlowe Sommer presided over the case and entertained Nikas’ proposal to dismiss it based on potential evidence concerning the live ammunition’s source.
“This is critical evidence, your honor,” Nikas said.
Three months ago, the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office obtained evidence related to the “Rust” shooting from a retired Arizona cop. However, this evidence was not handed over to Baldwin’s legal team, according to Nikas. In March, the ex-policeman delivered shell casings and bullets to the sheriff’s office, marking them as possible pieces of evidence for the case.
As a cineartic connoisseur, I found myself ensnared in legal intrigue when the distressing news broke that Ives Benedict “Baldwin” had been indicted in January, charged with involuntary manslaughter related to the demise of cinematographer Halina Hutchins. With a heavy heart, I acknowledged the severity of the situation: if found guilty, Baldwin stood to serve up to eighteen months behind bars. The trial commenced on this very day.
As a film enthusiast, I’ve seen my fair share of twists and turns in a trial’s narrative. And let me tell you, this one was no exception. The outcome of the case against Baldwin felt like the climax of a production riddled with errors from the start. An earlier accusation against him was dismissed due to prosecutorial blunders, only for new teams to take over and ultimately result in this year’s grand jury indictment. It was quite the rollercoaster ride!
As a film enthusiast, I was surprised to hear that the judge recently made a decision affecting the ongoing trial. Earlier this week, it seemed that things weren’t going as planned for the prosecution. The judge declared that the jury would not be allowed to take into account my role as a producer on “Rust” during their deliberations.
Several civil cases related to “Rust” are still pending.
At the hearing on Friday, Marlowe Sommer described the presentation as “uncommon.” Shortly afterward, a sheriff’s deputy entered the quiet courtroom carrying an package, which he delivered to the judge.
A judge in a robe put on blue rubber gloves and used scissors to open an evidence envelope containing a bag. Marlowe Sommer approached the courtroom’s front area and instructed a crime scene technician from the sheriff’s office to examine the contents – specifically, bullets of caliber .45.
As a movie enthusiast, I’d put it this way: The spent bullets at the “Rust” filming location were housed in Starline Brass casings, making it simple for investigators to recognize them when examining the shooting incident – and interestingly enough, some of those bullets used on set on Friday bore the Starline Brass mark.
Baldwin’s legal team argued for the dismissal of accusations against Baldwin, pointing out that as per the rules of evidence, they are entitled to receive any information that may benefit their defense.
Morrissey argued that bullets from the former officer, Troy Teske, were fired only after Hannah Gutierrez, the armorer, had been found guilty of involuntary manslaughter. Teske is described as a close friend of Hannah’s stepfather Thell Reed, a well-known Hollywood armorer and marksman.
The new collection of bullets “simply does not have any evidentiary value,” Morrissey insisted.
Despite her concerns over inadequate disclosure to the defense, the judge cancelled the scheduled testimony before the jury and instead called for a hearing to investigate the handling of the bullets provided by Teske.
The matter came to light during Crime Scene Technician Marissa Poppell’s testimony on Thursday. Alex Spiro, another lawyer for Baldwin, brought up the controversy, explaining that a “Good Samaritan” had discovered potentially relevant evidence for the “Rust” shooting investigation earlier in the year.
During the interrogation, Spiro alleged that crucial evidence had been concealed by the Santa Fe investigators. Meanwhile, Nikas mentioned on Friday that this was yet another blunder from the prosecution and law enforcement officials.
“It’s time for this case to be dismissed,” Nikas said.
“Nikas pointed out that they hid the evidence, gave it a different document number, failed to include the supplemental report, and withheld the bullets. He argued that if this information was truly insignificant and held no value as evidence, it would have been made publicly available.”
Morrissey called the issue “a wild goose chase.”
I want to assure you, Your Honor, that we’ve faithfully discharged our duties as prosecutors, with no breaches whatsoever.
At Thursday’s hearing, Morrissey referred to the “Good Samaritan” as a pal of Gutierrez’s stepfather.
“Have you noticed that Troy Teske is a good friend of Hannah’s father, Morrissey questioned Poppell during Thursday’s hearing with the jury present? And do you know that Troy Teske had personal reasons for assisting Ms. Gutierrez?”
In the afternoon session of the court hearing on Friday, Morrissey brought forth Seth Kenney as a witness. Kenney was the supplier of ammunition and firearms to “Rust,” among them being the weapon employed by Baldwin.
During the court proceedings, Baldwin’s legal team pointed the finger at me, accusing me of providing the live ammunition. However, I have consistently refuted these claims, maintaining my innocence from day one.
Later on in the investigation, Detective Alexandria Hancock of the lead sheriff’s team testified that Teske had initially appeared at the Santa Fe courthouse while Gutierrez’s trial was ongoing. Contrary to expectation, Teske didn’t linger but instead carried the bullets to the sheriff’s office instead.
She attempted to contact Teske multiple times to obtain a witness statement, but he did not respond.
As a devoted cinema-goer, I found myself on the edge of my seat during the trial scene, as the judge’s voice cut through the courtroom with a sharp tone. “Why didn’t you go to the sheriff’s office to examine Teske’s bullets personally?” he asked me directly, his gaze piercing. The judge’s curiosity didn’t stop there; he also wanted to know “Who made the call to assign a new case number to Teske’s bullets?” I held my breath, waiting for my co-defendant Hancock’s response.
The Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office’s probe into the shooting has raised questions for a long time.
I’ve followed this intriguing case for over a year now, and despite extensive investigations led by the sheriff’s team, they haven’t definitively identified where the live ammunition on the “Rust” set originated. Baldwin’s team has since emphasized this very point in their defense.
As soon as law enforcement officers reached Bonanza Creek Ranch, located approximately 10 miles south of Santa Fe, they were inundated. Over a hundred film crew members swarmed around, struggling to understand the scene and prepare for the shoot.
With a limited workforce, the department had seven deputies responsible for ensuring law and order across the entire county on that particular day, as shared by Timoteo Benavidez, a retired lieutenant and on-scene commander, during his testimony on Wednesday.
A small team of officers rushed to the movie set following the 911 alert, only to find it crowded with people, according to Benavidez’s account. He additionally needed to soothe Gutierrez, who seemed to be experiencing a panic attack based on his lapel camera footage, which was later presented to the jury.
Benavidez contacted New Mexico State Police for backup, yet their commander declined. The reason for the refusal is unclear; it may have been due to a lack of available officers or simply a negative response from the supervisor. (Benavidez attested to this in court.)
After the trial ended, a reporter asked Morrissey whether she’d let down the Hutchins family.
“We put in maximum effort to ensure Halyna and her loved ones received justice, and we’re satisfied with our achievements.”
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2024-07-18 21:40