Alec Baldwin's lawyers criticize prosecutor's efforts to reopen manslaughter case after case was dismissed

Alec Baldwin’s lawyers hit back at prosecutor’s new attempt Kari T. Morrissey to reopen a manslaughter case against him. That case was dismissed in July when New Mexico Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer The court ruled in Baldwin’s favor at every stage of the trial. But on Tuesday, August 30, Morrissey filed his motion asking the court to reconsider its decision.
In court papers filed Sept. 20, Baldwin’s attorneys attacked Morrissey’s motion as an abuse of judicial process. They attacked Morrissey — who reportedly submitted a five-page affidavit in support of his motion to reopen the case — as a prosecutor She allegedly “evaded and then concealed her disclosure of material evidence,” thereby denying her duty to disclose that evidence. Repeatedly throughout the trial, lawyers accused Morrissey of concealing crucial evidence and denied failing to disclose it. Now, they said, Morrissey is trying to introduce exculpatory evidence that she was supposed to have made before Baldwin was convicted of involuntary manslaughter.
Baldwin’s attorneys, on the other hand, argued that the court should not grant the prosecutor’s motion for reconsideration and should also dismiss the case. More importantly, they argued that the state’s actions were grossly improper and resulted in an unfair judicial process. Therefore, they asked Baldwin’s attorneys to deny Morrissey’s motion, while ordering the state to pay Baldwin’s attorney fees.
The initial incident occurred on the set of a 2021 film *Rust* when Baldwin, using a toy gun, shot and killed the cinematographer Halyna Hutchins Baldwin was arrested in 2011, wounding director Joel Souza. Baldwin has said he did not pull the trigger and did not know the gun was loaded with live ammunition. He was indicted by a grand jury in January; his trial on involuntary manslaughter charges began in July 2024.
The case was however closed by trial because the evidence proved that Morrissey, in his defense, had withheld information that led to the affair, so Judge Sommer dismissed the case with prejudice. Dismissal with prejudice This means the case was not reopened since the judge ruled that the prosecution violated Baldwin’s right to a fair trial by withholding evidence.
The case took another turn when Morrissey, in a motion on August 30, challenged the judge’s decision, insisting that the grounds given did not justify dismissing the motion. She also asked the judge to modify his decision since Baldwin’s rights had not been violated. That motion was denied on September 5 because it exceeded the court’s page limit. Morrissey then filed an amended version of her motion the same day.
Attorney Baldwin’s lawyers continue to argue for a decision that will not allow the case to be reopened and are now asking the court to be rigid and firm in its initial decision. However, the case is still before the court, and Baldwin has insisted that he has no influence over it. He added that he regrets what happened to him and his family following the tragic accident that occurred.