Alec Baldwin is suing “Rus” shooting prosecutors for “malicious prosecution”

Alec Baldwin initiates legal proceedings after prosecutors bring criminal charges against him over death Rust cinematographer Haline Hutchins.

Baldwin, 66, is being sued by a special prosecutor in Santa Fe, New Mexico Kari T. Morrissey and the first judicial district attorney Mary Carmack-Altwissinter alia, for malicious prosecution and civil rights violations, per The Hollywood Reporter and The Los Angeles Times.

The lawsuit, filed Thursday, Jan. 9, in federal court in New Mexico alleges that the prosecution team intentionally withheld evidence that would have acquitted him of involuntary manslaughter.

The lawsuit alleges that the defendants were “silenced by their desire to convict Alex Baldwin for the wrong reasons and at any cost. At every turn, the defendants sought to scapegoat Baldwin for the actions and inactions of others, regardless of the evidence or the law.

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Alec Baldwin was recently charged with manslaughter for the second time in connection with the death of cinematographer Halyn Hutchins on the set of his movie Rust, and legal expert Neama Rahmani explains why the charges didn't stick the first time. “I have received many questions about this (…)

“Criminal prosecutions should be about the pursuit of truth and justice, not personal or political gain or the persecution of the innocent,” Baldwin's attorneys said. Luke Nick and Alex Spiro said in a statement to the site LA Times. “Kari Morrisey and the other defendants repeatedly violated this basic principle and trampled on Alex Baldwin's rights.”

“In October 2023, the prosecution team learned that Mr. Baldwin was planning to file a civil retaliation claim,” Morrissey said in a statement. “We look forward to our day in court.”

Baldwin faced duress twice manslaughter charges in the accidental shooting of Hutchins in October 2021. Hutchins was killed and Rust director Joel Souza was injured when a prop gun fired a live bullet on the set of a western.

Baldwin, who denied pulling the trigger, was later charged with two counts of involuntary manslaughter in January 2023 and pleaded not guilty a month later. Criminal charges were dropped in April 2023. However, he was charged with involuntary manslaughter for the second time and went to court in July 2024.

The second case was fired first judicial district judge Mary Marlow Sommer last summer. Sommer agreed with Baldwin's attorneys that prosecutors withheld evidence that could be related to the fatal shooting.

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Sonia Moskowitz/Getty Images Several jurors from the Alec Baldwin Rust trial give their opinions on the merits of the case after it was dismissed. Speaking to The New York Times, Johanna Hague and Gabriela Picajo revealed they had doubts about Baldwin's case before it was dismissed in court. “As the week went on, it didn't happen (…)

“There is no way for the court to correct this error,” Sommer told the court, according to NBC News. “The sanction of dismissal is the only justifiable remedy.”

In December 2024, Morrissey, who sought to reinstate the charges against Baldwin, announced that the case against the actor was closed due to a lack of support from the district attorney's office. As a result, Baldwin will no longer face criminal charges for the incident.

Related: Alec Baldwin breaks his silence after 'Rust' murder trial dismissed

Alec Baldwin issued a formal response after his involuntary manslaughter trial was dismissed. “There are too many people who have supported me to thank right now,” Baldwin, 66, wrote on Instagram on Saturday, July 13. “To all of you, you will never know how much I appreciate your kindness to my family.” New Mexico (…)

“The state's efforts to proceed with the case in a fair and comprehensive manner have encountered a number of obstacles that have compromised its ability to prosecute to the fullest extent of the law,” Morrissey said. The New York Times.

movie gunman, Hannah Gutierrez-Reedwas found guilty of involuntary manslaughter in March 2024 and sentenced to 18 months in prison. Her lawyers' appeal for a new trial was denied in September 2024.