Prosecutor in Alec Baldwin's criminal trial reacts after dismissal of the case

(13 Jul 2024)
FOR CLEAN VERSION SEE STORY NUMBER: 4505828

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POOL
Santa Fe, New Mexico - 12 July 2024
1. Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer dismisses involuntary manslaughter case against Alec Baldwin

ASSOCIATED PRESS
Santa Fe, New Mexico - 12 July 2024
2. SOUNDBITE (English) Kari Morrissey, Special Prosecutor:
"I understand that the court disagrees with me, and I respect the court's decision. There is absolutely no evidence that any of that ammunition is related to the incident involving Miss Hutchins.
(Reporter: so the judge is wrong?)
"No, I said that I respect the court's decision. I think that people can disagree. I'm disappointed because I believe that, I believe that the importance of the evidence was misconstrued by the defense attorneys. "
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3. SOUNDBITE (English) Kari Morrissey, Special Prosecutor:
(Reporter: Do you still believe Mr. Baldwin was guilty?)
"You know that, that has never been a decision for me. That has always been a decision for the jury." (Reporter: Did you let the Hutchins family down?)
"No. We didn't. We did everything humanly possible to bring justice to Halyna and to her family. And we're proud of the work that we did. Again, we disagree with the court's decision, but we have to respect it."
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STORYLINE:
A New Mexico judge on Friday brought a sudden and stunning end to the involuntary manslaughter case against Alec Baldwin, dismissing it in the middle of the actor's trial and saying it cannot be filed again.

Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer dismissed the case with prejudice based on the misconduct of police and prosecutors over the withholding of evidence from the defense in the shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of the film “Rust.”

Baldwin cried, hugged his two attorneys, gestured to the front of the court, then turned to hug his crying wife Hilaria, holding the embrace for 12 seconds. He climbed into an SUV outside the Santa Fe courthouse without speaking to media.

Baldwin, 66, could have gotten 18 months in prison if convicted.

Sommer put a pause on the trial earlier Friday while she considered the defense motion to dismiss the case over the evidence.

The defense argued that prosecutors hid evidence from them about the ammunition that may be related to the shooting on the set of the Western “Rust” in 2021. The defense said they should have had the ability to determine its importance.

The prosecution said that the ammunition was not connected to the case and was not hidden.

Speaking to reporters after the dismissal of the case, Special Prosecutor Kari Morrissey said she was disappointed by the judge's decision.

"I'm disappointed because I believe that the importance of the evidence was misconstrued by the defense attorneys. But I have to respect the court's decision."

The issue emerged Thursday on the second day of the actor’s trial during defense questioning of sheriff’s crime scene technician Marissa Poppell.

Baldwin lawyer Alex Spiro asked whether a “good Samaritan” had come into the sheriff’s office with the ammunition earlier this year after the trial of Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, the film’s armorer, for her role in Hutchins’ death.

She was sentenced to 18 months in prison on an involuntary manslaughter conviction, which she is now appealing.

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[angeg]

Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned

[metal--babble]

this prosecutor is a professional fibber. She coached members of her investigation team to lie under oath. Then we watched Morrisey use her own batch of lies, and tell AP reporters the Judge was wrong.