Alec Baldwin’s civil lawsuit in ‘Rust’ set shooting dismissed by judge

SANTA FE, N.M. — A New Mexico judge on Wednesday dismissed Alec Baldwin’s civil lawsuit alleging that he was maliciously prosecuted, a year after he was cleared of a criminal charge in the shooting death of the cinematographer in his actor-producer’s film, “Rust.”

Third Judicial District Judge Casey B. Fitch dismissed Baldwin’s civil lawsuit without prejudice, citing a lack of activity in the case. Fitch had given attorneys 30 days to file a motion to keep the lawsuit moving.

Baldwin, 67, alleged in a January complaint that he was the victim of overzealous New Mexico prosecutors and law enforcement. The actor claimed he had become the state’s celebrity scapegoat for the accidental on-set shooting of director of photography Halyna Hutchins.

The lawsuit came six months after a judge dismissed an involuntary manslaughter charge filed against Baldwin. Former New Mexico 1st Judicial District Court Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer ended the criminal trial after learning prosecutors withheld potential evidence from Baldwin’s legal team.

Baldwin’s January lawsuit was filed against Kari Morrissey, who led the prosecution before the dismissal; 1st Judicial District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies; Santa Fe County sheriff’s deputies; and Santa Fe County Commissioners.

Authorities said Baldwin was holding a gun on Oct. 21, 2021, while Hutchins was setting up a scene for “Rust” when he pulled the trigger. A bullet struck and killed Hutchins and injured the movie’s director, Joel Souza.

Luke Nikas, Baldwin’s lead attorney, told The Associated Press in an emailed statement that the dismissal amounted to a nonevent since his team has been waiting to prosecute the case.

“We have been in good-faith settlement discussions with the parties to the lawsuit and will be refiling promptly if those discussions are not promptly and favorably resolved,” he wrote.

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