by Alec Baldwin scored another victory in the Rust case in which the special prosecutor, Andrea Reeb, announced on Tuesday that she will resign. The move comes a month after the actor’s legal team filed a motion asking the judge to fire her, arguing her status as a Republican lawmaker in the New Mexico House of Representatives is “unconstitutional.” Baldwin, who was charged with two counts of manslaughter in the death of the film’s cinematographer, Halyna Hutchins, pleaded not guilty.
“After much deliberation, I have made the difficult decision to step down as Special Prosecutor of the Rust case. My priority in this case — and in all cases I’ve prosecuted in my 25-year career — has been justice for the victim,” New Mexico’s office of the First Judicial District Attorney told Yahoo Entertainment. , it has become clear that the best way I can ensure that justice is served in this case is by stepping down so that the prosecution can focus on the evidence and facts, which clearly show a complete disregard for the basic safety protocols that led to the death of Halyna Hutchins. I will not allow questions about my service as a lawmaker and prosecutor to obscure the real issue at hand.”
The documents have been filed with the court and prosecutors are not commenting further at this time. Yahoo contacted Baldwin’s attorney, but did not immediately receive a response.
Hutchins was killed when a gun Baldwin kept unloaded during practice. He has repeatedly claimed that he did not pull the trigger. This will be a major point of contention at trial… assuming the case makes it. The defense and the prosecution quarreled publicly last week after a hearing on Thursday. One of Baldwin’s attorneys said in court that the gun in question “was destroyed by the state.”
Heather Brewer, a spokeswoman for New Mexico’s first district attorney, later refuted this to the media and said the gun is “in trial and available for defense review.”
“The defense’s unexpected statement in today’s state hearing that the weapon was destroyed by the state may be a reference to a statement in the July 2022 FBI Firearms Test Report that the damage was done to the weapon’s internal components during FBI functionality tests. However, the gun still exists and can be used as evidence,” Brewer added.
Last month, prosecutors downgraded one of the manslaughter charges against Baldwin that included a firearm upgrade. He carried a maximum sentence of five years behind bars if convicted. It was the most serious result he had to face.
Baldwin’s attorneys argued that prosecutors made “a legal and unconstitutional error” by charging the 30 Rock star “under a statute that did not exist at the state of the incident”. The law in question went into effect in March 2022, almost six months After Hutchins was killed. The charge itself was also dropped Rust gunsmith, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed. Legal experts have widely condemned the prosecutors’ initial move.
“In order to avoid further litigation distractions by Mr. Baldwin and his attorneys, the district attorney and special prosecutor removed the firearm enhancement to the manslaughter charges in the death of Halyna Hutchins on Rust film set,” Brewer explained of the decision. “The prosecution’s priority is to secure justice, not secure billable hours for big-city lawyers.”
Baldwin and Gutierrez-Reed face one count of manslaughter, a fourth-degree felony that carries an 18-month prison sentence.
Rust will resume production this spring, but not in New Mexico. Rust Movie Productions has announced that the film will shoot at the Yellowstone Film Ranch in Montana. Baldwin will be back along with director Joel Souza, who was injured in the 2021 crash, as well as a mix of old and new crew.
