Six months after the dismissal of the “Rust” shooting case, Alec Baldwin has filed a lawsuit against the prosecutors and other officials alleging malicious prosecution, defamation, intentional spoilation of eviddence, and violations of the New Mexico Civil Rights Act.
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Baldwin lists the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office, the Santa Fe County Board of County Commissioners, and representatives of the First Judical District Attorney as defendants in the case. The actor says they want to convict him for “the wrong reasons, and at any cost,” because of the shooting death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, according to PEOPLE. As previously reported, Baldwin’s gun discharged in October 2021, killing Hutchins on the “Rust” set.
The actor was indicted in January 2024, but his lawyers claimed that prosecutors had withheld important evidence, which led to the indictment being withdrawn in July 2024. Last month, prosecutors withdrawn their notice to appeal, and the case was dismissed. Baldwin claims in the current lawsuit that he was given a prop gun on the day of the incident and was told it was “cold,” which means it was devoid of live ammunition. But Hutchins was killed when the gun fired a live round.
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Baldwin alleges that certain officials intentionally hid evidence, lied under oath, and sought to make him a scapegoat for the shooting. The suit also accuses special prosecutor Kari Morrisey of giving “inconsitent” testimony and alleges that District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies defamed the actor during a 2023 interview with CNN claiming he failed to ensure the set’s safety during filming.
“Kari Morrissey and the other defendants violated that basic principle, over and over, and trampled on Alec Baldwin’s rights. We bring this action to hold the defendants accountable for their misconduct and to prevent them from doing this to anyone else,” said Baldwin’s attorneys Alex Spiro and Luke Nikas in a statement.
