Judge throws out Alec Baldwin 'Rust' movie shooting lawsuit against prosecutors
A New Mexico judge has thrown out a misconduct lawsuit filed by Alec Baldwin against local prosecutors and sheriff's officials over their pursuit of criminal charges against him for the fatal 2021 shooting on the set of the Western movie "Rust."
Judge Casey Fitch dismissed Baldwin's complaint on Tuesday, July 29, for lack of "significant action" in the case over the past 180 days. The one-page order allows any party in the lawsuit to seek reinstatement within 30 days.
In a statement on July 29, Baldwin's lawyer Luke Nikas told Reuters that settlement discussions were underway and the case could be refiled if they were unsuccessful.
Will Smith, Johnny Depp and Alec Baldwin hope for comebacks. Can they succeed?
Baldwin sued special prosecutor Kari Morrissey, District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies, Santa Fe County law enforcement investigators and other public officials in January, accusing them of malicious abuse of process, defamation and mishandling of evidence.
In the lawsuit, the "Boss Baby" actor claimed prosecutors and others had conspired to manufacture a criminal case against him for political and personal gain. Baldwin was charged with manslaughter in the fatal shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins.
The case was dismissed in 2024 after a judge ruled then that the special prosecutor and sheriff's office had deliberately withheld evidence from Baldwin on the source of a live round that killed Hutchins and wounded director Joel Souza. Morrissey later said that prosecutors had long known the actor would file a retaliatory civil lawsuit.
Alec Baldwin vows to 'expose what really happened' in 'Rust' shooting case: 'More to come'
Hutchins' death, Hollywood's first on-set fatal shooting in nearly 30 years, shocked the movie industry and sparked calls for an overhaul of firearms safety on film productions.
The Ukrainian-born cinematographer died when Baldwin pointed a pistol at her while rehearsing, cocked the weapon and possibly pulled the trigger as they set up a camera shot on a movie set near Santa Fe, his lawyers said.
The gun, a reproduction 1873 single-action army revolver, fired a live round inadvertently loaded by Hannah Gutierrez, the production's weapons handler. Gutierrez was convicted of involuntary manslaughter in March and sentenced to 18 months in jail.
Baldwin, also a "Rust" producer, has always said live rounds should not have been allowed on set, and he was not responsible for weapons safety.
Contributing: Steve Gorman, Donna Bryson, REUTERS
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Forbes
2 hours ago
- Forbes
‘Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake' Continues To Look Really Lovely
The upcoming Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake still continues to impress and look lovely in its latest trailer. While the Western version of the Nintendo Direct omitted any mention of Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake, the Japanese version covered the game quite a bit. Thankfully, Square Enix uploaded the trailer to their channel and in English, too. Unlike the Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake, this new instalment combines the first two games into one package. This makes sense, as the first two games were a lot shorter than the third game in the series. Moreover, Dragon Quest III was the narrative start of the original Erdrick trilogy, before Dragon Quest XI came along at least, and it makes sense storywise that the first two Dragon Quest games would follow the third for these remakes. It's also important to point out that in the first Dragon Quest, you only play as one character, that of Erdrick. Or, more accurately, the descendant that gets to use that name. FEATURED | Frase ByForbes™ Unscramble The Anagram To Reveal The Phrase Pinpoint By Linkedin Guess The Category Queens By Linkedin Crown Each Region Crossclimb By Linkedin Unlock A Trivia Ladder The second game includes more characters for your group, but the first Dragon Quest is a more solitary endeavor, and it will be interesting to see how that plays out in this new remake. I am also loving the very British voice acting and dialogue. It fit really well for the Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake, and this looks to be just as good, if not better. The other big news is that Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake will also be released on Switch 2, as well as the original Switch, which I think is great. Dragon Quest has a very Nintendo-specific heritage to it, and it just feels right that Nintendo's latest console would also be supported for a game like this. Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake will be released on October 30 for Switch, Switch 2, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC, via Steam. Follow me on X, Facebook and YouTube. I also manage Mecha Damashii and am currently featured in the Giant Robots exhibition currently touring Japan.
4 hours ago
A Tunisian musician was detained in LA after living in US for a decade. His doctor wife speaks out
LOS ANGELES -- Dr. Wafaa Alrashid noticed fewer of her patients were showing up for their appointments at the Los Angeles area hospital where she works as immigration raids spread fear among the Latino population she serves. The Utah-born chief medical officer at Huntington Hospital understood their fear on a personal level. Her husband Rami Othmane, a Tunisian singer and classical musician, began carrying a receipt of his pending green card application around with him. Over the past few months, immigration agents have arrested hundreds of people in Southern California, prompting protests against the federal raids and the subsequent deployment of the National Guard and Marines. Despite living in the U.S. for a decade as one of thousands of residents married to U.S. citizens, he was swept up in the crackdown. On July 13, Othmane was stopped while driving to a grocery store in Pasadena. He quickly pulled out his paperwork to show federal immigration agents. 'They didn't care, they said, 'Please step out of the car,'' Alrashid recalled hearing the officers say as she watched her husband's arrest in horror over FaceTime. Alrashid immediately jumped in her car and followed her phone to his location. She arrived just in time to see the outline of his head in the back of a vehicle driving away. 'That was probably the worst day of my life," she said. The Trump administration's crackdown on illegal immigration has ensnared not only immigrants without legal status but legal permanent residents like Othmane who has green cards. Some U.S. citizens have even been arrested. Meanwhile, many asylum-seekers who have regular check-in appointments are being arrested in the hallways outside courtrooms as the White House works toward its promise of mass deportations. Alrashid said her husband has been in the U.S. since 2015 and overstayed his visa, but his deportation order was dismissed in 2020. They wed in March 2025 and immediately filed for a green card. After his arrest, he was taken to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in downtown Los Angeles where he was held in a freezing cold room with 'no beds, no pillows, no blankets, no soap, no toothbrushes and toothpaste, and when you're in a room with people, the bathroom's open,' she said. The Department of Homeland Security in an emailed statement noted the expiration of his tourist visa but did not address the dismissal of the deportation order in 2020 nor his pending green card application. The agency denied any allegations of mistreatment, and said "ensuring the safety, security, and well-being of individuals in our custody is a top priority at ICE.' Alrashid said for years her husband has performed classical Arabic music across Southern California. They first met when he was singing at a restaurant. 'He's the kindest person,' Alrashid said, adding that he gave a sweater she brought him to a fellow detainee and to give others privacy, he built a makeshift barrier around the open toilet using trash bags. 'He's brought a lot to the community, a lot of people love his music," she said. More than a week after his arrest, fellow musicians, immigration advocates and activists joined Alrashid in a rally outside the facility. A few of his colleagues performed classical Arabic music, drumming loud enough that they hoped the detainees inside could hear them. Los Jornaleros del Norte musicians, who often play Spanish-language music at rallies, also were there. 'In Latin American culture, the serenade — to bring music to people — is an act of love and kindness. But in this moment, bringing music to people who are in captivity is also an act of resistance," said Pablo Alvarado, co-executive director of the National Day Laborer Organizing Network. Leading up to the rally, Alrashid was worried because she hadn't received her daily call from her husband and was told she couldn't visit him that day at the detention facility. She finally heard from him that evening. Othmane told her over the phone he was now at an immigration detention facility in Arizona, and that his left leg was swollen. 'They should ultrasound your leg, don't take a risk,' she said. Alrashid hopes to get her husband out on bail while his case is being processed. They had a procedural hearing on Thursday where the judge verified his immigration status, and have a bail bond hearing scheduled for Tuesday.
San Francisco Chronicle
4 hours ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
A Tunisian musician was detained in LA after living in US for a decade. His doctor wife speaks out
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Dr. Wafaa Alrashid noticed fewer of her patients were showing up for their appointments at the Los Angeles area hospital where she works as immigration raids spread fear among the Latino population she serves. The Utah-born chief medical officer at Huntington Hospital understood their fear on a personal level. Her husband Rami Othmane, a Tunisian singer and classical musician, began carrying a receipt of his pending green card application around with him. Over the past few months, immigration agents have arrested hundreds of people in Southern California, prompting protests against the federal raids and the subsequent deployment of the National Guard and Marines. Despite living in the U.S. for a decade as one of thousands of residents married to U.S. citizens, he was swept up in the crackdown. On July 13, Othmane was stopped while driving to a grocery store in Pasadena. He quickly pulled out his paperwork to show federal immigration agents. 'They didn't care, they said, 'Please step out of the car,'' Alrashid recalled hearing the officers say as she watched her husband's arrest in horror over FaceTime. Alrashid immediately jumped in her car and followed her phone to his location. She arrived just in time to see the outline of his head in the back of a vehicle driving away. 'That was probably the worst day of my life," she said. The Trump administration's crackdown on illegal immigration has ensnared not only immigrants without legal status but legal permanent residents like Othmane who has green cards. Some U.S. citizens have even been arrested. Meanwhile, many asylum-seekers who have regular check-in appointments are being arrested in the hallways outside courtrooms as the White House works toward its promise of mass deportations. Alrashid said her husband has been in the U.S. since 2015 and overstayed his visa, but his deportation order was dismissed in 2020. They wed in March 2025 and immediately filed for a green card. After his arrest, he was taken to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in downtown Los Angeles where he was held in a freezing cold room with 'no beds, no pillows, no blankets, no soap, no toothbrushes and toothpaste, and when you're in a room with people, the bathroom's open,' she said. The Department of Homeland Security in an emailed statement noted the expiration of his tourist visa but did not address the dismissal of the deportation order in 2020 nor his pending green card application. The agency denied any allegations of mistreatment, and said "ensuring the safety, security, and well-being of individuals in our custody is a top priority at ICE.' Alrashid said for years her husband has performed classical Arabic music across Southern California. They first met when he was singing at a restaurant. 'He's the kindest person,' Alrashid said, adding that he gave a sweater she brought him to a fellow detainee and to give others privacy, he built a makeshift barrier around the open toilet using trash bags. 'He's brought a lot to the community, a lot of people love his music," she said. More than a week after his arrest, fellow musicians, immigration advocates and activists joined Alrashid in a rally outside the facility. A few of his colleagues performed classical Arabic music, drumming loud enough that they hoped the detainees inside could hear them. Los Jornaleros del Norte musicians, who often play Spanish-language music at rallies, also were there. 'In Latin American culture, the serenade — to bring music to people — is an act of love and kindness. But in this moment, bringing music to people who are in captivity is also an act of resistance," said Pablo Alvarado, co-executive director of the National Day Laborer Organizing Network. Leading up to the rally, Alrashid was worried because she hadn't received her daily call from her husband and was told she couldn't visit him that day at the detention facility. She finally heard from him that evening. Othmane told her over the phone he was now at an immigration detention facility in Arizona, and that his left leg was swollen. 'They should ultrasound your leg, don't take a risk,' she said. Alrashid hopes to get her husband out on bail while his case is being processed. They had a procedural hearing on Thursday where the judge verified his immigration status, and have a bail bond hearing scheduled for Tuesday.
