Alec Baldwin‘s misconduct lawsuit against authorities in New Mexico was dismissed by a judge on Wednesday after the actor’s legal team failed to pursue the case.
The case was dismissed without prejudice for lack of any significant action with the claim, and Baldwin’s lawyers have 30 days to file a motion seeking reinstatement, per the Associated Press.
“This is a non-event. The court dismissed the matter without prejudice because we have been waiting to prosecute the case,” Baldwin’s attorney, Luke Nikas, told Rolling Stone in a statement. “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.”
In January, Baldwin filed a civil lawsuit against New Mexico prosecutors and law enforcement authorities, accusing them of “malicious prosecution” in their involuntary manslaughter case following the death of Rust cinematographer Halyna Hutchins.
In the filing, the actor accused prosecutors in the case of violating his constitutional rights through “improper use of the criminal process,” including failing to disclose evidence to the defense on several occasions. The complaint also alleged they had used the case to benefit their “personal agendas or professional ambitions” and that prosecutors were “blinded by their desire to convict Alec Baldwin for all the wrong reasons, and at any cost.”
Baldwin’s suit was filed against special prosecutor Kari Morrissey and Santa Fe District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies, as well as the 1st Judicial District Attorney’s Office, the Santa Fe County Board of Commissioners, and investigators from the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office. Baldwin sought punitive damages “to the fullest extent permitted by law” and also requested “general and/or compensatory damages in an amount to be determined at trial for all injuries suffered,” plus attorney’s fees and related suit costs.
Baldwin was tried for involuntary manslaughter in Santa Fe, New Mexico, last year after the accidental on-set shooting death of Hutchins. Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer dismissed the case after finding that the state had withheld evidence from the defense.
Love Music?
Get your daily dose of everything happening in Australian/New Zealand music and globally.
Hutchins died on the set of Rust on Oct. 21, 2021 after a prop revolver fired while Baldwin, the film’s star and producer, was positioning it for a scene. The actor has denied any responsibility for the death. Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, the film’s armorer, was convicted of involuntary manslaughter and released from prison in May after serving 14 months.
From Rolling Stone US
