Alec Baldwin’s Involuntary Manslaughter Trial Dismissed, Halyna Hutchins’ Widower Aims to Bring Actor Back to Court

The whirlwind of a criminal trial comes to an end in a surprising move.

Alec Baldwin, known for his roles in "30 Rock" and "Saturday Night Live," found himself in a whirlwind case due to his involvement with the fatal shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins. (Photo Courtesy: Patabook News)

New Mexico Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer dismissed involuntary manslaughter case against Alec Baldwin, relating to the fatal shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins. 

Sommer dismissed the case based on the misconduct of police and prosecutors over the withholding of evidence from the defense — the case cannot be tried again. Baldwin, the lead actor and co-producer of the film “Rust,” pointed a gun at Hutchins during a rehearsal on the set outside of Santa Fe in October 2021. The gun went off, killing Hutchins and injuring director Joel Souza. 

Baldwin has since proclaimed his innocence, noting that he did not pull the trigger as he only pulled back the hammer when the gun fired. 

The actor and other producers face civil lawsuits from Hutchins’ parents and sister, which is more commonplace for workplace accidents according defense attorney Mark Sedlander. 

“By civil law standards, it is common for someone like Mr. Baldwin to be held responsible for what happened, but it is relatively unusual in the criminal context,” Sedlander said prior to the dismissal.

Gloria Allred, who represents Hutchins’ parents and sister, said they will continue with their own civil lawsuit. She said they intend to pursue a jury trial unless Baldwin decides to “resolve it in a meaningful way.”

Hutchins’ widower, Matthew Hutchins, aims to hold Baldwin accountable for his actions that led to the death of Halyna Hutchins.

Future civil suits could be the continuation of the wrongful death lawsuit that Matthew Hutchins settled with Baldwin and the film’s producers in 2022. The settlement was supposed to grant money to Hutchins’ estate, including her son. Though, according to court filings, Matthew Hutchins has yet to receive the settlement payments in a timely fashion.

As Baldwin maintained his innocence throughout the ordeal, the film’s armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter. Gutierrez-Reed had handed Baldwin the gun prior to the fatal shooting. She later filed a motion to dismiss her case, citing the same misconduct in Baldwin’s trial. 

In June, Baldwin and his wife Hilaria announced they would appear in a reality series about their family. The TLC series, potentially titled “The Baldwins,” is set to release in 2025. Interestingly, it’s still unclear whether “Rust” will be released.