New Mexico prosecutor Kari T. Morrissey has requested the judge to reconsider dismissing criminal charges against actor Alec Baldwin in connection to the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the “Rust” movie set. Despite the grounds for dismissal in July being deemed irrelevant by Morrissey, the trial was dismissed on its third day due to suppressed evidence concerning live ammunition that was not properly disclosed to Baldwin’s attorneys.
Following the dismissal, co-prosecutor Erlinda O. Johnson resigned, and Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer dismissed the charge against Baldwin with prejudice, meaning it cannot be filed again. Morrissey has now stated in a court filing that the mishandling of the live ammunition was not a cover-up, emphasizing that mistakes do not equate to intentional suppression of evidence.
Despite Johnson expressing belief that the live ammunition was not intentionally withheld, the mishandling of evidence led to the ultimate dismissal of the case against Baldwin. Morrissey’s latest court filing argues that the details of how the live rounds were introduced to the set are not relevant to the charges against Baldwin and reinforces that mistakes made by the prosecution were not indicative of intentional malfeasance.
Baldwin continues to deny pulling the trigger in the fatal incident, and the case remains in legal limbo as Morrissey seeks to have the charges reinstated. The dismissal of the case has sparked controversy and calls into question the handling of evidence and the legal processes surrounding the tragic shooting on the film set.
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