Alec Baldwin has filed a civil lawsuit against the New Mexico prosecutors who previously attempted to bring a case of manslaughter to court following the 2021 shooting death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of the western Rust, the New York Times reports. The suit alleges "malicious prosecution" on the part of the prosecutors and investigators, who Baldwin insists attempted to "manufacture" a case against him by leaving out key evidence the actor and his attorneys say would have helped clear Baldwin of any wrongdoing.
His original trial began in July 2024, but when the evidence in question came to light - a cache of bullets discovered on the Rust set - Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer dismissed the charges against Baldwin. Special prosecutor Kari Morrissey argued that the bullets were irrelevant to Baldwin's case, and filed an appeal against the dismissal. But in December 2024, Morrissey dropped the appeal, leaving only a civil case brought by Hutchins's family dangling over Baldwin's head.
Now, however, Baldwin seems to have gone on the offensive, something he promised he would do in an interview with fellow actor David Duchovny back in December. This new lawsuit alleges the prosecution of pursuing "personal agendas or professional ambitions" in their case against Baldwin. His attorneys wrote:
"Defendants must now be held accountable for their malicious and unlawful pursuit of Baldwin... Although no verdict in this civil case can undo the trauma the state's threat of conviction and incarceration has inflicted, Alec Baldwin has filed this action to hold defendants responsible for their appalling violations of the laws that governed their work."
No monetary amounts related to the suit have been announced at this time, and court dates are pending.
The 'Rust' Shooting Incident Has a Long History of Legal Battles Close
Baldwin's new suit is only the latest in a string of court cases and out-of-court settlements revolving around the death of Hutchins. In addition to the original criminal trial against Baldwin and the civil case brought on by Hutchins's mother, father, and sister, a separate lawsuit brought by Hutchins's husband Matthew resulted in a settlement that included the completion of Rust so that proceeds from its profits could be shared with Hutchins's family.
In criminal court, the film's armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter in March 2024. Morissey served as the prosecutor in that case as well, and she successfully argued Gutierrez-Reed was consistently negligent with the functioning weapons and rounds of live ammunition that found their way onto the set. Gutierrez-Reed is currently serving an 18-month prison sentence.
Related Alec Baldwin Wants to Remove 'Rust' From His Life
'Rust' star Alec Baldwin wants to leave the ill-fated project behind.
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Meanwhile, Baldwin has attempted to move on with his career. He has made numerous appearances on Saturday Night Live, and even filmed a reality TV show about his life with wife Hilaria and their seven children. Baldwin stated in November 2024 that the series would debut sometime in January 2025, but the show has yet to surface as of this writing.