A New Mexico judge has dismissed actor Alec Baldwin’s civil lawsuit accusing prosecutors and law enforcement of misconduct in the fatal 2021 “Rust” film set shooting, citing a lack of progress in the case.
Judge Casey Fitch issued a one-page order on Tuesday, made public Wednesday, stating the case was being dismissed for failure to take “significant action” over the past 180 days. However, the order leaves room for the lawsuit to be reinstated within 30 days at the request of any party.
Baldwin’s attorney, Luke Nikas, said discussions for a possible settlement are ongoing and the case could be refiled if those talks fall through.
Baldwin had filed the lawsuit in January, accusing special prosecutor Kari Morrissey, Santa Fe District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies, and county law enforcement officials of malicious abuse of process, defamation, and evidence mishandling. The suit alleged a conspiracy to prosecute Baldwin for political and personal gain, despite evidence showing others were responsible for the fatal shooting.
The lawsuit followed the July 2024 dismissal of Baldwin’s manslaughter charges during his trial. The judge in that criminal case found that the prosecution and sheriff’s office had intentionally withheld key evidence about the origin of the live round that killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and injured director Joel Souza.
Hutchins, a Ukrainian-born cinematographer, was killed when Baldwin pointed a replica 1873 revolver at her during a rehearsal on the “Rust” set near Santa Fe. The weapon discharged a live round, mistakenly loaded by the production’s armorer, Hannah Gutierrez, who was later convicted of involuntary manslaughter and sentenced to 18 months in prison.
Baldwin, who also served as a producer on the film, has maintained he was not responsible for ensuring firearm safety and that live ammunition should never have been present on set.
Prosecutor Morrissey previously acknowledged that Baldwin was expected to file a retaliatory lawsuit following the collapse of the criminal case.
The “Rust” tragedy marked Hollywood’s first fatal on-set shooting in nearly 30 years and prompted widespread demands for stricter firearm protocols in film productions.
Written By Rodney Mbua
