New Mexico prosecutors have officially dropped their appeal to charge Alec Baldwin with involuntary manslaughter following the 2021 Rust shooting incident that killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins.
The decision leaves the earlier ruling by Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer—dismissing the case against Baldwin—unchanged.
The trial collapsed earlier this year after prosecutors were accused of withholding key evidence, including live rounds collected by investigators but not disclosed to Baldwin’s defense team. Special prosecutor Kari Morrissey initially appealed the dismissal, calling it “improper,” but the state’s district attorney ultimately decided not to pursue the appeal further, citing multiple barriers to a fair prosecution.
Baldwin, who held the gun that discharged on set, maintained he did not pull the trigger and was directed to aim it at a camera. His legal team called the dropped appeal “final vindication,” emphasizing the incident was a tragedy, not a crime.
This marks the end of Baldwin’s legal troubles in the case, as the dismissal cannot be refiled. Meanwhile, the film’s armorer, Hannah Gutierrez, remains convicted of involuntary manslaughter.
