Alec Baldwin gets major break in Rust fatal shooting case ahead of trial

Santa Fe, New Mexico - Actor Alec Baldwin has had the criminal charges against him stemming from the on-set death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins dropped - for now.

Alec Baldwin (r) faced manslaughter charges for the fatal shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins (l) in 2021 before they were dropped on Thursday.
Alec Baldwin (r) faced manslaughter charges for the fatal shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins (l) in 2021 before they were dropped on Thursday.  © Collage: IMAGO / ZUMA Wire

The 65-year-old was charged with two counts of involuntary manslaughter in January over the fatal shooting of Hutchins, which occurred during the filming of the movie Rust in 2021.

On Thursday, Deadline reported that special prosecutors Kari Morrissey and Jason Lewis are set to file paperwork to dismiss the charges against the 30 Rock star.

The prosecution will still investigate the deadly incident, so the charges could be brought back in the future.

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Baldwin received another break last month when Andrea Reeb stepped down as the special prosecutor, leading to Morrissey and Lewis's involvement.

In response to the dropped charges, the actor's lawyers issued a statement applauding the decision.

Alec Baldwin's lawyers respond to the dropped charges

"We are pleased with the decision to dismiss the case against Alec Baldwin and we encourage a proper investigation into the facts and circumstances of this tragic accident," Baldwin's lawyers, Luke Nikas and Alex Spiro, said in a statement.

Rust's former armorer, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, will still face charges of involuntary manslaughter.

Baldwin pled not guilty to the charges in February and has repeatedly denied that he pulled the trigger, despite reports confirming he was the one holding the gun during the fatal shooting.

Cover photo: Collage: IMAGO / ZUMA Wire

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