Alec Baldwin sues New Mexico officials for malicious prosecution, defamation following 'Rust' trial
2025-01-10
Category: entertainment

Alec Baldwin is suing Santa Fe, New Mexico, officials after a judge dismissed the involuntary manslaughter case against him for the 2021 fatal shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of the movie "Rust." On Thursday, the 66-year-old actor filed a 73-page civil rights lawsuit in Santa Fe's First Judicial District Court against special prosecutor Kari Morrissey, Santa Fe District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies as well as other officials and investigators in the case.&nbsp; In documents obtained by Fox News Digital, Baldwin is accusing the defendants of civil rights violations, including malicious prosecution, abuse of process and defamation, among other claims. The lawsuit alleged that the defendants intentionally concealed exculpatory evidence and elicited false testimony as they pursued the case. The documents stated that the prosecutors "sought at every turn to scapegoat Baldwin for the acts and omissions of others, regardless of the evidence or the law." FATAL TIMELINE IN ALEC BALDWIN ‘RUST’ SHOOTING THAT LED TO ACTORS INVOLUNTARY MANSLAUGHTER CHARGE  "Defendants, while acting under the color of law, conspired to procure a groundless indictment against Baldwin and to maliciously bring about or advance Baldwin’s trial and conviction, thus violating Baldwin’s constitutional rights by their improper use of the criminal process," the lawsuit claimed. Baldwin is requesting a jury trial and seeking compensatory and punitive damages.&nbsp; Fox News Digital has reached out to the Santa Fe District Attorney's Office for comment.  The lawsuit comes after Morrissey withdrew the state's notice of appeal against Baldwin last month. The move to drop the appeal solidified the decision by Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer halfway through trial to dismiss the case on allegations that police and prosecutors withheld evidence from the defense. LIKE WHAT YOU’RE READING? CLICK HERE FOR MORE ENTERTAINMENT NEWS At the time, Baldwin's attorneys, Alex Spiro and Luke Nikas, shared a joint statement with the Hollywood Reporter. "Today’s decision to dismiss the appeal is the final vindication of what Alec Baldwin and his attorneys have said from the beginning — this was an unspeakable tragedy, but Alec Baldwin committed no crime. The rule of law remains intact in New Mexico," the statement read.  In July, Sommer dismissed the involuntary manslaughter case against the "30 Rock" star after ruling that the prosecution concealed evidence from his legal team. CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE ENTERTAINMENT NEWSLETTER "The state's willful withholding of this information was intentional and deliberate," Sommer said. "If this conduct does not rise to the level of bad faith, it certainly comes so near to bad faith as to show signs of scorching prejudice." In October, Sommer upheld her decision to dismiss the case.&nbsp;  Hutchins died shortly after being wounded during a rehearsal for "Rust" in October 2021 at a film-set ranch on the outskirts of Santa Fe. Baldwin, the lead actor and co-producer, was pointing a revolver at Hutchins when it discharged, killing Hutchins and wounding director Joel Souza. Baldwin has said he pulled back the hammer — but not the trigger — and the revolver fired. The Emmy Award winner was first charged with involuntary manslaughter in January 2023. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP In March, "Rust" armorer Hannah Gutierrez Reed was convicted of loading a live round into the revolver. She was sentenced to 18 months in prison. Fox News Digital's Janelle Ash and The Associated Press contributed to this report.